7 Ideas to Attract New Customers to Your Gas Station - Mina Gorgyos

We don’t want to come off as blunt or dismissive, because we respect how vital Gas Stations are to our society. Furthermore, we grasp the intricate, detailed approach and level of expertise required to run such an establishment successfully.

However, from the consumer perspective, all gas stations tend to blend into one another. The main reason people visit locations is primarily to do with locational convenience or pricing.

Those factors make it challenging to stand out from the crowd. You need to break the barriers of these seemingly arbitrary elements. It’s the only way to make an impact with consumers, so they visit your station instead of someone else’s.

And competing on price alone isn’t a diverse enough strategy, while your location can only help you so much.

If you aren’t sure of what kind of techniques and strategies might help your gas station attract new customers, here are some helpful ideas to get you started:

1. Encourage Word-of-Mouth Marketing and Referrals

One advantage you’ll always have as a gas station is that even at the worst of times, is you’ll have a client base. Because you’re offering such a vital service.

These customers are akin to house money, and you can leverage this clientele if you do things the right way.

Merely ask every customer to refer your business to their friends and family. The numbers game alone will add up in your favor. Even if one out of every 20 customers spreads the word, you’d be amazed at home much that can grow your business.

2. Provide Excellent Service

If you ask every Tom, Dick, and Harry to refer your gas station to their friends and family, you’ll increase the chances of them doing so with quality service.

It’s not enough to just be friendly and prompt. That’s something that’s expected — it’s more the little things you must consider. For example, take stock of what your regular customers are purchasing and ensure that you always have those items in-store.

Also, take pains to establish connections with your customers — even trying to get to know them on a first-name basis.

By treating your regulars well, you’ll encourage them to spread the word to their families and friends.

3. Suggest Online Reviews to Your Customers

Here are five proven ways that creating an account and leveraging Google Reviews can attract new traffic to your gas station:

• Increased brand trust
• Improved SEO and online exposure
• Creates a Feedback loop
• Generates more website traffic
• Converts more customers

All those factors contribute to a gas station that attracts new business.

Offer customers a discount on a car wash if they leave a positive review on Google or other social media platforms. Or, if they need their morning caffeine fix, perhaps a month’s long discount for coffee would suffice.

4. De-escalate and Amend any Negative Feedback

No business is perfect. And when you utilize online review platforms, you leave yourself open to negative reviews. Your gas station’s blemishes (no matter how small) will be exposed to the public.

Don’t view this as something adverse or harmful. The poor review isn’t going to decide whether more customers come to your station. It’s how you respond that will.

By de-escalating and turning the situation around to the point that the complainant is satisfied, you’ll bolster your brand image. Furthermore, doing so through Google Reviews shows your willingness to make things right with disgruntled customers on a public forum. You can’t buy that kind of PR.

5. Begin Using a Digital Loyalty Program

Loyalty programs, initially, might seem like something of a headache — especially the way they used to be offered.

The physical cards and stamps usually ended up in people’s trash, making the significant printing fees you paid for their production a complete waste. Also, customers forget to bring their cards half the time, making the whole practice futile.

Fortunately, at Loopy Loyalty, we’ve digitized the loyalty system, where you can offer digital stamps.

Current customers will be more than appreciative of being able to seamlessly accumulate rewards on their cell phones. And they’ll let others know and spread that highly valuable word-of-mouth. Other customers will be enticed by your digital loyalty proposition.

6. Social Media is Your Friend

Let your client base know about any specials you have going on with snacks and drinks, for instance, through social media platforms.

In today’s day and age, there’s no way of staying ahead of the pack if you don’t have social media.

If you feel you don’t have time to commit to posting consistently on social media, it’s possible to reach your audiences regularly with automation. Create a multitude of social media posts at once and use automated tools to disperse content at the right times.

Lastly, ensure your posts have a distinct call-to-action to promote audience engagement. Algorithms favor content with high amounts of comments, shares, or likes, ensuring they reach more eyes. In turn, you’ll see a wealth of new customers enter your gas station.

7. Rely on Visual Appeal

If your Gas Sstation looks awful, people won’t want to stop in to fill up or buy any supplies. The chances are, they’ll drive right by to the nearest station that looks way more appealing.

Meaning, you need to invest in both your outdoor designs and indoor layout. The fresher and more inventive your approach, the more your gas station will stand out from your dozens of nearby competitors.

There’s no denying that it’s fundamentally human to judge a book by its cover. If you’re a gas station looking to attract new business, use that trait to your advantage.

Conclusion: Your Gas Station’s Success Necessitates More than Pumping Petrol

Attracting customers to your gas station necessitates a multifaceted approach that goes well beyond the petrol people are putting into their cars. Building your base comes down to the perfect blend of marketing savvy and service.

In following the above tips, you’ll be well on your way to executing your strategy for attracting new customers.

 SOURCE