For many of us with kids, the beginning of September means rushing around to your local stores and checking off the long list of supplies the schools require the kids to have and buying new clothes that will actually fit them after their summer growth spurts.   Although for many, it may be stressful to have to travel to countless stores to pick up that notebook in a specific color; it can also be enjoyable, as it is family time, which is too often lost in this day and age.  There are many however, who are either turning to the web to do much of this shopping or are at least seeing what a store is carrying, prior to heading out -http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/376439_backtoschool26.html.  

As teenagers become more and more keyed into the web, it's more important than ever to brand yourself and your store on the internet.  For those with a web presence already, CNNMoney.com has a really interesting article on "Turning Web Clicks Into Purchases".    The Gift and Home Channel also has many free videos on getting started on the internet.

If for whatever reason you can't make a website for your business at the present time, it's essential to find new and different ways to attract consumres into your store.    

One great way to engage your customers is by using web video ads which, once attainable only to the big guys, are now affordable and easy to create thanks to an influx of new tools and services.  Videos can attract customers by setting the tone for what your business can offer.  The article explains there are some web-based services that allow you to create video-ads for free and only charge a commission based on the amount of times the video is watched in its entirety.

With so much happening online, these articles are a good way for all of us to go "back to school."   As always, I also encourage you to exchange your ideas here on the GHC message boards or blogs, on reeling in customers to your stores.   The rapidly changing retail landscape is something we all are adapting to and any help we can offer each other along the way is appreciated.