Online coupons drive customers to your business

Investopedia reported in 2019 that 96% of consumers had used a coupon in the 90 days prior to their study.

Everyone likes a bargain and according to VoucherCloud, a British company delivering vouchers and discount codes, 91% of coupon redeemers say they’ll revisit retailers that offer coupons, and 57% of online shoppers say they would not have made a purchase at all it weren’t for a coupon.

Don’t waste the investment of time and money you’ve put into “buying traffic” through Google ads, social media posts, mailouts, blog writing and frequent site updates. Coupons work to turn your visitors into paying customers.

One of your best marketing options are coupons online. WooCommerce makes it easy to customise these coupons to get new customers shopping and encourage repeat business.

Get coupons into your business

Add a new tool to your marketing toolbox with WooCommerce coupons. Talk to our Geekfree team about adding personalised coupons to your business’s WordPress website.

discount couponsOnline coupons can be implemented in a variety of different ways. Coupon offers can be used to introduce new customers to your store, introduce new product lines, provide a way to move unwanted inventory, cross and up-sell and encourage customers to try a new brand or to get customers to come back and buy more stuff. Discounts can also help give you an indecisive customer a nudge in the right direction. Even the most modest discounts can convince otherwise prudent buyers to put their credit card to work.

Why use coupons

In the online world, everyone’s a bargain hunter. No longer do we need to physically visit various shops to compare prices; a few clicks of the mouse is all it takes. If it is the same product, but cheaper at a different shop, consider it sold.

So why not offer enticements to draw customers in? Give them a great shopping experience and they’ll come back and buy from you again at full price. Sounds like a plan …

Ways to use coupons

  • When a coupon brings traffic to your site, those customers may then buy other non-discounted products; a common strategy used by food stores.
  • A coupon could introduce new customers to your business. Use the coupon as reward to customers who promote your site through social media.
  • Encourage customers who haven’t been in for a while to come back to your store. For example, you could send a coupon to all customers who haven’t purchased from you for 60 days or more.
  • Cross or upsell products. When customers are interested in an item on your store, sell them complementary products. Encourage customers to spend more to get the whole combo by offering a discount if their order value exceeds a certain amount.
  • Reward your customers, make them feel good. You can give a discount to customers who subscribe to your newsletter or premium service. Free gifts with purchases are another way to motivate customers to spend more while you offload excess inventory. A gift with purchase also means you don’t offer discounts on “high-end” items.

Discount codes on your website can be a real moneyspinner. They can increase sales while doing great things for your business’s reputation and customer loyalty.

However, for coupons to give maximum benefit, you need to how to implement them well. Read on for some tips from the GeekFree web design marketing team on how to use online coupons on your website.

Types of offers, coupons, and discounts

There are several types of discounts and offers you could implement:

Free shipping

Free shipping is one of the most popular options with both merchants and customers. Shipping is a huge pain points for online consumers. 2019 studies state that 25% of customers specifically cited shipping costs as the primary reason for not completing a purchase.

So, make shipping less painful through a handy coupon. If you are worried you may end up paying too much shipping yourself, you can still offer free shipping by limiting the offer to certain order amounts, like “Free shipping on orders $50 and over”. It’s also a great way to increase your average order size.

Dollar value discounts

Give a flat dollar amount off an order, such as “$10 off your next order”.

Buy X, get Y

Boost checkout rate with coupons. While customers are reviewing their cart, catch their attention with a last-minute offer popup. Whether it’s “Buy 2, get 1 free” or “Buy 4, get 10% off”, you’re assuring yourself of a certain order total before the discount.

Percentage off

The “10% off your next order” type of coupon generally does better for larger purchases as consumers do not perceive much value in a percentage off from smaller orders.

Loyalty coupons

Email past customers with a special offer. They bought from you in the past, so they get an “Exclusive offer”, such as “Returning customers get 20% off”. Regularly sending deals to those who have supported you in the past is an easy and highly effective way to build loyalty.

Referral coupons

Offer your customers a coupon code via email, and in the same email give them another code that they can pass on to a friend. If they like you and your products, hopefully, you’ll get two initial sales and another regular customer out of the deal.

Coupon codes work

People like deals. Hit them in their inbox with one and you’re bound to see an improvement in sales.

Coupon codes with your remarketing emails can vastly improve the chances that someone who left your site without making a purchase will change their mind. A well-placed discount code – in the subject line of the email – can help bring a customer back to your site and convert them.

On your website

If you want to offer the discount to the public or remind shoppers about a regular promotion, featuring it on your through a large, eye-catching promo graphic works, as do pop-ups.

But beware: the graphic should clearly state the deal and provide the promo code and instructions: “Save 25% on any order! Enter promo code GEEKFREE at checkout.” If you have a landing page or category associated with the deal, the graphic should link to it and be clearly clickable.

Other things to keep in mind

  • Keep the offer simple: the more complex the offer, the harder it is to communicate and understand.
  • Keep the coupon code simple: You want something that is easy to read, remember and type. Use actual words and phrases.
  • Instil a Sense of Urgency. Coupons have expiry dates for a reason. They are there to encourage customers to get what they want from you now, instead of letting it slip their mind. “This Weekend Only” sales can motivate potential buyers still on the fence. Let them know that if they want an excellent deal, they need to get to your site likely- Time-limited offers can also encourage impulse purchases and help move unsold inventory. Expiration dates also make it easier to track the results.

Talk to the Geekfree team

One of the greatest things about online coupons is their versatility. We can work with you to investigate which type of online coupons would generate the best result for your business and then plan and implement your promotional strategy with you. Call 0800 686 237. We’re a team of professional, experienced Auckland web developers, copy writers, and internet marketers who help business owners, like you, achieve big results on the web in an affordable, effective way.