I received an email from a long-time friend and gift shop retailer yesterday, and in it I noticed a tone of frustration and desperation. She was asking me my thoughts on how to increase sales, since store traffic and, subsequently, sales are really slow for her over the long summer months.

One of the most important things that a retailer needs to do every day is keep the marketing momentum going. While she may already have a few marketing initiatives under way, I encouraged her to keep thinking about how to grow her sales, build traffic, and keep pushing forward with new ideas.

Here is a simple list of questions that I sent her to get her thinking about new ways to connect with her customers and sell more products:

• Are you using your customer list to do regular email marketing? How many customers do you have on your list?
• Do you have a great sales team calling on your top customers to invite them back to the store for special events?
• Have you had a special store event lately?
• Are you employing a top-notch sales team?
• Have you done any craft or artisan shows to market your store to the public and to build your list?
• What is your top-selling line in the store? Can you buy things in that line or for that price point?
• When was the last time you re-merchandised your store windows?
• Have you done any market research or focus groups to determine what people want now?
• Have you tried a Facebook ad campaign or Google ad campaign to drive more traffic?
• Are you issuing a monthly press release to your local newspapers?
• Are you using snail mail to connect with top customers?
• What types of alternative advertising have you tried (like billboards or radio) to drive more traffic?
• Have you started using social media to make new connections and build deeper relationships?
• Are you developing your online presence to sell not only in your community, but also around the world?

My top tip that I gave my friend for increasing store traffic and sales was to develop her website more. Why? So she can reach new customers and sell more to existing customers! Having a robust site filled with content will ensure that she (and you) will SELL MORE PRODUCTS.

This might sound complicated—but I assure you it's not. Need some ideas on how to improve your website to drive more traffic and revenue? Join me for my webinar, "Boost Web Sales with 9 Simple Steps" on August 12, 2010, starting at 1:00 EST.

I'm so sure you'll that you'll love this session (and walk away with immediate and actionable takeaways) that I'm offering a 100% no hassle, money-back guarantee if you're not completely satisfied. Space is filling up quickly, be sure to register now at: RetailConferenceSeries.com

What are you doing to keep the marketing momentum going in your store?

I was recently interviewed for an article on web retailing. The reporter asked me for five suggestions on how retailers could improve their sites, or what they should keep in mind if they are launching their first site.

Here are the five tips that I shared:

1. Skip the introductory page and Flash-based code.
   Consumers are impatient and an introductory page takes time to load. You run the risk of people leaving your site while they wait. Plus, an introductory page won't be indexed by search engines.

2. Easy navigation is key.
   How many times have you left a website because you were frustrated that you couldn't find what you were looking for? Easy-to-use navigation will ensure that consumers can easily find what they came for, and will encourage them to explore other areas on your website as well. Logic tells us that the longer a customer spends on your site, the more likely they are to make a purchase (and if you don't offer e-commerce, the more likely they will be to visit your store).

3. Include easy-to-find store information.
   It seems like common sense, but a lot of websites that I visit have their contact information buried, no physical address or store photos (I recommend posting at least one photo of the inside and outside of your store), they forget to post their store hours and it's nearly impossible to find a store phone number.

4. Quality content.
   By providing quality content on your website, you increase the likelyhood that consumers will find your store when they do an online search for a specific product that you're selling. Retailers often ask me how you provide quality content: it can come in the form of a daily blog, posting a product description for each product you sell and/or a detailed store description on the "about us" page. Plus, the more you update your information the more you will increase your search engine ranking when people try to search for products that you sell.

5. Collect names.
   Your website provides an invaluable place to collect names for sending your email marketing efforts. Be sure to offer incentives for sign up (maybe a free product they pick up in the store), and be clear about how you intend to use the list.

Today's guest post is from Meryl Hooker, Sales Rockstar.

I am not a sports fan but like so many others, the Olympic games in Vancouver caught my attention. I didn't make time to sit down and watch any of the events, but some of the highlights really got me thinking. Of all the amazing performances, I found two athletes particularly inspiring: snowboarder and gold medal winner, Shaun White, and cross country skier and bronze medal winner, Petra Majdic.

