Big box stores and e-commerce are constantly snuffing out traditional brick and mortar small businesses through online retailers. If you are a small business owner that operates a traditional brick-and-mortar retail store, you may be wondering if you are going to survive.
Despite what appears to be a bleak outlook, it has been predicted that 80% of sales will still happen in physical stores in the next year. This statistic includes big box stores, grocery stores, and small businesses. So as a small business owner, you need to make a strategy to not only survive but get enough of that 80% to come your business to make you thrive. Here are four easy strategies to help your small business thrive.
Have an Online Presence
The great news is that you can compete to get some of the online retail market shares. You need little to no capital to have an online presence through a snappy website, social media, and electronic ads. The first thing you want to focus on is getting yourself a website. Having a website on which customers can see your business, find out the hours of operation, and order products and services legitimize your business. Think about the last time you got a recommendation or searched online for a certain type of business. If you are like most people, the first thing you did was go to their website.
Building an amazing website can be free to little cost. If you don’t need a retail option, it can be completely free, and even if you are a website building novice, most sites offering free website templates, walk you through everything. There is no reason your business should exist today without a website for your customers and potential customers to view.
You can also have a heavier online presence by being on the three major social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, as long as you have fun and engaging content or use these platforms to advise of offers, sales, and special events.
Make it Aesthetically Pleasing
Just like your website should be appealing, so should your store. If your store is inviting, warm, and clean, people will want to come in and experience shopping or to receive services in person. This can also help with customer retention if customers feel connected to the environment.
Make sure your décor, colors, and displays fit what you sell or the services you offer. Don’t be a cookie-cutter store that looks like every other store in your market. Research to find out what colors and displays attract the most customers. Know your target customer and tap into what they like. If your target customer is tech-savvy Millennials, your store will look far different from the small business owner who’s primary customers are middle-aged women. Understand your market, what is pleasing, and your target customer, and make sure your business is decorated to appeal to them.
Highlight the Personal Touch
No matter who your customer is, they will all have one thing in common. Everyone loves to have a personal touch. The personal touch is not confused with being a pushy salesperson who pounces on the customers when they walk in the door. Offering the personal touch means you make sure they cross the threshold to the moment they leave. You want to make sure they will want to come back the next time they need what your business offers. Not only that, but if you are good at the art of the personal touch, those customers will recommend you to everyone they know.
Ultimately, everyone has an ego (some larger than others). If you carefully navigate your customers’ egos through the personal touch, you will create a loyal customer for life.
Make Customers Offers They Cannot Refuse
If your goal is to get customers in the door and away from the online retailers or the big box stores, you have to offer customers something they do not. The greatest asset you have as a small business owner is that you have no corporate headquarters to answer to, and you don’t have to do everything the same as every other store. You can be creative to do whatever you want to get your share of the market.
Make offers to your customers for discounts, savings, or free gifts with purchase that they can’t get anywhere else. Make all your special offers favor them coming into the shop in person to take advantage of them. People can never resist a great deal, so make them offers they cannot refuse!
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