Increasing sales in your online store can take time and effort. If you’re not implementing strategies that incentivize your buyers, your profits might stagnate. Fortunately, using coupons on your e-commerce site can help motivate customers to make more purchases.
In this article, we’ll introduce coupon marketing and how it can benefit your online store. Then, we’ll talk about strategies you can use to drive sales. Let’s get to it!
An Introduction to Coupon Marketing
If you run an e-commerce business, a marketing strategy is vital to growing your sales. Coupon marketing is a great tactic since it gives buyers more reason to visit your store. Plus, it can encourage shoppers to spend more on your products.
You can provide vouchers within your e-commerce shop, in-store (if you have a physical store), or send codes to your subscribers’ inboxes. Then, customers can use these coupons to apply discounts to their purchases or obtain free items.
Here are some benefits of implementing a coupon marketing strategy:
- Drive more traffic to your online store.
- Encourage existing customers to place future orders.
- Get rid of excess product stock, such as seasonal items or old collections.
- Make more sales by offering a deal that shoppers can’t refuse.
Since 90% of U.S. consumers have used coupons while shopping, they’re clearly popular with customers. Meanwhile, using discounts is an easy way to grow your business and earn customer loyalty.
5 Ways to Use Coupons to Boost Your Sales
Now that you know the benefits of implementing a coupon marketing strategy, here are five ways you can use coupons to boost sales!
1. Discount Second Purchases
It’s tempting to target first-time buyers because you want to attract new customers. However, you might neglect existing shoppers that have already chosen to spend money in your store. Plus, you can easily convert current customers since the interest is already there.
By providing second-purchase discounts, you’re also more likely to create customer loyalty and boost retention rates.
Therefore, offering discounts on second orders is a good idea to encourage repeat purchases. One of the easiest ways to add this functionality to your store is with a plugin like Advanced Coupons:
Advanced Coupons is a flexible WordPress tool that enables you to build effective promotions. For instance, you can add unique cart conditions, offer BOGO deals, and email URL coupons straight to your customers.
2. Create a Loyalty Program
Another way you can use coupons to boost sales is with a loyalty program. It can attract new shoppers and reward existing customers.
A classic example of a loyalty program is Starbucks Rewards:
Starbucks customers collect points based on how much they spend. Then, when they reach a certain amount of points, they can claim a free drink.
To create a loyalty program for your e-commerce store, consider using Loyalty Program:
Once the plugin is installed, customers can earn and redeem points in your store. Plus, you can send points messages to remind shoppers about their balances.
Depending on how your points system works, it’s a great way to encourage people to buy more. Additionally, you can use a loyalty program to retain customers by motivating them to shop with you instead of looking elsewhere.
3. Offer a Flash Sale
Flash sales are special offers that only last for a limited period. For instance, you might hold a flash sale from 7pm to midnight on a Friday evening. It’s an effective way to get more sales because it encourages buyers to act fast:
What’s more, since your discounts are only accessible for a short period, a flash sale positions your offers as exclusive. With the right advertising, it’s easy to grab users’ attention and generate hype around your deals.
When running a flash sale, it’s worth offering higher discounts for a limited period to attract more consumers. Then, remember to advertise your sale with an eye-catching banner on your website and in your marketing emails.
Again, Advanced Coupons offers settings for running flash sales. Alternatively, you might opt for the Sale Flash Pro extension for WooCommerce.
4. Provide Free Shipping
Since free shipping is the number one incentive for online purchases, offering it is an easy way to get shoppers to spend more. In fact, free shipping is the main reason customers subscribe to Amazon Prime:
Better yet, providing free shipping is a great way to ensure that customers complete the checkout process. This is because high extra costs are the main reason for abandoned carts.
Fortunately, providing free shipping is simple with a shipping coupon. You can generate one with WooCommerce by going to WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping > Shipping zones in your WordPress dashboard:
Add your new shipping zone. Then, click on Add shipping method and select Free shipping from the dropdown menu:
Lastly, hit Add shipping method. Now, every customer in that zone will be offered free shipping.
5. Give a BOGO Discount
A BOGO discount (Buy One, Get One Free) enables shoppers to buy one of your items and get another one free of charge. This coupon marketing tactic is a great way to clear out items that are out of season or products that aren’t performing well:
Fortunately, several plugins can help you set up BOGO coupons in your online store. These include Advanced Coupons and the Smart Coupons WooCommerce extension.
If you have a physical store, this promotion is also helpful for connecting new products with existing items. For instance, if you have limited shop space, you could use BOGO deals to bundle bestselling items alongside unwanted inventory.
Conclusion
Incentivizing your shoppers to make purchases can be challenging. Fortunately, coupons can drum up interest and encourage customers to buy more. In turn, these discounts can boost your sales and help grow your online store.
Do you have any questions about using coupons in your e-commerce store? Let us know in the comments section below!
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