This article comes from Entrepreneur.

4 Key Strategies Small Retailers Need for a Healthy Business

The retail landscape is ever-changing and evolving. Trends come and go, and the marketplace continues to stay highly competitive. Retailers must have a clear plan in place to ensure they stand out from the crowd, attract more customers and remain profitable.

In order to do this, you must have a clear sales strategy, one that is properly executed to ensure that your store can rise above your stiff competition and consistently generate sales.

A good sales strategy consists of four main elements.

1. Know who you are as a brand

Each retailer must ask:

• Do I know exactly who I am as a brand?
• How does every aspect of my online and offline presence reflect this?

Your customers need to know who you are. How you portray yourself online and in your brick and mortar store says everything about what you stand for, what you sell, what messages you want your customers to know about you and your brand, and who your target customers truly are.

For example:

• Are you a modern, crisp, clean and minimal type of store?
• Is your brand loud and trendy?
• Do you take risks?
• Is your product high-end and made overseas? Or is it relatively inexpensive but durable and made in America?
• Are you targeting 6-figure executives or the frugal college student?

The more dialed in on who you really are as a brand and who you serve, the clearer all of your messaging will be.

2. Have a plan to increase online traffic

Your online presence is a vital part of your success. Whether you have a brick and mortar store or not, your online presence is key to your overall growth.

To craft your plan, you need to understand what makes you unique so you stand out among all of the online noise. Once you pinpoint what that is, determine how to showcase that on your site. The first 10-20 seconds are crucial when someone visits your site. This is the only time you have to make that first good impression that will inspire visitors to browse your website.

Your website is not the only place that you need to focus on when attracting more traffic online. Your social media presence is key. This goes well beyond posting basic ads or “pretty” posts. Retailers should use their social media as a marketing tool. Try the following to increase engagement with your brand:

• Showcase the products that you sell and lead customers back to your online store for purchase.
• Engage with your customers to give them sneak peeks into your brand.
• Have customers be able to purchase on the platform or get a shipping or sales discount when they buy from your website.

3. Have a plan to increase storefront traffic

Your brick-and-mortar store can still be the heart of your overall business with the right sales strategy in place. Understanding this part of your business strategy is key to your future success.

This is where your marketing and communication skills come into play. You have to develop an overall plan that draws customers to your physical location. Then you need to communicate this with your customers. Email marketing remains a smart strategy here. The people on your email list are your true supporters (or they should be). You need to nurture these people and ensure they remain your raving fans. Give them special sneak peeks of new launches, products or collections. Share a behind-the-scenes look into your brand and business. Give them in-store shopping incentives to come shop at your store. There are many ways to use email marketing to keep your customers engaged with your brand.

Social media can also be used as a marketing tool to boost traffic to your brick and mortar. Similar to the online strategy, you should use your social media to foster engagement and connection with your customers. You can post about upcoming in-store or pop-up events or post sneak peeks of new lines, collections, products or brands you carry. You can offer a unique discount just for them for buying at your store.

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