While many successful companies begin online, there may be a time during your growth when you consider opening up a physical store too. There are many benefits to this; you can interact with your customers face-to-face, increase your brand’s reputation and simply learn more about what it means to be a store owner in the modern world. If managed correctly, you may also be able to lay down plans to franchise your company – and open up storefronts in multiple different locations. 

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However, moving from online sales into the ‘real world’ of retail can be difficult – as you can’t simply display your products and hope for the best. With that in mind, here are some top tips that you can use to run a successful store! 

• Find the right location. When running a store, your location is paramount to your success – as you need to make it as easy as possible for customers to find you. While previous customers may search up your address and locate you this way, if you want to gain organic foot traffic, you need to be in a busy area. Ideally, you should look into areas where your target audience frequents, such as a local high street – and avoid being tucked away into hidden corners where nobody ventures. 

• Keep your property at its best. If you entered a restaurant and found that a lot of the facilities were broken, or that the plates were dirty – it’s likely that you wouldn’t order a meal. You must take this same approach when it comes to keeping your store looking its best – as a poorly managed space will turn customers away as opposed to drawing them in. As a result, you should ensure that the space is cleaned regularly and to a high standard. You should also ensure that you have considered any maintenance issues that you may encounter so that you know how to avoid them. For example, if security is an issue, you may want to look into Maintenance for Commercial Storefront Doors in Michigan. 

• Continue to market yourself online. Right now, your online presence is the key to your success – even if you run a physical business alongside your online store. This is due to the simple fact that it can help put your brand on the map. For example, you can send out sponsored social media posts to members of your target audience who live within the vicinity of your business, making it easier for them to find your brand and store. 

Focus on customer service. While you may already consider yourself a customer-service whizz, the way in which you interact with customers online is vastly different from the way you will correspond in person. This is due to the fact that you cannot get away with rolling your eyes at that one customer who always complains. As such, you should ensure that you brush up on your customer service and communication skills where possible in order to provide them with the best possible service. The happier your customers are, the better your store will perform.

You and any employees you have need to be 100% focused on the customer experience. It starts with customers’ first impression of your company until they are completely satisfied. Choosing the right customer success software can help employees maintain an excellent standard of care and reinforce your customer experience positively. There are different types of software on the market depending on your sector and what you require.