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Retail companies can be incredibly successful, which is why this business model has been around for years. When you establish a store in a good location, there are potentially thousands of daily customers walking by all the time. Naturally, you want to maximize how many customers you get every day, ensuring you increase sales and make a profit. 

How can you do this?

Well, you need to begin by looking at what your retail store is missing. Why aren't you making as many sales as your rivals? Usually, it's because you don't have one - or all - of these three things:

Good signage

Never underestimate the importance of good signage for a retail store. To many consumers, signs point the way to a great shop. If you have good signage that stands out from the crowd and directs people to your store, there's more chance of them actually coming inside. Work with a sign company to install a fantastic front-of-house sign, but also think about some street signage to catch the eyes of passers-by. Once you're lured people in with a sign, you can focus on your great products and customer service to make a sale. 

An attractive front window

The front window of your store needs to be as attractive as possible to draw people in. This is where you need to place either your top-selling and most unique products, or the products you currently have on offer. Displaying sale items here is effective as everyone loves a sale. You attract attention with big price tags saying things like 25% off, and it instantly appeals to consumers. A dull window without a good display will be so ineffective that everyone will walk by without giving your store a second glance. If you need more help designing your shop window, check out the video below for five useful tips: 

A website

Yes, you really can't afford to only have a brick-and-mortar retail store. Even if this is where you want most of your sales to come from, you need an online version of the store as well. A website gives you a chance to list all of your products for people to view online. This increases the chances of people finding your store and seeing what you sell. From here, they can either buy directly from your online store or pay your shop a visit. The choice is theirs, but the main concept is that you're providing another way for people to a) find your business and b) purchase products from you. 

Naturally, the key element of setting up a website is ensuring the right traffic lands on it. This will mean your primary focus is on local SEO, finding customers within your local area. 

On that note, you've seen the three things your retail store is missing. If you want to increase sales and generate more customers, you need to ensure you have all three of these things in place. Start by creating a website, then improve your signage, and work on a great front window display.