The lifeblood of any type of business is customers. Without them, you cannot sell your products or services, which means that your business is simply not earning any money. If that happens, then it won’t be long until your business shuts down.

Attracting customers is one of the holy grails of business, and depending on the type of business that you operate, there are many different ways in which to attract and entice customers.

The retail business

If you run a retail store, then you will be competing not only with other nearby stores that may sell the same type of products as you, but also with e-commerce, which is one of the largest types of business online. 

You only need to look at Amazon to see how big it has grown over the past decade, and has gone from being an online shop for books and CDs, to virtually any type of product you can imagine.

Attracting customers to your brick and mortar store can be tricky, but with a good strategy in place, there are ways in which you can stand above the competition.

Good storefront signage

One of the first things you need to look at is the signage outside of your store. How effective do you think it is? Does it successfully convey the message about what your store is all about? If not, then it’s a good time to start thinking about replacing it with something much more effective in attracting attention.

There are a number of different style signs you can use for your store, but one of the best options, if you want to really stand out among the other shops nearby, is to use LED neon lights. This type of light is perfect for signage and with it’s retro look, warm glowing colors and a unique design, you are sure to attract the attention of everyone passing by.

There are many companies offering a range of neon light products, such as NeonMama.com, which offers a huge range of signs for all types of use, from advertising to simply decoration.

Create an impressive window display

A lot of the time, people will gaze at the window of a store before deciding whether or not they will pop inside. You should create an impressive display in your shop window that showcases your best products.

Some huge retails stores spend thousands of dollars each month on shop displays, hence highlighting the importance of having an impressive window display that captures the imagination and interest of people passing by, and which entices them to pay a visit inside to see what other products are available.

If you run a small retail store, then obviously you are not going to be in a position to spend a huge amount of money with your window displays, but simply changing the products on display at least once a month can make all the difference and keep people interested in what you have to offer.

Why not set up a sandwich board?

If you are allowed, why not set up a sandwich board outside of your store. This is a very simple and cheap method to attract more customers, and you can update the message every day if you want. Some stores like to simply like to state the obvious on such boards such as the word “open”, while others are a little more creative and might mix things up a little with some local news, poetry or even words of inspiration.

If you want to take your sandwich board to the next level, why not consider adding a couple of neon lights to it. That will definitely create attention, and will be especially productive during the winter season, when the days are shorter, and nights longer.

Be active online

As mentioned earlier, one of the things that all retail stores will have to compete with is e-commerce. The online market is huge and more and more people are doing all of their shopping online. This was especially true during the Covid-19 lockdown, when people all over the world turned to the internet to do their basic grocery shopping.

All businesses must have an online presence, so it’s vital that you get a website created for your store. You could even create an e-shop so that you too can start selling your products online, rather than only via your store. There are lots of tools online that can help you create a great looking website without needing any design or coding experience.

It’s also important to be active on social media, so make sure that you spend a little time and set up an account for your business on popular platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Social media is a great way to build a following and to keep in contact with your customers, so it’s a good idea to promote your website and social media presence in your store.

Another important online aspect is to get yourself listed with Google Maps. There is a program called Google My Business that all stores can sign up for (it’s free) and be listed in Google maps. This is particularly important when it comes to people connecting to the web via their mobile device. 

Make sure that you fill in all details of your business such as opening hours and upload images. Google wants people using their maps to have a positive user experience, so providing Google with all details about your business means that they can share that information with people in your area who are searching online for what you are offering. 

A few final thoughts

Though most retails stores won’t have the marketing and advertising budgets of the huge companies and chains of stores, there are still lots of things that they can do to help attract more customers into their stores and generate more revenue.

Some of the suggestions discussed in this article are fairly cheap to implement, so you won’t need to break the bank to get started. Try and build up a good relationship with your customers, as the best form of advertising for any business is word of mouth, and if your customers are happy with your service, they are very likely to recommend you to their friends and family.