In 2021, U.S. consumers’ in-store spending rose 11 percent. Although online shopping is now a way of life, it’s not growing at the expense of in-store shopping. It’s clear local retail stores aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

However, this doesn’t necessarily mean all local businesses are seeing a surge in local sales. Depending on the nature of the competition in your market, you could be struggling to hit your sales targets.

If that’s your current situation, it’s time to act. Don’t know where to start? You’ve come to the right place for help.

Keep reading to learn about some of the best strategies you can implement to increase your local sales.

1. Build A Business Website

About 30 percent of small businesses don’t have a website. The majority of these businesses are local businesses like barbershops and neighborhood coffee shops.

You might not see the need to build a website when all your customers live near your business, but that’s exactly your local sales are going down. These days, most customers are using the internet to search for local businesses before making a physical visit or making an online purchase.

If you don’t have a business website that’s visible on Google, you’re leaving a lot of money on the table. Hire a pro to build a quality business website for you.

2. Go Big On Local SEO

Having a business website is a good start, but if it isn’t local SEO-friendly, you won’t see a big increase in local sales.

There are a couple of things you need to do when implementing local SEO.

First, ensure your website has local keyword tags. Second, create a Google My Business profile. Third, register your business name, address, and business number on other business listing platforms like Yelp.

If local SEO is sounding like rocket science to you, it’s probably because it requires know-how. The HOTH has a helpful resource that will get you started.

3. Leverage The Power Of Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Many consumers trust a friend’s product/service recommendation more than they would trust a digital ad. As such, word-of-mouth marketing can be a powerful strategy for a local business like yours, but only if you know how to get it to work for you.

You don’t just ask your customers to spread the word about your business. Technically, you can, but it may come off as an act of desperation. You want your customers to naturally recommend your business. This can only happen if you’re offering great products/services at great prices.

Happy, satisfied customers don’t needn’t even tell their friends about your business. They can go online and leave a positive review, which, considering about 70 percent of consumers are influenced by online reviews, will go a long way.

Give Your Local Sales A Boost

Your local sales aren’t necessarily declining because your local customers no longer like your product. They’re likely declining because you’re using ineffective local marketing methods.

With this guide, you now know some of the steps you can take to get those sales numbers trending upwards again.

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