Petra Majdic had a brutal time. During a trial run, she tumbled head first off the course into a rocky stream and could barely walk. Volunteers had to help her out of the ravine. She turned around and not only participated in the main event; she placed third – after rejecting a painkiller that would have hindered her movement. Talk about commitment!

How many times have you crashed into your own ravine and just stayed there in defeat?

Shaun White met and exceeded all expectation as well. He locked in a repeat gold performance in the amazingly elegant snowboarding competition. He later admitted he was nervous going into the qualifying round because he didn't want to be the guy who "couldn't hold." I don't know about you, but I sure can relate to that.

How many times have you reached a new personal best, and had moments of doubt about whether you could hold… or exceed it?

When he was asked about what he did to keep his emotions in check and deliver the killer execution of his routine, White responded, "That's how I pictured it in my mind, of how it was going to go down."

How good are you at picturing how something is going to go down… and then making it happen?

I am a die-hard sales enthusiast and there is no doubt that the principles of being an Olympic champion are not all that different from being a sales champion. It doesn't matter if you're running a store or a sales rep running the road. Here's what the games reinforce for me about sales training and execution:

• You don't get good in day.
• You must practice and train every day.
• You must have a deep, down in your soul, drive to be the best.
• Focus always.
• Discipline always.
• Have fun.
• Represent your sport (or manufacturer or customer or store) the very best you can.
• Take a trick and do it a little better and a little bigger.
• Create new things.
• Set goals for yourself. Some that are out of reach, some that aren't.
• It's not always easy and it's not always fun.
• Hard work pays off.

I don't know that any of these are revolutionary new lessons in sales or athletics. It doesn't have to take big events like the Olympics to remind us of these basic principles. We can create the motivation for ourselves everyday by focusing on, planning and practicing a better performance in our stores and with our customers. We may not be as hip as Shaun White, but that doesn't mean we can't earn the gold… or the green.

Meryl Hooker is a manufacturer's representative, writer, speaker, sales coach and all-around Sales Rockstar. She is the writer of "Road Rage," a blog about repping and selling and co-author of the forthcoming book, Pushing The Envelope: The Small Greeting Card Manufacturer's Guide to Working with Sales Reps (Center Aisle Press, May 2010). She lives in Washington, DC and can be reached via www.merylhookersales.com.

Over the last few months I have reviewed hundreds of gift shop websites. One thing that I've noticed is that very few of them post pictures of their new products, or products that are on the way from a recent show trip.

One of the best ways to talk about what you ordered from a show is via a blog (only a third of the websites I reviewed had a store blog), and even if you don't have a store site, you can still start a free blog very easily. One site I recommend is Wordpress.com.

After you place an order at a gift show, ask them if you can snap a quick photo to post on your blog—since you're a paying customer, I'm sure it won't be a problem. And they'll probably enjoy the coverage!

As you're going through the show, take a lot of photos and jot down notes so you can blog about your show experience. Your customers will love reading about it and it will also help your search engine rankings to ensure you come up when customers search for your store or a specific line in your area.

According to a survey recently conducted by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, of 1800 independent stores sales were up 2.2 percent November and December, versus the same time period in 2008. In comparison, overall retail sales rose just 1.1 percent on a year-to-year comparison.

Retailers recently quoted in an article in the San Francisco Chronicle attributed increased holiday season sales to the shop local campaigns they promoted in their stores.

As you think about your marketing for the year, remember to incorporate the shop local message in your signage at the store, outgoing correspondence (email and direct mail) and in any advertising you do. It's a powerful tool that can influence consumer spending, as people do want to support their local community— they just need a friendly reminder.

Wouldn't it be great to find out what your customers really think about your store? Why not find out with a customer survey?

Coming from a psychology background, I feel obligated to mention that surveys do have flaws, but ultimately I feel it's better to ask than to have not asked at all. With websites like SurveyMonkey.com you can create and post a free survey for your customers easily. Or you can ask customers to take a two minute, five to eight question survey in your store.

And remember to reward your customers for participating in the survey by offering a small discount off their next in-store purchase or a free gift.

The other day I was chatting with one of the very successful retail store owners on our advisory board, Patti Harbin of In-Courage, and I asked her about some of the strategies she uses to keep her business growing.

