How to increase sales and footfall with business collaboration and other tricks

Since the Covid pandemic struck, small and independent businesses have taken a hard hit. Their focus now is very much upon recovery and trying to work out a way to return to normal pre-covid levels of customers that they enjoyed in 2019.

During this extraordinary period, unprecedented changes meant many business owners had to have their staff work from home or they introduced a hybrid working environment. As a result, many small and independent businesses have lost their pre-pandemic levels of physical footfall from their established locations. Now they’re keen to get those numbers back up by increasing customer footfall to their premises.

The key questions at the forefront of any small or independent business at the moment are: How do you attract customers to your store? How to increase sales? How to increase footfall? WTTB hope to help you do each of these things with the tips found in this article.

Our aim at WTTB is to give you tips on how you can use our well-established range of marketing materials and office supplies to get your footfall back up. We’ll point you in the right direction of what marketing products can directly aid you in attracting or re-attracting your regular customers (plus new ones of course) no matter if you own a small shop, large store, restaurant, or cafe.

One of the first ways you might update your message and reconnect with customers is to refresh your brand identity. Perhaps a redesign of your logo or message might help attract new faces into your stores?

You could also look at how this can help enhance your product range or even give a perceived increased value to whatever you are selling. Think of brands like Chanel, Tiffany or other high-end companies – the packaging is equally as important and is part of the whole buying experience.

Why not create your own branded range of everything from boxes to paper to help give your brand added value?

Never underestimate the importance of hooking up with your peers as a group. Working alone as an entrepreneur or independent business can be intimidating. In today’s tough business environment, it’s important to not remain solo and vulnerable without allies. Successful businesses work within a supportive network and have the backup of their peers and others in similar industries with a solid business collaboration in place. Closely working with other businesses is essential to not only survive but thrive.

Businesses can work together to mutually benefit during tough times. So, how do local businesses collaborate? You could suggest joining forces with other independents to create a voucher pamphlet for distribution to offices in the local area. This will incentivise local workers to visit your business on the days the offers are available. We recommend offering special menus/reduced costs on your quieter days to try and draw people in when your business needs a little extra boost.

You could introduce branded loyalty stamp cards to keep people coming back to you for their daily coffee or butty, buy 5 and the sixth is on the house. And of course, you will notice how office workers tend to come down in groups, so one loyal customer could easily turn into 3 or 4!

Investing in marketing materials as part of your post-pandemic business plan is a wise move. After so many people went through multiple lockdowns, they’re keen to get out there and explore. Simple and budget conscious ideas include flyers, pamphlets or small booklets.

They’re a tried and tested marketing technique that positively highlight your business and remind previously loyal clients of where you're based, what your opening hours are your latest products or services. These professionally printed reminders can be shared between businesses within a targeted area (such as offices where staff will use local facilities, retail outlets and businesses) by multiple businesses.

Techniques such as this can help to encourage customers (both old and new) to the retail area. This then has the potential to develop into repeat business and the area once more becomes a regular part of the client’s shopping footprint.

External advertising is also an obvious yet instant marketing strategy that could help push up sales. Something as simple as a weather-proof stand banner or A-stand outside your premises can draw attention to passers-by telling them of your services, offers and products:

Other marketing ideas include in-store events that attract footfall. For example, you might consider providing discount offers on allocated days of the week (those that are usually quiet), bookstores might use their premises to host events (inviting authors) to encourage new types of readers, music stores could invite musicians to play or you might consider hosting a local charity event, coffee morning, food tasting, etc. Whatever you decide upon, displaying posters inside your premises will spread the word of these special events. As they will be attracting footfall to the area other businesses might also put up your posters in the hope of also benefitting.

When focusing upon the interior of your premises, don’t forget that making sections of your store ‘Instagram-able’ is a free way to spread the word via social media. Other free marketing tips include building up your network by contacting local media about events that are happening in your store. Local reporters working in newspapers and regional radio and TV are always looking for good stories. A few phone calls to these influencers could soon be reflected in your footfall or increased sales.

Whatever your marketing strategy, be it starting small and building up with a few posters, business cards and banners or developing a larger re-branding approach, WTTB can customise and personalise all your printed products so you directly reach your customers and boost your business.