Gotta Catch Their Eye! 10 Ways to Get Customers Off the Street & In Your Door...

We all know that location is critical, but plenty of businesses fail in great locations while others thrive off the beaten path. Here are 10 of my best suggestions to draw a crowd:

1. SIGNS, SIGNS, & MORE SIGNS! According to the Retail Doc, 5 of his top 12 ways to draw foot traffic (including the #1 way) into your retail store involve signage:
   1. A memorable outdoor sign
   2. A great window display
   3. A branded street or parking lot light pole sign
   4. Lawn/walkway signs
   5. Portable signs
      
      
2. Local/Map Business Listings: Take the time to create a fully optimized listing on every localized online platform (many of which are free.) And by 'fully optimized' I mean fill in every possible field with well-written & helpful info, use proper capitalization and grammar, plug in keywords customers might be searching that you want your business to show up for, use great photographs of your products, services, physical location, personnel, etc. Your time will not be wasted! According to Nectafy, 88% of consumers who search for a type of local business on a mobile device call or go to that business within 24 hours! The two most important platforms include:
   1. Google Maps
   2. Yelp
   3. Industry-Specific Networks & Directories
      
      
3. Facebook (w/ Local Targeting): Create a well-represented and active Facebook for Business page (make sure it is consistent with your branding!) and set up events and/or ads with local targeting. From my experience, you can get relatively cheap interactions (like leads, event commitments, shares, etc) by running ads targeting users who fit your ideal demographics and are located near your shop. These interactions will result in real, actual foot traffic to your business, especially if you couple it with an event (product launch, guest appearance, promo/sale, wine tasting, gallery stroll, etc.)
   
   
4. Mobile Offers: These can include check-in coupons or gift certificates on Yelp, discount codes offers through Google Maps, or mass-texting promotions via 3rd party platforms like SlickText or EZTexting, for example. A report from eMarketer.com showed that mobile offers are redeemed 10x more frequently than print offers, so think twice before taking an ad out in the local coupon mailer!

Now the best fit for your business out of these offers might vary depending on your unique circumstances, like how and where your ideal customers might be looking for you. One thing that nearly every business has in common (especially those with a storefront, office or other physical location) is the need for signage!

Custom Logo Signs has become a national leader in innovative and eye-catching signs, specializing in unique materials (like various metals, colored acrylic and reclaimed wood), artistic grind patterns, creative textures, quality finishes, stunning LED lights, and more. Reach out to us now and mention this article for a FREE $100 CREDIT to be redeemed toward any custom sign purchase.