How to Increase Brick and Mortar Footfall

As the vaccination program rolls onwards and Brits become more and more prepared to venture back out to their high street, you’re probably feeling a mixture of excitement and trepidation if you have a brick-and-mortar business. Some very common questions that are rattling around in the heads of Exeter’s brick and mortar business owners include the following:

What happens if sales never fully recover?

How on earth can you prepare for people to start shopping again?

How do you increase footfall?

If you have asked yourself these questions, the answers are: it depends. Every business is different, with different objectives and focuses, and, to a large extent, the ability of a business to bounce back will depend on the person managing it: you. The good news is that by starting your research already, you have demonstrated the diligence that it will take for you to get your business booming again.

Take some of these tips in your stride as you prepare to re-open your business and get ready to increase your footfall!

1. Rethink your Shop Front

People don’t like change, and the thought of rethinking your shop front probably fills you with terror – how can you afford to invest in a renovation? You don’t necessarily need to invest anything as you have one thing on your side: time.

Take a look at your shop front. It needs to be uncluttered and welcoming and look contemporary (not out of date). How attractive it is will depend on your own taste, but you should take a line from digital marketing and think about your conversion funnel.

Essentially a conversion funnel maps the journey a user takes from catching wind of your company to making a purchase, being converted as a customer. You should therefore think of how you can guide people into your shop while causing as minimal friction as possible.

That might mean looking into shop signs to catch the eye of people walking or driving past, but you need to think about what you do with that attention. Will you follow-up with a great deal? That’s up to you, but what you should definitely do is make your shopfront look as inviting and as unintimidating as possible. Remember that people will have a bit of social anxiety coming back from a lockdown, so keep that in mind as you assess your shop.

2. Engage with the Masses!

Before you officially open your doors (or maybe during if you have the staff), you should take your business out onto the streets and take advantage of any crowds with a newfound confidence in the high street. Offer some demos if possible, as well as free samples (though be wary, people will need extreme confidence in your hygiene) and discount vouchers.

Keep in mind that many of those who feel the most confident and ready to shop will be younger adults, so if you can think of any specific demo to target them, expect a higher uptake.

3. A Loyalty Scheme

Some analysts are expecting the high street to never get back to normal – the convenience of online shopping has been proven to everybody now. So, you need to think of a way to counter that convenience. What will people forgo their convenience for? Probably a good deal and probably a good experience. If you can’t afford a loyalty scheme that involves discounts, try to create one that involves experiences. If your creativity is lacking and you’re having trouble doing that – reduce it down and make it simple: be as nice to everybody as you can and be appropriately nice to repeat customers. Show them your genuine appreciation – don’t go over the top or be superficial, but you’re likely going to be happy to see them. Let that show!

4. Do some Digital Work

There is a lot you can be doing in the digital realm, though a lot of it will be intimidating if you are new. Local SEO is a great idea; it can be done without hiring a company (DIY SEO just takes a lot of time) and is essentially a way for you to make your business more visible for people looking for your solution in your local area. That can include putting your business on Google Maps, as well as updating all your contact details.

Social media is also a great idea – reach out and connect to local pages or groups. You don’t even have to do that as your business; you can do so personally and mention your business in some way. Make sure it’s natural, as people have a keen sense of being marketed to.