Does your footfall growth strategy take conversion into account?

One of the best things about living in a city is the mall. Sure, we trade in a green jungle for a concrete one, but we gain convenience, commerce, and capitalism. One of the biggest attractions in an urban landscape is a shopping mall.

Ever since the first shopping mall was built, they’ve functioned as ‘downtowns’ more than actual downtown/city centers of that particular city. They’ve been a place where all - old and young, goths and punks, rich and not so rich could hang out, buy clothes and electronics, and raid the food court with that oh-so-familiar smell of buttered popcorn.

We won’t go as far as to call it ‘originator’, but one thing that malls have given rise to is a term we all refer to as ‘window shopping’. Window bopping has brought us satisfaction that is, in all honesty, unparalleled. Think about it, you go inside that Zara outlet, and walk through the aisles looking for that find but in reality, you’ve picked up 3 overpriced t-shirts and a cardigan that might go out style by next year. You wait in the queue for your turn to put them on. You realize that you love the silhouette, but not nearly enough to justify the price tag. You drop the clothes and hope for that ‘once a year’ sale to slash the price.

And that brings us to the reason why we're writing this blog. Time and again, we’ve noticed that retailers are purely focusing on footfall growth brand strategies in a bid to get as many foots in the door as possible, without working on the ‘conversion’ strategy - the part where a customer enters the store and makes a purchase

Take any store as an example. It’s a busy afternoon on a Sunday, and the store is packed. The products on display arouse people strolling through the aisles. The real question that a retailer has to ask is ‘Are the customers simply wandering in the store or are they motivated enough to buy the product. This is where the meat of the ‘footfall growth strategy’ is.

The journey from getting that person in the door to completing a purchase can be equated to a novel. It's not just about creating the most appealing cover, late to be disappointed by the content itself. Rather, it’s about creating a story that backs up the sense of curiosity and hype of that cover.

Therefore, we need to delve into the mechanics of conversions.

In the past decade, we’ve worked on thousands of challenges, some more interesting than others, and finalized a list of 4 main drivers that truly push a customer to lighten their pockets.

1. Speaking their language

It’s not a great idea to talk in French when your customers are talking in money. Therefore, it's a great idea to use the way they speak, their vocabulary, their terminologies, down to their grammar.

After all, it’s not about it’s not a ‘customer’s brand’ if they’re not able to relate with the story, which leads to poor rapport and trust.

2. Be a leader

Nobody likes the feeling of being finessed, and as confident as a person may be. Customers are smart enough to realize when they’re being finesses.

Instead of a hard-sell aggressive strategy, consider a more insight-driven approach where you’re giving them pointers for consideration, but still making them feel that they’re in control of the purchase.

3. Tell a story

A fact-driven sales pitch is good, but a story-driven sales pitch is better.

Instead of harping on the advantages and narrating the spec sheet, telling a story by weaving the product into customer’s lives makes it more relatable, thereby driving purchase.

4. Know your target audience

Building on top of the point above, a story-driven sales pitch would not work on your customers if you don't know who your audience is.

Research. Research. Research. Look into the demographics that your audience falls into, the things that they prefer, and how they behave. This knowledge will help you cater your story to be more in touch with your audience.