How Come I'm Not Getting Customers in My Store, Shop or Office?
If you own a business that makes the bulk of its money from foot traffic, meaning… you need people to physically walk through your doors to sell your products or services, your survival probably depends on locals.
And San Jacinto and Hemet locals prefer to “shop local.” Which means the opportunities are here. You just need advice on how to get more customers to visit your store, office or shop.
Our goal is to help the small businesses of HSJ thrive. We’re all tired of businesses shutting down before most of us even knew they existed here.
So, today, we’re sharing three tips in a three-part series to help you figure out how come you’re not getting customers visiting your brick-and-mortar.
How Come I’m Not Getting Customers in My Store, Shop or Office?
The top three reasons why locals aren’t walking through your doors here in the San Jacinto Valley:
- They can’t find you in Google
- They can’t find enough info about you to connect with you
- They have no idea what you sell
Now, let’s get right to #1.
The #1 Reason Hemet & San Jacinto Locals Aren’t Buying from You: They Can’t Find You in Google
If they can’t find you in searches, how else will they find you?
They’ll Google what they’re looking for. But you, your products or your services won’t show up in the search results. Big mistake.
Today, most searches start online… specifically on mobile phones. A lot of those people are already out and about, driving around town looking for what you sell. But because they don’t even know you exist, they are probably driving right past you every day.
According to StatCounter Global Stats, by 2025, mobile devices drove about 63.8% of website traffic in the world. That means just last year, 6-7 out of every 10 people on the internet at any given time were using the internet from their phones or tablets.
From a marketing standpoint, this is how it works:
They are having a problem and they are searching on the internet for the perfect solution for them at that moment. If you believe your product or service is that solution, your content must tell them that and explain why.
Now, with that being said, when locals Google what they need right here in town, and you sell it, do your products show up? Does Google show you in that first page of results? Does AI suggest you as a solution to their local problem?
That’s a loss for you. But it’s even worse for the community as a whole. Why? Because when locals think they can’t find it here, they have to leave our valley to get it.
SHOP LOCAL & RECYCLE VALLEY DOLLARS ~ Valley Local Pages
Because here’s the reality for the small business owners of Hemet and San Jacinto…
If the search engine doesn’t recommend you, one of two things are going to happen, which both negatively impact your foot traffic:
- If nothing in the San Jacinto or Hemet area comes up as a solution to their problem, they have to drive out of our valley to Beaumont, Menifee, Perris or who knows where else to get it. And you’ve been right here for years? Shame on you!
- If a nice amount of local choices do show up, but yours is not one of them, you’re leaving a lot of money on the table. And you can fix it yourself.
Local Shoppers Still Exist: Invite Them with Words
Think about it. Some of us still prefer “on demand” shopping. We want to see it, touch it, maybe even smell it before we buy it. And we want to walk out with it right now.
We are people already looking for what you sell, and hoping to find it right here in town. We are your target market.
So, our searches matter. And when we search for what you sell, we use search terms like:
“your product or service + city” or “the problem you solve + city,” or “the solution + near me,” or something along those lines…
Words matter. You have to use words to let Google know you exist. If you want Yelp to recommend you, use the right words. Want Google to display your menu when certain terms are searched? Then, add those terms to the writing on your website, pages, profiles, etc…
Here’s a simple fix to help you get that done ASAP.
#1 Simple Fix for Low Foot Traffic in Hemet & San Jacinto
Use the words people looking for what you sell. Tweak the written words on the pages of your website, blog posts, online store pages, paid ads, social media pages, bios, product and service descriptions, etc…
That’s the gist of SEO.
You need people to physically walk through your doors to make more money, your online content must include the words locals use when they’re searching for what you sell… here specifically… in San Jacinto… in Hemet.
Unless they already know you, most won’t be searching for your business name OR those technical terms only people in your industry understand.
The “product/service + location” or “problem + location” are the words most people type into Google on their phones. For example:
- “used tires near me” not “32% or more tread for a low price”
- “auto repair hemet” not the names of the parts you order every week
- “wedding photographer san jacinto” not the specific camera equipment you use
Get to Work: Localize Your Content
Come on now. You can do this. Update your content. Either hire someone, or get to it. But… you need to get it done.
Now, let’s not waste any time. Click the button below to read the next installment of “How Come I’m Not Getting Customers in My Store? The Top 3 Reasons Your Brick & Mortar Isn’t Getting Foot Traffic?”
That’s where we’ll discuss #2: They Can’t Find Enough Info About You to Connect with You.