One new direction she started taking several years ago was to set up a booth at a local show (open to the public) that draws more than 30,000 people from a wide radius in Texas. At the show she sold thousands in products and was able to build her brand in the community. For months after, new customers stopped by the store and told her they shopped at her booth and wanted to check out her store.

Although the show is a lot of work, she reports it's definitely worth it.

Here are a few tips if you think a show may be right for you:

1. Patti told me she researched the show and attended it the year before she set up her first booth. While there, she asked the other vendors for tips and if they would recommend the show.

2. The first year, Patti stocked her booth with products that were supposed to go in her stores. She says, "That was a big mistake, so now I order separately for my booth and my stores." It left her empty in the store for some time until the replacement inventory arrived and that lowered her store sales.

3. Make sure you have enough staff. Since the show that Patti does has a big volume of attendees, it requires five to six employees at all times to keep the lines moving, re-merchandise once products sell out and answer questions.

4. Talk to show management and ask loads of questions (how many people do you anticipate, how long has the show been running, what products sell best, who are your top vendors, how do they market the show, etc.). In the second year, Patti asked the show management if she could become a sponsor and hand out bags imprinted with her store name and website. Now "everyone walks the show with an In-Courage bag and that also helps to build brand awareness."

What's great about doing shows is that it enables you to promote your store while bringing in extra revenue. It's like getting paid to market your store!

I just chatted with a retailer who said she had a fantastic holiday season. After congratulating her, I asked about her top selling product. She told me it was a new product that she only added to the store in July, and she was thankful that she decided to bring it in, because at the time she was a little uncertain.

She went on to explain that the story behind the product was really fantastic and every time she personally told the story, the sell-through rate was very high. We went on to discuss how her store employees don't tell the stories behind the products because they don't know them—and/or because it's difficult to educate them on all the products in the store.

I started thinking that it would be a great idea to create small signs (4×6 or 5×7), using identical professional frames, and print the stories behind the products. That way you'll be educating your customers and your employees.

It's my guess you'll also increase your store sales at the same time.

Last week I walked by a store in the airport and was compelled to stop by a wonderful storefront display. I saw an attractive barrel with cute little cosmetic bags overflowing from it and a chalkboard sign that read, "Special Sale: $4 each, or 3 for $9." Since I do a lot of traveling (and I'm female!), little bags come in handy—plus, I loved the price.

Before I knew it, I had found three great patterns and shapes and walked over to check out another store display. Since I was already buying, my psychology switched from the mode of "just looking" to "is there anything else I need." I was out of lip balm, and ended up picking up a more expensive lip gloss than usual because I fell in love with the fragrance.

As I walked to my gate, I was intrigued by the psychology of the display and my response to it. I'm not even sure I would have gone into the store if it wasn't for the barrel, and once I made the commitment to buying, I went into shopping mode.

I encourage you to create an impactful display with products that are reasonably priced. Locate the display near the front door and tie the products into the time of year, or where you're located, or another angle that you think will attract customers.

Even if you don't have super high margins on that particular product (or you reduce your margins to encourage sell through) I think you'll be surprised at how many people buy that product—and more. You might consider testing various products and monitoring the results.

I do a lot of speaking all over the world to educate retailers, so I just uploaded my first professional video clip to YouTube. I thought it would be a good marketing tool in YouTube and on my website, so we've embedded the video on the homepage of PatriciaNorins.com. Plus, we've also added video testimonials to our tradeshow site.

It got me thinking about the many creative ways you can use YouTube to promote your store, so here are a few to get you started:

1. Interview some of your customers to get reviews of a product they've bought in the past. I just read a study that reported customer reviews can up web sales of a particular product by as much as 30%.

2. Feature a new product of the month that you profile and talk about in a two minute video. Make sure to link to your video in your enewsletter—and embed the video on the page of your site that lists the product.

3. Make a short design video. Show your customers how to set the perfect holiday table, how to accessorize their fireplace mantle or how to hang pictures to create a gallery effect on their wall. This will position you as not only a resource for gifts and home decor, but also as an expert who is willing to give advice to customers who are in need of a few tips.

4. Ask your customers why they love shopping in your store. (They keep coming back, there must be a good reason!)

5. Show a "before" and "after" display of your windows or a section of the store. Use the opportunity to talk about the products you've placed.

Have you made a YouTube video for your store? Post a link so we can see it!