Brick and Mortar Guitar Store - HELP!

"We sell it all" is the wrong kind of positioning statement
for your friend's business. You'll get nowhere trying to please
everyone - a proven axiom of business, marketing and life in
general.

If your friend only sells guitars for $600 and up, great, because
he's got some nice guitars in that price range on his site. What
he doesn't seem to have is anything for the dude who's got
less than $600 to buy a guitar.

Tell him to post some guitar instructional videos on YouTube with the link to the store's website.

Oh my goodness, where to start...

First, head on over to the offline sub-forum of the WarriorForum: Offline Marketing Discussions

There are tons of discussions going on around this topic there and you will get all kinds of ideas and info.

I would optimize the google places listing for the store, so you start to get top ranking in google.

Then, I start filming in store jam sessions and testimonials and start putting them up on video sharing sites (all with links back to your site)

Build up the current site to include some lead capture mechanism with a special coupon for free guitar strings or something like that when they come in or purchase something. (you get the idea)

and on, and on, and on...

There are tons of things you can do.

I have to agree with Loren Woirhaye on your slogan.

as far as marketing

Have you listed in all of the local directories?
Do you have a FB fan page?
A Twiiter account?
Youtube Videos are great, any of those?

the possibilities are endless but the above is a great start

Hire some SEO people to get the site to rank for local search terms. Only pay based on performance.

There are a lot of discrete styles of playing the guitar
and even though experienced guitarists can often play
in many styles, most beginners are attracted to only
1 or 2.

The thing is there are very specific instrument variations
in terms of the way the guitar is built and outfitted
that influence the sound and over-all appropriateness
for the style.

The music store that shows they know a lot about certain
styles and carry appropriate instruments and have
knowledgeable staff who know how to really advise
customers to get the sound they want.

Many guitar teachers will boast of playing and teaching
all styles, but there are few who genuinely can teach
all styles. Nor are there many music stores that can
sell guitars appropriate to all styles of guitar played at
all skill levels.

For example: The Telecaster has several specific design
characteristics that make it the favorite guitar for country
music.

Does the shop carry and install B benders? If they sell to
the country playing market they should.... and know the
pros and cons of the different styes of benders.

A local search result for "b bender telecaster Cinncinati"
would strongly indicate a person looking to come in and
try the instrument out. I personally don't think "fender
custom stratocaster (yourtown)" indicates much buying
intent... but "stratocaster dimarzio vintage humbucker
Cinncinati" would indicate the searcher is looking to try
out an instrument with a specific sound, setup and shape.

I would find a way to make the lack of "beginner" inventory a positive thing.

Such as "Guitar Lovers...Only the Good Stuff"

Find a way to differentiate the store from the Wal-Mart of Guitar Stores (i.e. Guitar Center).

GC's not necessarily bad, but they actually make most of their dough off of accessories and the sub $300 guitar market. For good or for ill, that's where most of the sales in the business are to be found.

But find a way to make the higher-level inventory a plus. Start with the slogan, though, because they obviously don't sell it all. That can be a plus, however.

Here's the perfect way to market a Guitar Store:

Treat it like standard IM but in a physical setting.
-Don't market on prices, focus on community and atmosphere.
-Figure out what musicians want (whether lessons, special guests, free concert tickets) and offer it. Better, have a signup sheet for emails where you can send them free training videos and/or ebooks (like a traditional newsletter but applied to a non-Internet location)


Also, if you want to draw traffic to your store, I would upload some videos that show the store. What you guys offer, some of your employees, etc. Get them to think they know you like a friend (like traditional IM).