If you feature products on your website, you know that it can take a lot of time to keep the photos and information current. The Bridge is an innovative approach to solving this problem for retailers, connecting brands, shopkeepers and customers online by “stocking your website” with images and information.  It is currently only active… Read More

Maybe retailers should add “mind reader” to their job descriptions, because we often have to try to figure out what our customers are thinking without them verbalizing their thoughts. Of course it helps to engage them in small talk rather than starting with “May I help you” — which invariably leads to the conversation-stopping “No,… Read More

How hard is it for customers to find your business — and contact information such as your phone number, your e-mail address, your web site, and your phone number?  Taking a few minutes to try to find this information as if you were a stranger could be very enlightening.   With so much competition in today’s… Read More

The great thing about birthdays is that everyone has one — customers, businesses and even pets.  And everyone enjoys a little extra attention on their special day, no matter what their age. We offer our customer rewards program shoppers a wrapped gift on their birthday, and it is surprising how many stop in to get… Read More

Customers — we couldn’t be in business without them!  Especially in these challenging economic times, it’s important to let all our customers know how much we appreciate the fact that they have chosen to patronize a locally owned store.  We know they have lots of other options, from shopping online, going to a big box… Read More

Do you accept debit cards as a form of payment, and offer a device  to customers so that they can input their PIN codes? When you signed a contract with your credit card processing company or bank, this undoubtedly included a per-swipe fee for this type of debit card use.  The national average for this… Read More

The best way to encourage customers to “like” you on Facebook is to offer entertaining and engaging content that motivates them to want to be on the inside circle for your business. In an adaptation of the 70/20/10 rules for learning and management, SnapRetail suggests that 70% of the content on your Facebook page be… Read More

Looking for a way to bring shoppers into to all of the stores in your tourist area, neighborhood or Buy Local district?  Consider this charm bracelet promotion adapted from the quilting stores of Nebraska. The idea is that shoppers buy a charm bracelet for a nominal amount (such as $10), and then they receive a… Read More

“Diversifying is a good way to play it safe.”  “It doesn’t matter what you want, it only matters what your customers want.” “There’s no such thing as a safe bet.” These are three of my favorite entries in the 53 Ways to Become a Better Entrepreneur list that serial business-owner Neil Patel posted in a… Read More

The predictions of a paperless society appear to have been premature — most of us have desks and filing cabinets overflowing with invoices, tax forms, bank statements, receipts, advertising tear sheets and more.  The sheer bulk of all this paper can easily begin to overwhelm the space allotted, and make it difficult to find what… Read More