The market is changing. Over the years, retail stores have become less popular and e-commerce began its rise. Thanks to the internet, many people have remained at home and do their shopping online.
There is still space for brick and mortar stores. To make sure that your small business can survive in the increasingly digital world, here are some measures you can adopt.
Go Cashless
Many people still prefer cash, but credit card and digital wallet transactions seem to be the future of retail. Offering more payment options will only help your small business gain more customers.
Whatever your small business may be, even if it considered high-risk, should adopt cashless payment methods. There are gun-friendly credit card processors in the United States to allow you the opportunity to conduct transactions with anyone.
Offer a Personalized Shopping Experience
Although online shopping offers convenience, there are some things that it cannot offer to its customers. Give your customers a reason to go back to your brick and mortar stores over and over again by offering a personalized shopping experience.
Train your staff to better understand your products so that they can offer suggestions to customers who walk into your store. People want to be engaged when they shop. They want to feel like they are part of a community. Take, for example, lifestyle and clothing store Urban Outfitters. To cater to its millennial following, they opened bars and restaurants within their stores.
A pop-up shop is another way to provide a different experience. A temporary store-slash-retail event can convince people to check out your products and services.
Find a unique idea that only your small business can give your customers. Go beyond just offering discounted prices or flash sales. Pretty soon, the customers will come walking through your doors.
Make the Most of the Latest Technologies
Consumers, especially young ones, are tech-savvy. They might not appreciate coming into your store if you stick with the traditional retail model.
For your small business to thrive in the future, you should be comfortable with surrounding yourself with technology to enrich the customer’s personal shopping experience. Anything from equipping your store with digital touchscreens that customers can interact with or sending coupons/vouchers directly to customers who walk into your store can help.
Be Everywhere
You need to be where your customers are which means that, if you have not already, you have to create an online presence for your small business.
Popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube, Pinterest are actually effective but inexpensive way of marketing your products and services. Through these apps, thousands, if not millions, of people can check out what you are selling. The best part of it all, you do not have to spend a lot of money. All you need is a unique, compelling campaign and, perhaps, an experienced social media marketer to run it in order to get noticed by your target audience.
Your goal is to be visible to potential customers. If your small business does not have an online presence, it might be more difficult for people to find you which will significantly impact the store’s foot traffic.
You do not have to follow these tips to a T. You should consider these as suggestions that you can alter several times until you can adopt them in a way that adheres to your vision and goal for your small business.