If you’re interested in increasing your physical store’s sales without spending a lot on marketing, one of the best ways to do it is to boost foot traffic. While not all your new visitors will necessarily buy from your business right away, increasing foot traffic should help increase overall sales while also driving your brand’s impressions. Here are a few great ideas to draw more people into your store:
1) Accept All Payments
Though most Filipinos still enjoy the traditional brick-and-mortar shopping experience, a handy majority have adopted cashless payments. The convenience of going cashless has even led many consumers to choose businesses that facilitate their preferred contactless payment methods. Notably, Filipino shoppers have shown a strong preference for digital wallets like Maya and G-Cash, which means a regular credit card swipe machine will no longer be adequate to meet customer expectations.
To accept multiple payment types and deliver a positive customer experience, consider using a Maya card payment machine in your store. The Maya Terminal is much more than your typical card swipe machine because it can facilitate a complete selection of payment methods including QR Ph payments, dipped EMV cards, tap-to-pay NFC cards, and even traditional magnetic stripe payment cards.
2) Invest In Your Storefront
Storefronts are highly critical areas for your brick-and-mortar store. Well-implemented displays can help draw attention from passing onlookers while also reinforcing your brand. They can also be used to inform customers about things that may influence their purchase decisions, such as discounts or the presence of a modern card terminal machine within the store.
Given how important your storefront is, you need to make sure that it consistently makes a positive impression on people outside your shop. External windows, window displays, and the area immediately outside your store should be kept clean and presentable. If your store is at street level, consider adding a storefront awning or some protection from the elements to encourage people to pass closer to your window displays.
3) Keep Your Displays Fresh
Switching up your displays can drive interest among passersby, including those who may regularly pass by your store without going in. As a general rule, you’ll want to update your displays with the seasons.
If your business is based in the Philippines, you may want to update your usual displays during the holiday season as well as during the start of the dry season. If you have the resources, it may even be a good idea to update your displays to coincide with various local holidays and observances, particularly those that are relevant to your business.
4) Do Local Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of optimizing a website so that it’s more easily found on search engines, like Google or Bing. While SEO for globally relevant keywords is now a complex and often expensive process, optimizing at the city or even barangay level remains relatively easy. If you can get your store's website or social media pages to appear at the top of local search results, you have a higher chance of drawing customers located away from your immediate neighborhood.
To better optimize your online presence, update your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) so that your store shows up in local search results. Also, make sure that your store can be found on the search results of popular ride-share and driving navigation apps like Grab and Waze so that customers can make it to your shop without any problems.
5) Train Your Customer-Facing Staff
Friendly and knowledgeable staff can consistently create good first impressions that not only drive initial sales but, most importantly, positive word-of-mouth and repeat business. Customer service training should involve teaching staff soft skills such as communication and conflict resolution as well as technical skills like the operation of your credit card machine and inventory systems. Staff should also be taught key details about your various offers so that they’re able to better assist your customers.
Drive In-Store Successes with the Maya Terminal
Today’s diverse payment environment can no longer be navigated with previous-generation card machines. With a modern credit card terminal solution like the Maya Terminal or the ultracompact Maya Terminal Lite, your store will be well-equipped to not only meet your customers’ payment preferences but also grow in a hyper-competitive retail sector. Create a Maya Business Manager account to request a Maya Terminal card and digital payment processing device today.
Creating a Maya Business Manager account gives you access to the exclusive Maya 1-2-3 Grow package. This amazing business growth bundle gives you a 1% MDR discount on all QR Ph sales for 3 months after signing. This translates to PHP 14,600 in savings for every PHP 1 million in QR Ph sales—much more than competing services. As part of the Maya 1-2-3 Grow bundle, you can also enjoy the benefits of using Maya Business Deposit as your settlement account. With an industry-leading 2.5% per annum interest rate for supercharged savings, you’ll earn PHP 25,000 in interest per year on a PHP 1 million deposit. Lastly, signing up also qualifies you for a Maya Flexi Loan offer of up to PHP 2 million in only 3 months. Maya Flexi Loan will give you even more cash to instantly cover emergencies and take on new opportunities. Complete your Maya Business Manager account application today enjoy the benefits of Maya 1-2-3 Grow and to request a Maya e-wallet and credit card POS (point of sale) device.
