As a retail store owner, you’re always looking for ways to increase foot traffic. After all, more foot traffic means more potential customers and more sales. But how to increase foot traffic in a retail store?

One way is to make sure your store is visible from the street. This means having large windows that allow natural light to come in, as well as an eye-catching storefront sign. You can also try offering special promotions or discounts to entice people to come into your store.

Providing excellent customer service is another way to increase foot traffic. Make sure your employees are friendly and helpful, and that they go above and beyond to help customers find what they’re looking for. If customers have a positive experience in your store, they’re much more likely to come back again – and bring friends with them.

In this article, we share 7 more tips on how to increase foot traffic in a retail store.

What is Foot Traffic?

The phrase “foot traffic” is used by retailers to describe customers who come into a store and make purchases, as opposed to those who simply drive up and look at merchandise.

Foot traffic can be an important metric for businesses, as it can give insight into how many people are actually coming into the store and interacting with products.

How to Determine Foot Traffic

There are several ways to measure your retail foot traffic.

Most retail stores utilize WiFi, cameras, and POS devices to collect data on customer behavior. This data is then used for analyzing foot traffic.

You can also determine foot traffic from the number of customers coming to your counter. This can be extremely helpful in understanding how well your business is doing and what areas may need improvement.

Fortunately, you don’t have to stand at the door and manually count all the people who come through. Several tools allow you to count foot traffic and collect information about the customers who come to your location(s).

1. Traffic tracking software 

If you’re looking for a way to get automated traffic information, then traffic tracking software is what you need. There are many different options available depending on your budget. Some of the most popular choices include Dor, Kepler Analytics, and Aislelabs.

2. Social engagement

Social engagement is another way to measure foot traffic and gain customer insights.

One way to encourage customers to provide valuable data is by asking them to check in during in-store demonstrations or complete a questionnaire before an event. This type of customer engagement usually yields good data that can be used to improve the business.

If you have a strong online presence through your website or social media profiles, you can make your store a check-in location or ask customers to submit their contact information when they log in to the store’s free Wi-Fi. This way, you can continue to engage with them even after they leave your store.

3. Sales data

Sales data is excellent for measuring the percentage of shoppers that convert to a sale, but it doesn’t tell you the total number of people who came to your store.

The total number of shoppers who walked into your store can be cross-referenced with the total number of orders processed by your store’s point of sale system. This will give you an accurate idea of how many people are actually making purchases.

As you increase your store traffic, it is important to monitor your conversion rates to ensure that your employees are successfully turning sales opportunities into actual sales.

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Why is Foot Traffic Important?

Foot traffic is important because more customers mean more sales.

Foot traffic at shopping malls during the last holiday season increased by 3.2% according to Placer.

1 out of every 5 people does most of their shopping in-store, while another 4% said they only shopped in-store in the past month.

How to Measure Foot Traffic and Collect Customer Data

You can now track foot traffic through your doors by using technology. You no longer have to stand at your door and count people coming in. However, you can if you want to.

There are several free tools available that can help you measure the foot traffic coming into your retail store. This information can be useful in helping you determine how well your store is doing and where potential improvements could be made.

• Placer.ai (free): This tool provides foot traffic counts and other limited data for any existing business, venue, shopping mall, or casino. More advanced reports can be purchased.
• AreaVibes (free): This site provides valuable geographic lifestyle and demographic data for free, including insights into community population, amenities, and walkability.
• LocationOne (free): The “Property Search” tool allows you to not only find available commercial properties but also download reports outlining important information such as foot traffic in the immediate area and category spending within a multi-mile radius.

If you want to increase store traffic, it’s important to measure foot traffic and identify traffic patterns.

7 Best Ways How To Increase Foot Traffic In A Retail Store

These seven expert techniques will help you increase your store traffic quickly. You don’t need to spend a lot of money or take much time to see results.

Even three of these methods could help your store attract more customers.

1. Master One Social Media Platform 

At least 55 percent of shoppers follow brands on social media to see new products. This is great, but unfortunately, if you want to be active on all social media channels, you need a lot of money.

Social media can be distracting, but when used correctly, it can help you serve and sell to potential customers.

If you want to succeed with social media, you need to focus on mastering a single platform first. Once you’ve become an expert at that, you can move on to other platforms.

Shopify reports that Instagram has the highest average order value at $65, while Facebook is responsible for two-thirds of all social media visits to Shopify sites. Choose one platform and focus on making it work well for your business.

If you’re looking to get started with social media, it’s important to choose the platform that is right for you and your business. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, so take some time to consider which platform will work best for you. Once you’ve chosen a platform, make sure you understand how to use it effectively.

For example, if you choose Instagram, be sure to learn how to add links to your bio, find relevant hashtags, connect with influencers, and use IGTV and captions effectively. You should also consider connecting your online store so you can sell products directly through Instagram.

While Facebook and Instagram are both owned by the same company, they are very different. Users on Facebook spend twice as much time on a brand’s page if it has a video.

