Ah, customers. They’re loyal, but only up to a point. If the weather is cold and uninviting, then you might find that you have fewer people passing by your business. While you’ll hopefully have factored in that your business isn’t always going to be running at full capacity, you still want to ensure that there are at least some people coming through the door when the weather’s not so summery, especially if you live in a place where winter can last for months and months. The good news is that there are things you can to entice people to come to your place of business. We take a look at a few useful tips below.
Turn to Online
People might not be braving the weather, but they’ll still be buying things. It’s just that they’ll be doing it online, from the comfort of their home. If you have a business that also has an online division, then now’s the time to put the bulk of your energy into that side of your operations. It’s easy to treat your web presence as secondary when everything’s running smoothly in the “real world,” but when the people aren’t coming, you’ll want to devote your time there.
Bring the Heat
It’s not that people don’t want to visit your business. It’s just that it’s oh so much warmer at home, and why would they head outdoors if they’re going to be cold the entire time? It’s a fair point! But it is a point you can nullify, just by doing something simple and obvious: bring the heat! You can rent or buy a heater from Supagas, and keep your premises nice and toasty, and also your outdoor area if you run a cafe, restaurant, or bar. People’s demands are not extensive. They just want to be cosy when the weather is against them. By making sure your premises are toasty and warm, you’ll be offering an incentive for people to visit and stick around.
Work With Other Companies
If you exist in an area that has other businesses – say, you form part of the “downtown” area – then you can look at working together with them to get people out and onto the streets. After all, they’re in the exact same position that you’re in. These other businesses aren’t your competitors; you’re on the same side. The more people who are walking around town, the greater the chance that they’ll visit your business. So how do you do this? Hosting late night openings, street markets, and the like will all provide an incentive for people to leave their home and spend some time with you.
Run Promotions
When you’re not operating from a position of power, you need to make some concessions. And when that comes to your business, that means literal concessions, as in discounts and other promotions. Now, there is an art to this – you don’t want to reduce everything or give away too much – it’ll reduce your profits, and hurt your brand. But if you can find a way to run promotions that offer an incentive large enough to get people interested in your business, then do it. It might just spark a wave of customers just when you need it.
Host an Event
People want to do things when the weather is poor. But the problem is that the majority of the events take place during the summer, when the weather is agreeable. But you’ve got an indoor space, one that’s warm, so why not look at hosting an event? What you host will depend on the type of business and space that you have, but you can look at hosting concerts, wine tasting nights, and other social gatherings. It’s a way to keep your business on people’s minds, and also diversify how you make an income.
All In It Together
Your customers aren’t the only ones who are sick of the weather. You are too! So when it comes to getting people interested in your business when the weather isn’t all that, look at the problem through the lens of what you’d want to see. In so doing, you’ll be able to create an environment that shows that you’re all in this together. Make it cosy, warm and inviting!
Final Thoughts
You’re never going to hit the heights that you reach when it’s sunny outside, but that doesn’t mean you have to just accept a loss. Be proactive, and you’ll increase your visitor numbers during the cooler periods of the year.
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