In the last article in this series, I talked about a few basic ways to drive in-store sales by using your online presence. In this, the last installment of the series on this topic, I’m going to cover some more in-depth strategies to boost sales at your brick-and-mortar location.

Create an Online Customer Rewards Program

You can institute a customer rewards program that you post on your web site exclusively to drive offline sales from your online presence. First, encourage both current and new customers to sign up for the customer rewards program when they buy something in your store. They can then visit your website and participate in the program from the convenience of their homes. For example, you could set up a points system whereby your customers acquire points for every purchase, and then keep track of their progress on your website. Once they rack up a certain amount of points, they can redeem them for merchandise, discounts, etc.

Having a program like this in place will encourage repeat visits from customers to both your store and your website, and once they’re there, you can introduce them to new specials, upcoming sales, etc. This will, in turn, encourage repeat patronage from these customers. Many times, in fact, customers will actually buy more products than they normally would if the rewards that you feature in your program are incentive enough for them to desire more points. High-profile rewards could include things like plane tickets, new electronics, spa packages, etc.

If you’re at a loss to what kind of rewards program to implement, there are a ton of turnkey solutions out there. A quick online search turned up customer-loyalty solutions from Destination Rewards (http://www.drloyalty.com/), Online Rewards (http://www.online-rewards.com/index.html), and iRebates (http://www.irebates.net/) along with countless others. Obviously you’ll want to shop around, do some research, and make sure that you find a solution that best fits your needs. And of course these are paid programs, but often times turnkey solutions are lifesavers for busy businesses owners.

Develop Online Incentives to Visit Your Store

A great way to encourage patronage from your current customers – and new customers, for that matter – is to develop online incentives to visit your store. When customers visit your website, encourage them to sign up for your e-newsletter for an exclusive online coupon that can only be redeemed at your store.

These coupons don’t have to be complicated to work, either. For example, if you’re already having a sale, you might offer a coupon that entitles customers that sign up to receive an extra 5-10% off the sale price. Consumers love promotions like these – they make them feel like specially valued customers and leave them satisfied with their purchase because they got a good deal.

Be sure to encourage your customers to check your website for announcements and specials regularly. Let all current and potential customers know that, by giving you a little information, they can take advantage of incredible savings offers. Advertise that you do this. Become known for it – your website traffic will increase dramatically and so will your bottom line.

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