Thursday 26 December 2013

Attracting Customers and enhancing Foot Traffic to a Store

When you’re trying to attract more customers by enhancing foot traffic your focus should mainly be on your outer presentation.  Here are some tips that should help you lure people in to perhaps becoming customers:

Make A Display For that Window:

If your shop is located in a popular destination that attracts a lot of foot traffic, then create an attractive window graphic that tells your store’s story. The decal should be your invitation to the people passing by. A creative window display promotes impulse sales.

Rolling Out the Red carpet for the customers:

Hoteliers and restaurateurs know there is nothing that shouts “Special” than a red carpet treatment. A simple red mat in a high traffic area, with “Welcome” on it, attracts people to the store. 

Put Your Best Product Out Front!

If you are an automobile dealer then wheeling out your best products in front of your storeroom is a great idea. Nothing grabs the eye of speeding customers faster than a huge display of a glossy new vehicle. And if the vehicle displayed is a luxury sedan everyone dreams of buying then you are sure to get a lot of inquiries. This also works well for a garden center with an impressive display.

Frames for the Parkway:

Lightweight signs are used often by real estate agents for open houses as they are reasonably priced. They can be pushed into the surface to stand about 3 feet high. These are a good idea to get the message out for limited time promotion. Some light weight signs are sturdier than others but they cannot take too much wind. 

Portable signs:

Using a portable curb sign gives a store’s message a very professional look. This important tool can be used for displaying high quality color graphics to stick out from the competitors. These signs are weatherproof with a stand that can be filled with sand, anti-freeze or water.

Planting and landscaping:

Spending some cash on the landscaping around the store or restaurant is a great idea.  The abundance of flora attracts the customer’s eye. In case you have nothing but sidewalks in front, plant some pots with bright red geraniums and make sure they’re watered and well maintained. 

Balloons for decoration:

Balloons are a reasonable way to give attention and movement to a business.  If your business premise has railing, make use of that. If you have no place to tie the balloons, you can utilize cinder-blocks placed flat to attach the strings from the holes.  Be sure to make use of plenty of balloons and replace them regularly as helium tends to deflate in the sun.

Ways That Keep Customers from coming in:

Sign Boys

There is nothing more desperate than an individual with a red arrow sign at the sidewalk pointing towards the business.  The store may get the attention but the customers will be left with a bad impression. This is because the people chosen for such duty are normally the saddest, bored individuals.

Junk Store

Stocking the old sale merchandise of a business at the sidewalk appears like a garage sale.  People who drive past will judge you by the product you have chosen to represent your company out front, i.e. things that did not sell and you decided to put them up for sale.

These are not all the ways through which you can attract customers inside a store and get the foot traffic but they can certainly give you a head start without excessive cash outlay. There are several sign makers in California you can contact for your A-frame requirements or to get your window decals customized as per your needs.

Tuesday 10 December 2013

Increasing Restaurant Sales during Christmas

There are two main ways through which a restaurant increases sales: getting customers to buy more or bringing in new customers. Smart restaurateurs find ways to do both. There are plenty of ways that can help an owner increase sales during Christmas. Here are some tips that can go a long way in enhancing sales:

This is the time for shopping – handing out flyers or menus in front of the stores nearby is a great way to attract hungry shoppers to the restaurant. The owner can work with local retailers to offer some promotional discount to customers – customers can bring the flyer in to receive special offers.

Use parties as a medium to advertise- It is also the season when people socialize.  Most businesses hold team lunches and holiday parties.  Sending catering menus and samples to nearby offices, helps attract workers to the restaurant for parties, dinners and lunches. It is also a great idea to pay event organizers to market the business with advertising signs.

Increase frequency of existing customers:  Give them a reason to come back again soon- seasonal menus can attract a lot of attention as they offer something exciting and wintery that customers can’t usually get. It is best to bring in new menu boards that have a flavor of the holidays. The owner can use Christmassy colors and decoration. This adds to the festive feeling.

Apart from this, introducing a changing but recurring theme for the season every week till the holidays is a great idea. Customers are sure to come back for more when they see exclusiveness.

Increasing the overall visibility:

- This is the right time to take out gift cards to pull in new customers. In fact, offering free gift cards with the purchase of other items is a lucrative marketing technique that tends to fetch a lot of repeat sales.  This is because it will get the customer to come back again.

- Seasonal drinks such as spiked hot chocolates and pumpkin lattes look and smell good –the owner must be sure there are visible signs in the restaurant for that. Outdoor illuminated signs displaying season specials are sure to catch the attention of the passersby.  

- Passing out free samples of a warming or seasonal appetizer while customers wait to get seated or are waiting to order also tempts for an extra order.

-Using the windows to the fullest: restaurant windows can also be utilized for the purpose of marketing. The owner can put up full size window decals in a variety of different ways to familiarize passersby about the restaurant’s specialty.

Delivery vans and decals:

There is nothing more successful for twenty-four hour advertising than a mobile billboard. The fleet of delivery vehicles can be decked with car decals displaying the restaurant’s contact information and its unique selling point. The vehicles can act as billboards whether on road or when parked at the curb. 

December is the time for friends, family, holiday shopping and parties.  This is also when businesses need to be sure that their restaurants are in the minds of their customers for everything “holiday” this year. For that matter, it is important for the owners to get creative with their menu and signage and get a precise plan in place before the season begins. It is best to get in touch with reputed sign making and advertising companies that can cater to specific requirements and needs. There are several providers in California that offer the most diverse and high quality signs at reasonable prices.  Apart from this, California also boasts of numerous talented advertising firms that restaurateurs can use for developing strategy.