If you own a bricks and mortar store but are struggling to get customers inside it to browse and buy your goods or services, you might need to rethink some of your strategies.

Fortunately, there are several different ways to catch the attention of passersby and encourage them to step inside and start shopping. From windows displays and cheap stickers, to LED displays and signs on the pavement, here are 6 of the most effective ways to entice customers into your shop:

1. Make your window displays engaging

They don’t call it window shopping for nothing! Enticing customers into your shop with an attractive and inviting window display, is a simple and cost-effective solution (depending on the scale of your display). Think about what you sell, what you can offer customers that your rivals can’t, and try to encapsulate that in a creative, well-thought out window display.

2. Offer discounts

There’s no more glorious sight to a shopper than a store aglow with red sale stickers! Offering discounts to customers is one of the quickest ways to get them over the threshold and into your shop, and hopefully, spending their cash on your goods. Buy plenty of discount stickers and get busy sticking them all over your shop!

3. Use pavement signs

Whether you use a pavement sign as a standalone form of advertisement, or in conjunction with an appealing window display, they are often incredibly effective at luring customers into shops, particularly if they give an accurate and enticing representation of what is on offer inside. Some business owners even come up with jokes and funny one-liners to display on their pavement signs and draw customers in.

4. Invest in light boxes and LED displays

As a result of their sheer brightness, LED light boxes are great for catching the eyes of passersby on the high street, and with so many sizes and styles to choose from, the options are virtually endless. Business owners can also use LED posters in their window displays, to literally light up what they can offer customers.

5. Utilise digital displays

Often used by businesses wishing to showcase their modernity and attract a younger, more tech savvy crowd of shoppers, digital displays can be programmed to show certain messages at certain times of the day, showcase a whole host of moving images, and even be interactive with a touchscreen facility. More expensive than printed posters but so quick and simple to update, digital displays can prove to be great investment for advertising and marketing.

6. Create a pleasing atmosphere

While an intriguing window display and shelves awash with sales stickers might well attract customers into your shop, you still need to work hard to get them to spend time inside, and their money, too. From soothing or funky music (depending on what type of ambience you want to create), to a functional layout and friendly sales staff, the atmosphere you’re able to create for customers in your shop can have a significant impact not just on how long they stay for, but on whether they want to come back.

There is always more you can do as a business owner or store manager to entice customers into your shop, but if you’re still stuck for inspiration, why not carry out a survey among your target audience to find out why footfall is so low, and what more customers expect from you? Failing that, simply grab a bundle of discount stickers, and get busy reducing your stock!