Struggling to generate customers in your shop? There are many reasons as to why you may not be getting any customers. Below are 5 most common reasons for a lack of business and what you can do to put this right.
By Team Savant
Image: Ibrahim guetar
No Online Presence
A lot of physical store owners overlook the importance of having an online presence. A website is essential for not just displaying information like opening times, but also helping you to get discovered. You can target keywords that your customers may be searching for and get discovered through search engines. Having a website is also important for getting featured on Google Maps. Social media and PPC advertising can further help you to get discovered and help you attract customers. All in all, make sure that you’re investing in online marketing.
Unattractive Exterior
An unattractive shopfront could be putting off customers from coming in. Start by considering your store’s signage. If your signage is dull, damaged or misleading, it could be putting off customers from going in. Find a signage company that can build you a new attractive sign. Next, you should consider your window display. Displaying the right products will help you to grab people’s attention. Make sure to also keep your shopfront clean and use lighting to stand out.
High Pricing
Customers could also be getting put off by your prices. Make sure to do your competitor research to see what other stores are charging for similar products. If your prices are much higher than your competitors and you’re offering the same quality products, there’s no reason why customers are likely to come to you. If you can’t afford to price your products any lower, think about ways in which you can make pricing seem more attractive. High-low pricing involves deliberately charging products at a very high price so that you can discount them, making it seem as if they are more of a deal. Using charm pricing may also help convert customers (advertising a product at $9.99 instead of $10.00 to make it seem lower).
Poor Customer Service
Poor customer service is certain to scare off customers. When customers come into your store, make sure that you are welcoming and helpful. At the same time, don’t harass customers and give them space. Good customer service will lead to recommendations and positive online reviews. This in turn will help you convert customers. On top of this, you’re more likely to generate return customers by being helpful and friendly.
Poor Location
Setting up a store in the wrong location can have a huge impact on how many customers you attract. It is firstly important to make sure that there is a demand for your store in your area. You’ll likely find it much harder to sell niche products in a small town or village than you would in a major city (unless it’s a niche specific to your town or village). You also need to weigh up how much competition there is in an area. Customers may not visit your store if there’s already other stores catering to their needs. You should also think about how busy an area is and how accessible it is. Having lots of passers by will help you get noticed, while features like parking and disabled access could further attract customers.