Okay, so I’ve been trying to figure out how to get more people into my little shop and, more importantly, how to get them to actually buy stuff. I had this idea, maybe a little obvious, but I thought, “What if I just watched what people do in the store?” Not in a creepy way, of course!
So, I started this little project. First, I just observed. I literally sat in a corner for a few days (with coffee, naturally) and just watched. Where did people go first? What did they look at? What did they ignore? What did they pick up and put back? Stuff like that.
I made some simple notes, like:
- “Most people turn right when they come in.”
- “Nobody looks at the stuff on the bottom shelf.”
- “People spend a long time looking at the display near the window, but don’t buy much from it.”
After a couple days of this, I started to see some patterns. For example, I noticed almost everyone was missing this one corner of the store. It had some of my best stuff, but it was kind of hidden. Big problem!
Making Some Changes
Armed with this super-basic information, I started to make changes. First, I rearranged the layout. I moved that “hidden” corner stuff to a more prominent spot, right where people naturally walk when they come in.
Then, I focused my attention for a little while and the rearranged the displays. I put the items people seemed to touch the most, but not buy, in a different arrangement. I figured maybe they liked them, but something about the display was putting them off.
I even put more popular items with less popular but similar items for a good arrangement.
The Results
Honestly, it’s been pretty amazing. Just by making those few changes, I’ve seen a noticeable difference. People are exploring more of the store, and they’re actually buying the stuff that was getting ignored before.
So, don’t make any plan before your own analysis!
It’s still early days, and I’m going to keep watching and tweaking, but this whole “visitor analysis” thing, even at this super basic level, has been a game-changer. I’m thinking of using a basic heatmap software next,but for now, this method is useful for me!