As consumers in a consumer culture, we are constantly bombarded with advertisements both in real life and in the virtual space. While marketers have gotten much better at organically weaving their online advertisements via social media and other outlets, we’re still faced with the more traditional forms of advertisement that existed prior to the internet. And there’s a reason why physical ads still work and why they’re necessary. Recent statistics show that even while most consumers initially browse items online, more than 75% of them will ultimately venture to a brick and mortar store to look further or finalize a purchase.
So it seems there still exists an impetus to get out of the house and shop in stores. Shopping can be a social activity, and even if you don’t end up buying anything it can be fun to look around and see what’s in store, literally. The same effect can’t quite be had scrolling through your smartphone and clicking a button. And as the weather gets warmer, more and more shoppers will want to get out and shop in person.
If you’re a business with a physical store and want to attract more customers this Spring, what are the best ways to do so? Again, while online advertisements are everywhere, physical ads still work and can help bring in more people when they’re nearby. Here are a few ideas to pack your store with bodies this season.
1) Get Creative with Retail Display Stands
One of the key advantages brick and mortar stores have over the online marketplace is that business owners and employees can alter the aesthetics of the store in certain ways that can attract customers, bring focus to a certain item or brand, or direct the eye of the customer in various other ways. For instance, if an item comes in that’s hot on the market, a physical store can display it front and center in creative ways to bring attention to that item. The more creative the better. A store might for example build a display that matches the theme of the product or looks like the product itself. Maybe flashing lights will surround this display, or some other moving part that draws the eye. There really is no limit to the creative retail display ideas you can come up with.
2) Take it Outside with Outdoor Metal Sign Stands
Before you can sell anything to anyone, you need to get them inside your store in the first place. While some people like to peruse any store they come across, others are more selective, especially if they’re on a budget or time constraint. This means you need to find a way to convince customers to enter your store. The best way to do this is with signage. You need to find nearby places where you know people will be and place signs in those areas pointing to your store. Outdoor metal sign stands are a good investment since they’re typically large, durable, and relatively cheap. Once you’ve found good (and legal) locations for these signs, make sure they advertise what your business is and why people should come inside.
3) Sale Away, Sale Away
People love sales. As a consumer, it feels good to save money. Even if the sale is small and limited, the very word “Sale” grabs more attention than most others when it comes to advertising. If your business can afford it, find some items (or one major item) you can discount on weekends, holidays, and other days with more foot traffic, and then use those outdoor metal sign stands to let your potential customers know you have things on sale. It’s been shown that even full priced items sell better by 18% with signage than items without it. Imagine then how this works for items on sale.
While it’s true more people are making purchases online now than ever, they’re also still visiting stores for various reasons (shipping and handling can often be an expensive an inefficient pain, for one thing). So if you’re a business who relies on physical sales, don’t be disheartened. Invest in display stands, outdoor metal sign stands, and other forms of signage to get people on your store and convince them to make a physical purchase or two this season.
