You’ve invested the time to get your cell phone store open. But now the hard part really begins — bringing in consistent customers through your marketing efforts. Taking advantage of every means to capture potential sales is essential, especially when your business is first starting out.
This blog highlights the six essential steps you can take right now to advertise your cell phone store effectively.
Why Is Advertising So Important?
Good advertising can often be the difference between a successful business and one that struggles to turn a profit. It covers everything from creating messaging that caters to your most common demographic to ensuring that your store has a welcoming atmosphere.
The goal is to create a seamless and positive experience for your potential customers from the moment they learn about your business to the time they make a purchase.
Distinguishing your business from others is crucial in a competitive industry such as the technology retail space, so successfully marketing your store gives you a leg up on competing shops.
Ready to learn how to advertise your cell phone store? Let’s dive in.
Step 1: Know Your Target Audience
The first and arguably most important step in advertising your store is to find the right customer base. Research the age, gender, and income level of your most common customers (or, if you’re just starting out, the same demographics for businesses similar to yours) and tailor the messaging inside your store and through your online channels to that demographic.
You can take it a step further by researching buyer behaviors and interests. One constructive practice is to create buyer personas based on all of the factors mentioned above.
Identify the pain points and challenges for your customers and include them in the persona. You can also use the data collection features from CellSmart POS to help create this profile. Finally, customize your advertising to the persona you create in the image of your target market.
Step 2: Optimizing Your Store Layout
You should have a storefront that is inviting to customers. It should be clean, highlight your most popular products, and display eye-catching promotions.
Since you’re running a cell phone store in particular, you have an advantage over other industries in this regard. Create unique displays with the technology that you sell. Consider fixing several phones to a table and allowing customers to briefly use them in their shopping experience.
You could also give your store a more modern look by installing large screens on the walls, giving the customer the impression that the products you sell are best-in-class.
You can optimize your in-store operations for a seamless customer experience by using CellSmart’s phone store POS solution, which is designed specifically for the technology industry.
Step 3: Advertise Your Cell Phone Store With A Strong Online Presence
Developing a modern-looking website with pricing and contact information goes a long way in building an online presence. The goal with your website is to have clear (and up-to-date) information about your store for any customers that may be hesitant to come in person or call in.
Your cell phone store should also take advantage of free advertising methods such as social media channels. Find the best social media apps and websites to use based on the persona you created in step one. If you have a younger audience, try Instagram. If your customers are on the older side, try Facebook.
Step 4: Implement Local SEO Strategies
Claiming your business on Google is one of the single most important things you can do immediately upon opening your business. Include as much information about your business as you can on the profile: your hours, website, phone number, pictures, etc. The more information you include, the better your profile will rank.
Encourage your customers to leave a review on Google during the checkout process. The more positive reviews you get, the more your store will be recommended when someone looks up cell phone stores in your area. You can also use these positive reviews on your website or social media channels, building more credibility for your business.
Step 5: Use SMS and Email Marketing
You can attract repeat customers through effective SMS and email advertising. Offer incentives (for example, a small discount) at checkout for customers when they give their email address or phone number. Create an email or text message campaign that sends deals and discounts to customers that sign up.
You can maximize email campaigns by writing compelling subject lines, personalizing email content, and using analytics to your advantage. SMS campaigns typically have a higher opt-out rate, but sending timely and relevant messages still can be effective advertising.
Step 6: Offer Promotions and Loyalty Programs
Building off of the SMS and email campaigns, a solid loyalty program can excite customers into coming back to your store regularly. Set up a points-based system using CellSmarts CRM features, allowing them to build up to discounts with purchases.
Promotions can also be effective, especially when timed for maximum impact. Consider running a promotion, adding in a free accessory for every cell phone purchase, or a discount if someone purchases two devices.
Make no mistake though, you should track the performance of such promotions to ensure that you’re seeing an adequate return on investment (ROI) for these promotions. Make sure you adjust your future promotions based on your findings.
Advertising Your Cell Phone Store: Time To Take Action!
Now that you know the best practices for advertising your cell phone store, you can start to build your customer persona and take the steps to properly market your store.
One foundational step is to choose the best possible point of sale solution for your business. CellSmart POS’ setup is custom-built for the technology retail space, with features designed to take your cell phone store to the next level.
Get a demo of CellSmart with one of our leading industry experts.
