How to Maximize Foot Traffic to Your Retail Store

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Try Digital Options

Typically, we think of digital solutions as the enemy of brick-and-mortar retail. After all, people who are shopping online aren't people who walk into your store. But tapping into the power of digital solutions could help you pull more people in. These are a few options to consider.

Push Notifications

Push notifications come from you and go directly to a consumer's cellphone.

You could use those messages to explain a big sale you're holding, or you could talk about why a visit right now would be a good idea.

‍Adweek reports that the majority of global cellphone users have enabled push notifications on their devices. And some savvy companies are personalizing the messages they send, which helps consumers to feel both seen and appreciated.

One push notification vendor described a campaign of push notifications for a retail client. Within a month, that client has 1,315 impressions (or views) of a message, with a click-through rate of 9.25%.

That means close to 10% of people who saw the message chose to open it and visit the store’s website. A truly impressive result like this shows just how helpful push notifications can be.

Geofencing

You can also work with geo-fencing companies and push specific messages to consumers when they're standing close to the entrance of your store. These are messages that are tagged by location, so consumers will only see them when they have the potential to become walk-in customers. While some consumers might find these messages a little intrusive, others might discover you through their savvy use.

Companies like Home Depot use geofencing in a slightly different way. When consumers download the app, it shifts when consumers enter the store. During in-store mode, the app provides additional features, including a product locator tool.

An approach like this cuts down on the need for customers to find helpful staff, and it could result in an increase in sales and brand loyalty.

Social Media

Social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok let you speak to consumers directly. Use your channels to tell consumers about your sales and products, or share the news about a special event you’re holding at your location.

In 2023, researchers examined the efficacy of social media on foot traffic to retail stores. They found that when so-called “brand mentions” increased by one point, then the next-day foot traffic to that store the next day also increased.

It didn’t matter if the mentions were positive or negative, the researchers said. If people were talking about the brand, people came to see for themselves.

Use studies like this to motivate you to get noticed on social media. Set up your accounts and start sharing.

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Focus on Service

Customers may come into your shop to look over your products. However, they may come back because of the service you provide. Here’s what you need to know to ensure they have an excellent experience.

Talk to Customers

When consumers come into your store, they could engage with employees who are:

Stocking shelves
Marking prices
Running cash registers
Cleaning

All of these employees have important tasks, but they should remember to talk with your customers as well. They're part of the overall shopping experience you offer within your store.

Encourage your employees to make eye contact with your customers and ask open-ended questions such as the following:

Can I help you find anything?
Did you find everything you were looking for?
How can I help?

Spend Time with Customers

Customer service really matters, say the experts at LMP Insider. When you have a fully staffed shop, you can give your customers the speedy experience they're hoping for. When you don't, you can tempt your customers to bash you on social media. That could keep even more customers from walking through your doors.

Ensure that you’re fully staffed at peak times for your retail shop. Encourage your employees to be both present and helpful. Reward them for answering questions and providing exceptional service.

Avoid Common Mistakes

Customer service is an art, and it can take time for new employees to get everything right. Many people make these mistakes as they learn—and you can help your employees avoid them:

Showing a lack of empathy: Your employees know your store inside and out, but your customers may not. Ensure that your staff always listens actively and acknowledges the feelings of each customer.
Delaying responses: Customers have choices. If they can’t get a quick answer to a question, they may go somewhere else instead. Ensure that you’re appropriately staffed so visitors can get help when needed.
Providing unclear information: Some stores use lingo to speed up staff communication. You may know what terms like POS and SKU mean, but your customers may not. Ensure that your staff always keeps the language clear. ‍
Answering half of a question: Imagine that a customer wants help finding an item. For some, simply hearing the aisle number is enough. Others need a guide. Ensure that your staff doesn’t stop providing help until the customer is satisfied.

Nurture True Believers

If your store offers consumers the option to buy a product online and pick it up in the store, you have a golden opportunity. According to research published in Management Science, consumers who have a good experience in your store can be converted from online shoppers to real-life browsers. It depends on how quickly, and how well, you serve them when they complete that first pickup.

Sharing inventory information is crucial, the researchers say, as it allows consumers to come to your store to pick up purchases without being disappointed when they arrive. Do that well and those consumers will spend more when they walk through the door, and they will be encouraged to come back again.

Improve the Exterior

It's easy to sit in your office and fret about how many people are (or are not) coming through your doors. But walking outside of those doors can give you a good perspective on what you're doing right and what you should change.

Experts writing for the U.S. Small Business Administration recommend assessing your window display and your signage. Do those key elements appeal to the type of consumer you're trying to attract? Then, sit close to your window and watch the people who come close to your door. What are they looking at? What seems to attract them? Do they want to stop?

Look for ways to bring the experience you offer inside your store to the people walking by. Consider music.

If you're playing a soundtrack that's closely associated with the products you sell and it seems to describe your brand perfectly, pipe it outside of your door.

Improve the Interior

When customers enter your store, what are they surrounded by? Paying attention to the following elements could ensure that customers want to both linger and visit again.

Music

Research published in the Asian Journal of Business and Management Sciences suggests that happy music consumers know well is associated with the best success in a retail environment. This is the music people tend to hum along with, and just hearing the notes makes them feel better about themselves and the world.

Playing this music inside your store could entice your customers to pay a little more.

Scent

In addition to the music you play, the lighting in your shop and the scents in the air could influence your customers. Research in the Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal suggests that even subtle sensory experiences could have a profound influence on how consumers feel as they shop. And those influences could entice your customers to pay more or to walk out without paying for anything at all.

Lighting

Customers need to see your products before they buy them, and the lighting can make them spend more than they otherwise might.

For example, a retail bridal shop had aging lighting that created shadows on the bright dresses. The salon responded by upgrading the lighting in the fitting rooms. The result was a bright, warm light that showed the dresses properly and resulted in higher sales.

Legal Music Use

Music is protected by copyright laws. Typically, musicians hire performance rights organizations (PROs) like BMI and ASCAP to collect fees. These organizations may visit retail outlets and ensure that music isn’t playing without a license.

If a PRO hears unlicensed music playing, it will send letters reminding you of the fees you owe, and they may take you to court if you ignore them. These companies have a legal right to ask you to pay them for the music you're playing. It is your responsibility to make sure you're in compliance with the law.

To play music legally, one option is to contact the PRO that collects the fees. That can mean negotiating contracts with several different organizations, as each PRO works with a different roster of artists.

Most PROs charge on a sliding scale based on the size of your facility and the number of customers you serve. If you have several PRO arrangements, you can expect higher fees than you would with just one.

Let Us Help You

We know that music can be a vital element for a successful business. We also know that small businesses like yours can be at risk if you play music without a proper license to do so.

We can help. We've negotiated contracts with major PROs, and we can offer you robust playlists so you can play what you'd like to play. Just contact us and we'll get started.