Observe multiple time windows
A single visit can mislead. Check morning, lunch, after work, evening, and weekend windows. Record pedestrian counts, vehicle flow, parking turnover, and whether people slow down near the storefront.
Look for trip purpose
Traffic is more useful when it matches the reason people buy. Coffee benefits from morning routines, restaurants from meal periods, salons from planned appointments, and pet grooming from convenient drop-off patterns.
Compare both sides of the street
Crosswalks, shade, parking direction, transit stops, and anchor tenants can make one side of the street much stronger than the other. Stand where customers would actually walk or drive from.