Like all businesses, the premium cigar market landscape is evolving with technology and modern consumer tastes. The cigar shop business is rooted in old-school swagger and classic heritage. That’s a major part of its appeal. Most cigar shops follow traditional brick and mortar norms and typically gain new customers by word of mouth or through foot traffic.
Millennials are now the largest consumer base and they’re the first generation to grow up on the internet. Reaching this demographic and their younger peers require not only online presence, but digital engagement.
In this post, we will highlight five ways to grow your cigar brick and mortar business in the digital age. We will take a deeper dive into these topics in subsequent posts.
Elevate your In-Store Experience
With the ubiquity of eCommerce, modern consumers need more of a reason to venture out and shop at brick and mortar locations. To elevate the customer experience, start with the aesthetics. Clean up the clutter and design your displays to highlight your best products.
Make it easy for customers to find what they’re looking for. If your shop has a waiting area, making it as comfortable as possible and provide magazines and test products to keep them engaged while waiting.
Focus on Knowledge
According to Response Marketing, the majority of cigar smokers still make their purchases at smoke shops. Infrequent smokers are more likely to make purchases in-store versus online.
This is partly due to the expertise and guidance that salespeople provide in the brick and mortar environment. Empower your workforce to learn about your products particularly about flavor profiles and ingredients. Encourage them to do product demos to help customers explore new brands and products.
Create a Stunning Website
First impressions are everything. For most businesses, the first impression happens online. Millennials and younger cohorts expect nothing less than clean, modern websites from brands they buy from.
The website should reflect your shop’s image and entice potential customers to come in. We will take a deeper dive into what makes a great website in a later post.
Engage with Customers on Social Media
In 2020, every marketing strategy needs to include social media. It’s the best way to connect with consumers digitally. Create profiles on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and converse with your customers. Talk about product launches, promotions and share the knowledge that will entice people to visit your store.
Improve your Google Rank
Optimize your website and content strategy to ensure your site lands on the first page on Google search. When was the last time you went to the second page on a Google search?
It’s important to keep abreast of Google’s algorithm changes, but the first step is to create a great website and continually produce relevant content.
Since paying for Google AdWords (pay per click) is restricted in some cases or severely limited for tobacco companies, organic SEO is extremely important.
Conclusion
At Cigarketing, we help companies build modernized websites that customers love and that are optimized for search engines. We’re passionate about the premium cigar industry. Want to be the best cigar shop in your area? Let us help you.