In the wide world of cigars, improvements can be made as the years go by. Cigar shop trends come and go, the market changes and customers demand different skills and features from their favorite cigar shops.
In 2022, cigar shops this year are pulling out all the stops. If you want to keep your business on the cutting edge of the community, we’ve got some great tips for you.
How to improve your cigar shop this year
When it comes to cigar shop improvement, there are a wide variety of ways to better serve your customers. Salesmanship and customer service make a huge impression on your visitors, as well as new additions to the store itself like bar expansions and more. Furthermore, beefing up your digital marketing efforts can have an outsized effect on your profits.
Improving your cigar shop requires being in tune with what exactly your customers are looking for, both the regulars and the newcomers. You need the skills to help out the amateur smokers as well as the seasoned vets. This requires being dynamic and attentive as you approach changes to your cigar shop this year.
For direction, it can be helpful to ask your buying customers to take short surveys, or at least take note of what is highest in demand. Take the time to do some market research on other cigar shops. Examine their selections, bar setups, decoration, lounge types, and anything else that you could take note of.
Improve Cigar Store customer service & salesmanship
Let’s take customer service and salesmanship for example. While they are not one and the same, there is quite an overlap. Your goal is to make visitors feel welcome and free to ask questions. There’s a fine balance between being there for them, and being too much. Salesmanship is a science, but when you dial it in perfectly, you and your customers will have a great experience.
Great customer service requires friendly staff that knows what to ask, and when. Do you and your employees greet customers as they enter the store? Are you attentive to what they are searching for, and do you know when to give them space? Make sure that visitors have room to breathe, but never feel lost when they need help.
This plays a big part in salesmanship. If you and your employees have the knowledge and expertise at hand, you will help customers find the products they’ll like the most. This in turn encourages them to return, both to seek your advice and to purchase what they enjoyed once again.
Another great way to emphasize customer service and hit the salesmanship nail on the head is to lean heavily on events and major holidays. Offer deals and host your own small events to attract new and old customers. Use this as an opportunity to integrate your shop into the community as well as land more sales.
Increase Traffic With Bar expansions and improvements
If your lounge has a bar, don’t slack on making it a selling point! We know you started this business because of your passion for cigars and the cigar community, but fleshing out your bar area will keep customers coming back and sticking around for longer on the premises. This naturally increases your bottom line.
There are plenty of ways to improve and expand your bar and lounge area. Some simple ways include adding a larger selection of drinks (especially local brews and favorites) or creating a bigger or more comfortable lounge space. This gives your store a great atmosphere and encourages your local cigar aficionados to gravitate towards your business.
This cigar market research report from the Response Agency revealed that the majority of cigar smokers prefer to do so in a social setting, although not by a large margin. This means that a lounge area can certainly boost your profits, but it’s not all you should focus on. Unsurprisingly, most cigar purchases appear to be made in person at a shop. Luckily, you own one.
Consider what the lounge itself is offering. Are you going for a social setting alone, encouraging customers to chat with each other if they are sticking around? Maybe you want to give them more entertainment, possibly by adding television screens with popular sports and channels playing. Little touches such as this—even curating a better music playlist—can create a more attractive scene for retaining visitors.
Increase spending on digital marketing services for Cigar Shops
Despite all the on-site changes a cigar shop can make for better business, perhaps the most effective changes come through digital marketing efforts. While you certainly need a great location, selections, and employees for new customers to show up to, you have to attract them first!
Your digital marketing efforts will by and far have the biggest payoff in terms of effort and results. Making your online site useful and informative is the key. This means offering online shopping choices, as well as options to purchase lounge memberships, enter into raffles or events, and get customer service attention.
There are many other ways to use the internet to your advantage. Getting your cigar business noticed locally can require some more in-depth digital marketing. Focusing on the Google search engine is a great place to start. Explore the advertisement options from Google to see which might fit your business the best.
Another smart move for growing your cigar shop online is the use of proper Search Engine Optimization. The factors that contribute to SEO vary greatly. For example, the frequency and accuracy of your keywords are important. Creating a business blog can simultaneously give local customers another way to connect with you as well as drive more search engine traffic to your site.
How Cigarketing can boost your cigar sales
Growing a local business is tough, but incredibly rewarding. Things such as events, social media, SEO, and more can feel suffocating. This is when hiring professionals can rescue your vision. When it comes to getting your cigar shop recognized both in your local community and online, look to Cigarketing’s cigar shop digital marketing services for help every step of the way.
To see what Cigarketing can do for you, contact us here!