Many retailers are turning their focus to planning for re-opening. This has been a difficult time for many small businesses, and those poised to re-open should have a strategy in place for doing so profitably. Here are five ways to ensure success when things begin to re-open.

Evaluate Your Vendors

Now is a great time to do a little shopping around when it comes to your vendors. Not only may you be able to find better pricing, you may be able to bring in more unique inventory that can make your store stand out. Simply letting your current vendors know you’re shopping around may encourage them to provide you with better pricing.

Invest In Digital Marketing

Digital marketing has already started to take up the lion’s share of marketing budgets, and that trend has only accelerated in the last couple of months. Developing a detailed plan that includes blogging, social media, email and paid advertising is a must for small businesses looking to thrive into the future. In many cases, it is a good idea to hire a dedicated marketer or an agency to ensure you get a positive return on investment.

Develop An Ecommerce Shop

Ecommerce has exploded over the past several years and has become an essential extension of your physical store. Ecommerce allows you to reach a much larger audience and expose a far greater number of people to your goods and services. It also allows you to carry a larger and more diverse inventory as you don’t necessarily need to have all of your items stored on premises.

Start A Loyalty Rewards Program

Having a loyal customer base is the foundation of small business success. Showing your current customers how much you appreciate their business by developing a loyalty rewards program can help keep them coming back more often. Be sure to offer rewards that provide true value and fit the theme of their previous purchases. Rewards should be easy to obtain while still allowing you to turn a profit.

Create Discount Bundles

Bundling has been a useful sales tool for decades now. Packaging together complementary items can help you to move inventory and expose customers to new products, all while providing value to your customers. Put some thought into which items go together and develop creative ways to package your bundles. This is a great way to get customers back in the door once everything opens up.