Have you got an online store that seems to be doing well and want to bring that to life? Having a brick-and-mortar store after the launch of a successful online business seems backwards – but actually, it makes sense.
If you have an audience already buying from you, you can enhance their experience – and make it something they can touch.
But your store should be somewhere that is on brand and makes shopping there or online feel like a seamless experience.
So what do you need to consider when you are bringing a real-life store to life?
Thanks to the metrics you have access to, you will know where the largest number of your customers are – which means you will know where the best place to put a store is. Leverage everything you know about your buyers to put your store in a location that makes sense to them.
Where that is not possible, the next best option is to ensure that you aren’t too far off the beaten path and that there are plenty of easy ways to get to you.
The location is one of the most important considerations.
One of the key things is that your store feels like your online brand and offers the same experiences – but just enhanced.
Before any of your stock hits the shelf, it’s time to think about what you want people to experience as they move through the store.
There are professional store designers who will be able to make sure you get the feeling that you want. But you’ll need to be smart if you’re on a budget.
If your store experience is the same as almost every store:
That’s great, but there is nothing special there. Depending on the type of products you sell, you have the opportunity to turn your store into an experience. The type of store that smells good has good lighting – nothing harsh, and maybe things to taste or touch. Sensory marketing elevates the whole experience.
Everything you should do should be inclusive so that anyone can get into your store and manage to navigate around it without issues. If you don’t know how to do accessibility work, hire a company to ensure that you meet your goals.
Your staff should be well taken care of, and it should show. How you do it is up to you, but your staff should feel like a team and not only have the training to help your customers, but they want to.
Apple Genius is a great place to look, they help the people – sure, the ultimate goal is sales, but they put the customer in the spotlight first.
The Genius Bar is smart and effective and gives people a shopping experience that feels unique.
Your store is the opportunity to let your brand shine for real. Your website experience and branding can translate to something people want to be a part of.
And don’t forget that when you are working on a land-based store, it is the technology that can help your store thrive: Must-Have Technology for A Retail Business.
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