I understand that many businesses are struggling. But, for the ones who have survived it’s not just about surviving but thriving and changing their operating models quickly.

I tell them that the only thing they can control is how their business operates, not what happens to be going on in the market.

It’s not like you can make excuses and get away with it.

Wal-Mart can’t lock its doors, Amazon can’t be unplugged, Best Buy is untouchable and Target won’t disappear.

It’s not your fault that you’re struggling, but it is on you to do something about it. Because of this fact, we’ll talk about get new customers to your retail store.

It’s important to focus on getting new customers and making them feel welcome in your store. Click To Tweet

The best way to keep your customers coming back is by making them feel comfortable.

9 Tips to Get New Customers to Your Retail Store

1 – Store Operations

You might be asking yourself what is working and not in your shop. Cleaning up Covid-19 spills and enforcing masks should only take you so far.

With the first few salespeople, I made a list of all their strengths and weaknesses. The best part is that this helped me to learn what would motivate them more.

In your opinion, what is the best way to make a customer happy? Google: What do you think customers want from their experience with our company? How to get new customers?

2 – Identify the tasks

The first step is to identify the tasks that are not successful and then prioritize them.

It’s time to face the music. Some of these might be tough, like firing someone you know has to go or having a clearance sale for dated merchandise that just isn’t selling. It will feel so much better when it is all over.

There is nothing better than taking action and improving your business. It’s a great feeling to know that you’re doing something right and this tip will help you to get customers.

3 – Happy Employees

The best thing you can do for your business is to make sure that the people working there are happy. Click To Tweet

Happy employees will be more productive and this will ultimately lead to a better customer experience.

Be a human to your employees. That means you have to find something in common with them and make an effort.

Pay attention to what they are wearing, and ask about their family. It’s not just when someone is hurt or sick. Send them to thank you cards and gifts during the holidays if possible because they will appreciate it. Give praise in front of others so that your employees know how important their hard work is.

4 – Marketing

Once you have your store up and running, it’s time to start marketing. You can use a newsletter or email list that is already established.

If you’re not sure where your mailing list is, check-in the dusty file cabinet or on your computer. Copy all of this information into a new database so that it’s easier to keep track.

Once you have your email list, don’t forget to make it personal. Send out emails with specific offers for customers that they might enjoy.

When you thank your best customers for their business, they will keep coming back. When they do come in again, make sure to go out of your way and say “thank you” one more time.

When writing a subject line, keep in mind that it should be clear what you want the reader to do after reading your email. Is there something specific they can look forward to? Something that will help them feel better about themselves or get more done at work?

5 – Merchandise

To be a great salesperson, you need to know how to sell the product. Retail training is essential for any company that wants its staff to succeed.

When stores reopened after the coronavirus lockdowns, many relied on heavy discounts to move old merchandise. That worked well for them at first because it allowed their staff to simply cashier people who wanted a bargain.

To be successful, you need to train your salespeople on how to sell. Click To Tweet

I realized that pay and training structure was not enough.

When people walk into a store, they want to see other shoppers buying items. You have to show your employees the ropes and encourage them by role-playing their new skills in front of potential customers.

6 – Merchandise

It’s no secret that Facebook is the new king of social media. They own almost every popular application, and they’re making it easier than ever to find people who share your interests.

Create an online presence and do your research on social media to get more followers. Engage them with live videos, and keep selling products by live streaming content on newer platforms like IGTV or Tik Tok.

7 – Free Parking

One way to encourage customers is by providing free parking. This will allow your potential clients the convenience of not having to search for a space and then walk back into the store.

Working from home has been a trend for the past few years, which means that fewer people are driving to your store. The empty parking lot can make it seem like you’re closed or worse out of business.

In the retail business, new customers to a store by how many shoppers there are. If you have lots of people in your store it will keep getting more and more crowded while if nobody is around then that means it’s dead.

How to fix the parking problem?

If you’ve always told employees to park in the back, have them keep their cars there until your store is busy. Once it starts filling up, they can move into the front lot.

8 – Talk about success

It’s not worth your time to talk with businesses that are struggling.

If you hang out with five successful businesses, it’s likely that your business will also be a success. If not, then I’m sorry to say but you’re in the same boat as them.

It’s best to avoid asking other shop owners how their business is doing. If they’re succeeding and you are not, it will only make your situation worse.

Every time you see someone whose business is struggling, don’t try to make yourself feel better by thinking about all the things they’re doing wrong. Instead, ask them what one good thing happened in their day.

9 – Use Google My Business

If you’re not using your website to its full potential, stop what you are doing and go make some changes. Add video testimonials from customers who have been satisfied with their purchases in the past. Post a virtual tour of your store so that people can get an idea of how it looks before they visit.

I would say it’s pretty obvious, but I’ll mention again that you should focus on getting more positive reviews because they’re really important to your local search ranking. In fact, 72% of people who do a local search actually visit the store within five miles.

Conclusion

When you want to know how to attract customers, the first thing you need is energy. If your store isn’t as energetic as it could be and people are not coming in, for this reason, make someone else’s day so they can do something nice for yours.