3 Ways to Make your Business More Attractive to Customers
As a small-business owner, you’ve invested your time, effort, and money into building your company. You’ve worked hard to offer top-shelf products or services at competitive prices. So, you figure, what more could customers want?
As it turns out, quite a bit. Taking a small business to the top requires more than the right mix of products and prices — it’s as much an art as a science. Everything from your decor to the amount of space in your parking lot could be the X factor that catapults your business from just staying afloat to skyrocketing.
Fill up Your Parking Lot
An empty parking lot sends the wrong message to passersby. A vacant lot makes prospective customers think your business either isn’t worth visiting, isn’t open, or is failing. By contrast, a fuller lot makes casual observers think they might be missing out on something special.
Even if you can’t yet drum up enough traffic to fill your lot with customers, don’t be afraid to get creative. For example, do you have your employees park somewhere else? Think about having them park in the front and center of the customer lot to give the impression of steady traffic.
Accept Credit and Debit Card Payments
In our increasingly cashless society, not accepting as many forms of credit and debit cards as possible is the kiss of death for a small business. According to a 2015 survey conducted by NextAdvisor, 42 percent of consumers report that a debit card is their preferred method of payment. Thirty-eight percent prefer a credit card and just 17 percent prefer cash.
But what if you’re in a high-risk industry? Some merchant account providers refuse to offer card processing services to small businesses in these industries, which puts your company at a serious disadvantage if you fall into this category. Fortunately, you can still accept customers’ credit cards by partnering with high risk credit card processors who specialize in providing accounts in your industry.
Evaluate Your Business’ Aesthetics
Color, lighting, layout, decor, and store design will all influence whether customers enter and how long they will stay in your store. If you have the ability to do a window display, that’s your chance to put your best foot forward and lure in foot traffic. An eye-catching display can encourage impulse buys, appeal to the customer’s sentimental side, or pique the curiosity.
Once you get the customer in the store, focus on the space immediately to the right of the door. Customers tend to move counterclockwise in stores, which means the display to their right is the first thing they’ll see and assess. Try to place your most visually appealing displays or website banner displays or products here. Don’t forget to place your high-profit items in this area as well.
You may have heard the saying “retail is detail.” The truth is, all small business is detail. These three tips coupled with the right balance of products and price points just may be the detail your company needs to reach new heights.
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