Businesses throughout the world are experiencing hardship like never before. Not only did many of them have to close their doors for COVID-19 containment efforts, but they also had to fight to get those lost customers back once they reopened. So, how do you get customers back post-lockdown? Read on to find out.
How to Attract Customers
Offer Freebies
You won’t find too many people who would say no to the offer of something for nothing. That’s why promotional products are a popular way to encourage customer visits post-lockdown. While spending money is the last thing you feel like doing as a business owner, you’ve got to spend it to make it.
What’s more, promotional products tend to be quite affordable when purchased in bulk and are the very incentive many customers need to spend money with you.
Provide a Safe Shopping Experience
COVID-19 has proven itself to be a sneaky, contagious, and devastating virus. Because people are concerned, many are opting not to shop local. However, shop owners need people to buy from them to stay in business.
So, one of the best ways you can encourage customers to enter your store is by making sure it’s a safe experience. Abide by all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. These include things like undertaking regular cleaning, ensuring customers wear masks, and making sure social distancing can be effectively managed.
Offer Delivery
If your customers don’t feel comfortable coming to you, then why not go to them? If you have products you can deliver, then consider offering delivery as a service. You would be surprised at how many people would pay extra for delivery if it means they don’t have to leave their house.
If you don’t have the human resources to offer delivery, there are also plenty of services across the United States that you can bring on board. The best part is, more and more of them are now offering contactless service as another layer of protection.
Hold a Sale
As long as you can safely manage an influx of customers, there’s every reason to consider holding a sale to get people through the door. As we head into the tail end of the year, people are starting to look towards Christmas.
Retail sales often reach into the trillions of dollars during the festive season, so take advantage of the early birds and start offering bargains now. You can also begin to advertise your sale in the week or so leading up to it so that more people are aware that it’s happening.
Offer COVID-19-Friendly Products
Businesses and companies are always changing with the trends. And while COVID-19 is certainly not a “trend,” it is making us change how we live our lives. So, to get people through your shop doors, you need to work with the times.
Offer COVID-19-friendly products if you’re in a line of business where that makes sense. For example, a cleaning supplies store may like to expand its product range by offering masks – both single-use and reusable. A clothing store may even branch out into the manufacture and sale of fashionable reusable masks. We’re living in strange times, so it’s not out of the question to offer products a little out of the ordinary.
Doing business during the COVID-19 pandemic is never going to be easy. In saying that, you don’t have to be left stranded without customers. Get inventive when you’re able to open your doors once more. Offer new products and services and consider how desirable freebies can be. No one said it would be easy, but it will be worth it.