As a business owner, it’s important to understand how live video can help you reach more people on Facebook. Make sure your videos are filmed in horizontal mode and take advantage of the lower cost to boost your reach. You can also create custom audiences and lookalike audiences to connect with more potential customers.

According to the Pew Research Center, after Google, more people search on YouTube than on any other site. This means that YouTube is a great place to find information on just about anything.

If you’re looking to reach a teenage audience, YouTube is the place to be. With more teenagers using YouTube than any other social media platform, you can’t afford to miss out on this huge market. If you’re willing to commit to creating videos, YouTube is the perfect place to connect with your target audience.

If you’re trying to reach Generation Z, then you should be on Tik Tok, but there is some uncertainty around who will end up owning it.

Study one social media platform in-depth before trying to use it to communicate with others. Unless you know what you’re doing, you’ll waste time and money.

2. Hold an event

Retail is all about answering the “What’s new?” question from shoppers.

While it used to be possible to hold events where food was given away and people won raffles, unless those in attendance were convinced to buy something, it was usually a bust for event organizers.

At a hardware store before the pandemic, the employees got tired of seeing foot traffic decline in the late winter, so they came up with an idea to bring people in – a belt sander race. Yes, it’s a real thing.

If you decide to do an event, commit and use enough resources to make it stand out in everyone’s mind.

Brainstorming with friends or co-workers is a great way to come up with a unique event that will get your community buzzing.

3. Watch HGTV

If you’re looking to increase foot traffic to your retail store, take some tips from house-flippers! Curb appeal is key to attracting customers, so try using some of their techniques to make your front entrance more inviting.

If you’re on the main street, having a nice, clean, and well-landscaped path to your entrance can be a great way to attract customers. Even something as simple as a few potted plants can be enough to make a difference.

Watering your plants with Miracle-Gro during the summer months will help them stay healthy and vibrant. Adding lights to conifers or tree limbs will also create a warm and inviting atmosphere for customers, even on the darkest winter days.

4. Be Consistent 

Be consistent in how you interact with your followers and customers. Don’t change things up too much.

You will confuse your customers if you post multiple times a day on one social media and then go dark the next. Confused customers can’t rave about you. You need to be consistent with your social media posts.

Your store’s appearance should be updated frequently, but your message should be the same.

JC Penney has gone through a lot of changes in the past 10 years. First, they got rid of coupons, then they brought them back. Then they focused on Baby Boomer moms, then they dropped that demographic and went after Millennials, and now they’re focusing on something else entirely. They’ve lost sight of their customer base and as a result, their business is suffering.

You must be consistent and always know exactly who your target market is. By understanding your target market, you can speak to them directly and effectively.

5. Redesign your website

As people are finally starting to leave their homes, remember that each trip to the store is special and that it starts, in some way, with an online search.

To get those online shoppers to visit your website, you need a modern look that is not built on the same template as everyone else’s.

Build a website that is visually appealing, tells a story, and keeps shoppers engaged. You can use technology to provide a more personal customer experience on your website and give your customers the great service they deserve.

Adding a chatbot to help answer basic questions. As the app gets smarter, it can understand your most frequently asked questions and provide answers accordingly. This can be extremely helpful in understanding what your customers are looking for and how you can better serve them.

After you refresh and re-merchandise your store, hire a professional photographer to take some pictures. You’ll want to make sure people are shopping in the store so it doesn’t look dead.

Online shoppers should have as many options as possible to share and purchase your products. To convert online shoppers into buyers and brand ambassadors, add social sharing buttons to every product.

6. Ask for Referrals

To generate word-of-mouth for your business, you should ask your customers at the counter who else they think would like your shop. For example, Patricia Fripp gave every customer at her salon three business cards to generate word-of-mouth.

She’d say, “Give me one, and I’ll give you two more for the next person that tells you how great the service was.”

Why not your tire store or running store? If they had a great experience with your business, they would be more than happy to help you out!

7. Hire the Best Talent

If you’re constantly struggling to keep employees, it may be time to reevaluate your hiring process. If employees are consistently late or unwilling to participate in retail sales training, this could be a sign that the wrong people were hired for the job. By taking a closer look at your hiring process, you can ensure that you are bringing on board individuals who will be a good fit for your company.

It is important to find individuals who will fit well into your company culture and have the skill set necessary to excel in their role to create a thriving business.

With the right training and attitude, anyone can deliver an exceptional experience.

People are increasingly shopping online, which is causing retailers to go out of business. This creates an often dehumanizing experience for shoppers, as they are interacting more with robots than humans.

@itscaitlinhello ✨I’m Shelly if you need anything✨#fyp #foryou #foryoupage #retail #IceCreamDay ♬ original sound – Caitlin Reilly

To avoid that happening, provide associates with the right training and set a culture of excellence.

That’s one way to make your online store feel like a friendly place to shop.

How to improve store traffic? People are more likely to buy from a store if they feel like they matter.

Conclusion

How to increase foot traffic in a retail store? By making your store visible from the street, offering special promotions or discounts, and providing excellent customer service, you’ll be sure to see more customers coming through your doors.