7 Things I’d Do to Grow Million-Dollar Store Traffic (With No List or Following)

storytelling, marketing, retail, community, customer experience, email marketing, business growth, sales strategies, customer engagement, richer retailer method

Welcome to Part 4 of our Million-Dollar series. If I had to start over tomorrow with no list, no team, and no safety net, this is the marketing and traffic system I’d install immediately.

Because marketing isn’t about being louder. It’s about being more meaningful and it’s about creating consistent, intentional traffic to your store.

People want to connect with other people. That’s how you build your community, and it’s how you create a world your community wants to live in. And when you build that world, traffic follows. So if I’m building a million-dollar store again, I’m not starting with random posts, last-minute promos, or hoping the algorithm helps me. I’m building marketing with intention that drives the right traffic to my business.

This is what I call The Magic of Marketing and it’s one of the five core systems inside the Richer Retailer Method. Here are the seven things I’d do.

Listen the Full Episode here:

1. I’d Build a World Around Unforgettable Customer Experiences

The key principle I teach is simple: plan marketing with intention and build a world for unforgettable customer experiences.

That’s what marketing really is. Every email, every post, every display, every event… it’s all creating a world. When your customers feel like they belong inside that world, they come back. They bring friends. They buy more. And suddenly marketing feels less like “content” and more like community.

2. I’d Focus on My “Thumbs” First

Here’s what I want you to picture: ten people walk through your door or land on your website.

Now put your fingers down and leave your thumbs up.

Two out of ten, twenty percent of your customers are eighty percent of your business.

I call them your thumbs. These are your best customers. They drive word-of-mouth. They drive repeat sales. They’re the people who already love you.

So if I’m starting over, I’m putting my attention there first. I’m finding new ways to create unforgettable experiences for them, because that’s how you build a business that grows fast without feeling frantic.

3. I’d Ask Better Questions to Learn What My Customers Love

A simple way to serve your thumbs better is to ask:

  • “What was your favorite activity we did in the last year?”
  • “What did you enjoy the most?”
  • “Use three words to describe our store.”

These questions are marketing gold. They tell you what your customers value, why they come back, and what kind of world they believe you’ve created. And it’s heartwarming to read.

4. I’d Build an Email List From Day One

From the very beginning, I’d start collecting emails.

Because that list becomes your marketing. Truly, it does.

If I’m building a million-dollar store, I’m not relying on social media alone. I’m building a list I own and can communicate with consistently.

5. I’d Email at Least Twice a Week

This part surprises people, but your best customers want to hear from you. They don’t want to miss what’s happening.

I’d make sure I’m emailing at least two times a week, and if I can do it well, I’d email even more. Stores that learn how to communicate with their customers consistently see incredible success because they’re creating a world people stay connected to.

6. I’d Stop “Announcing” and Start Storytelling

I wouldn’t send emails or post online saying:
 “These cups are fabulous, come in!”
 “These bookmarks just arrived!”

No one responds to that. No one does.

Instead, I’d tell stories.

I’d tell the story of the maker. The story of the product. Or a personal story that creates emotion. Because storytelling creates emotion, and emotion sells.

It’s not just what you sell. It’s why it matters.

That’s what hooks people. That’s what keeps them opening your emails. That’s what makes them feel connected to you. And when customers feel connected, they buy.

7. I’d Plan My Marketing Calendar and Measure What Matters

No more winging it. Don’t wing it.

I’d create a 12-month promo and marketing calendar in a living doc (like Google Docs) so I can rinse and repeat what works. You cannot keep everything in your head, and you shouldn’t try.

And then I’d measure what matters:

  • Traffic by platform
  • Email open rates
  • Conversions
  • Order value
  • Repeat customer rate (especially online)

I would not obsess over likes. Likes don’t matter.

One KPI I always point out is repeat customer rate online. Yes, repeat customers are amazing… but if your repeat rate is too high, it can also mean you’re not attracting enough new customers. That’s a signal to take action, offer a simple incentive, and get new buyers in the door.

One Extra Shift That Can Change Everything: Clear Calls to Action

If you want emails that make money, every email needs a clear call to action.

I’ve seen stores leave tens of thousands of dollars on the table simply because their emails weren’t specific enough. One email. One story. One clear next step. That’s how you create conversion.

The Big Takeaway

Marketing is not about doing more.

It’s about doing the right things, on purpose.

When you focus on your best customers, build your email list, tell better stories, and plan ahead, marketing becomes simpler, more profitable, and way more fun. That’s the magic.

Your Millie Moment:

Choose one product you want to sell this week and do this today:

  • Write one story about why it matters
  • Send one email with one clear call to action
  • Add one marketing activity into your 12-month calendar so you stop starting from scratch

Resources and Links:

Join the community with ambitious store owners in our Richer Retailer Facebook Group

💚 Remember: You don’t have to be everywhere to grow. You just have to be intentional. When you build a world your customers want to belong to, your marketing starts working for you. Progress is happening, even when it doesn’t feel fast. You are capable of building this. And you don’t have to do it alone.