To get people to come to your store, one needs creativity. There are so many things to consider. When setting up your store display fixtures, think about the flow of your displays and how you can include some areas that will bring you free advertising direct from your customers.
  • Set up a customer sign-in area where they can leave their name, address, phone number, and email in a binder for future contact. This will show you where your customers are coming from and potentially what zip codes to do mass mailings to.
  • Add free WiFi to your store to get the customer to give you their email address. Customers like to compare prices on their cell phones, so by letting them do that freely in your store, you are getting an opportunity to gain their email address for future store events or emails about store specials and sales. You might also be able to gain information about what people are looking at the most in your store.
  • Do a give-a-way once a week. Something small works to keep your customers coming in every week to see what new things you have or to remind them of what they didn't get the week before. Just another way to get the customer's information for the future. Set up a display showing the give-a-way item and a ballot box with entry forms and pencils.
  • If you have extra space in your store, set up an area for a selfie station to post to social media sites. Make sure the backdrop includes your store information. Have the customers post it including a hashtag that is relevant to your store. It's free advertising!
  • Make a U-shaped area from display cases where you can put a sitting area inside with a sofa and chairs. This allows a space for spouses to rest while the customer is shopping. They are more likely to stay longer if their spouse is comfortable. The spouse may also find something in one of the display cases while they are sitting there.
  • For those shopping online, include an affiliate program on your website. This will drive customers to your site from other businesses. By having that link on their site, you may find that they become a repeat customer by keeping your information in front of them all the time. Out of site, out of mind.
  • You could even have a computer area set up where customers could sign up for an online account right in your store. Set your computer up so that it won't go to any site but yours.
There are tons of ideas out there that are out-of-the-box. These days, you have to fight for the number one spot in your business field. Keep a creative mind and don't be afraid to change it up. Your customers will love you for it.