Please Help! I have been told that my customers do not know where I am. I lease my shop and I have only a green owning and two bay windows. I am in a very busy part of Whittier and I should not have a problem with people finding me. I have the shop name painted on the owning, however I can only do so much with that because the property manangement wont allow me to do more. I need a creative idea to get my shop name on something that will catch the public's attention. If you would like I could send a photo so you can understand my big dilema!
You could do fliers or mail outs showing your location (map or picture) and what your shop offers. You could monitor the success of these fliers/mailouts by offering a small store discount to those who bring in the flier/mailout. I don't find that newspaper or radio advertising makes much of an impact. Ask your existing customers to share the mailing address or either the email address of their friends or family that are not customers but might be interested. You could offer a small gift or reward to those new customers just for coming by. Depending on your area, you could take one of those fliers with your store picture and address location and post it where bulletin boards are located.
Have a store party or event. Ask your existing customers to bring along a couple of their friends as guests and offer small discounts for a minimum spending amount. ie: 5% off $20, 10% off $20-25, etc. Invite those potential customers to invite their friends. It won't take that long to get the word out about your store and the location, once a handful of people start talking. Word of mouth is the very BEST advertising. Making their shopping experience fun and enjoyable will bring them back for more!
It takes awhile to build up a reputation, but here are some things you can do:
1) Host events as mentioned above. Plan carefully and promote the heck out of it - a mention in your local paper will help spread the word so be sure to send a press release to the business editor and the home & garden editor.
2) Put a sandwich board out in front of your store with the name and your hours. Tie balloons to it to catch the attention of people walking/driving by
3) If you choose to do radio or print advertising be prepared to make a commitment of both time and money. One ad in ether of these mediums will not increase traffic to you store, you need a consistent, cohesive campaign that has a planned run.
4) Give your current customers two gift certificates to your store: one for them and one for them to give to a friend. They will be redeemed and most of the time they are redeemed for more than the face value of the certificate.
5) Do you have a Junior League in your area? If you do you might want to see if you can participate in their "Holiday Shoppes" I have done this for the past 4 years and each year I have new customers who have buy from me at the event and have become regulars at the store.
Try lighting the windows with small white Christmas lights, as well as a good general lighting fixture. The lights are soft at night, but they'll draw attention to an otherwise darken area. Place them all around the inside of the window, all four sides, even the bottom of the window. Try it in one window and see what you think. Good Luck! Sue The Violet Frog
