Sometimes simple solutions are the best, and when it comes to digital marketing, coupons are a proven way of influencing sales and attracting new business. When used effectively, they can expand the market place and provide a steady stream of new customers and sales. Coupons are measurable and can be tracked by the rate of redemption so it’s simple to review which coupon promotions have been effective as part of an overall marketing strategy.
Advanced coupons management is certainly an indication of a robust eCommerce platform. This adds further value when the setup and management of coupons seamlessly align with your ERP (MS Dynamics NAV Business Central) business process. There are many ways Nav-to-Net™, eCommerce for Dynamics NAV/BC, coupons can be created and they can apply to either all website products or a specific set of goods like a category or single item. Depending on the promotion you are running, the coupon can be made available for one-time use or repetitive usage, with auto expiry dates.
We explore some ideas below on using coupons and the various ways they can influence customers to make that purchase.
General Marketing: Coupons can be used in a very general way, for instance when included as part of a marketing campaign to attract interest and direct customers to your website.
Ideas include:
- Bonus offers – Buy two items and get the third free
- Introductory Offers – Save 10% on your first purchase
- General Offers – Save $10 on your next purchase
Introductory offers are an excellent way to welcome new visitors to your website. The savings can transform them from browsers to buyers. Offers that are intended for the next purchase encourage repeat orders and customer loyalty as the benefits just keep coming.
Specific Marketing Campaigns: Coupons can be used for a more specific purpose, for instance, to launch a new product or draw attention to a particular product range.
Here are some examples:
- Limited time offers – “This weekend only” Save 10% on all walking boots
- Targeted offers – Buy the newly released smartphone and get a free case
- Seasonal campaigns – 10% off entire order for Christmas, Mother’s Day, Arbour Day, or what have you
- Try This offers – Use coupon code for a free sample of perfume or whatever the new launch is
Coupon codes are a great way to advertise and get people talking. New stuff is awesome but free new stuff is better! These campaigns really depend on timing and getting the buzz going.
Increase the Single Order Value: Coupons can influence the overall order value by offering a discount or bonus when a threshold is reached. Free Shipping can also be offered in the same way. Adding an extra item to qualify for free shipping increases the overall cart value; customers don’t have to pay for delivery (yay – bonus) while you increase your bottom line (double bonus).
Try these:
- Save $10 when you spend $100
- Free shipping when you spend $50 or more
- Multi-layered coupon – The more you spend, the more you save
Sometimes it seems a little counter-intuitive for customers to spend more in order to save. While this doesn’t work for absolutely everyone, it is proven to work on a good amount of your shoppers. The appeal of savings over time or just the refusal to pay for shipping factors into their buying decisions.
Reward Loyalty & Maintain Customer Interest: In a broader sense, coupons can be used to create custom marketing channels to encourage communication and loyalty. There are many ways of reaching out to customers such as using a coupon as a thank you for providing marketing feedback. Other ideas include offering a coupon to reward friends on social media groups such as Facebook or to entice customers to subscribe to newsletters.
Examples include:
- Complete our feedback survey and receive a voucher for 5% off
- Sign up for our newsletter for 10% off your next purchase
- Social media-specific offers – Free gift coupon for Facebook fans only
- Social media contests – Winners get exclusive coupon codes for gifts and more
- Birthday offers – Loyalty members get a specific birthday code sent to them every year
- Exclusive VIP deals – Offer your very elite customers special coupons for the very best deals
Attracting and retaining customers is a constant challenge for all eCommerce businesses so using coupon promotions effectively can help establish a core customer base. It may take some trial and error to determine which coupon offers work best but with a little effort, customers who feel they are valued and are getting a good deal will keep returning and your business will stay ahead of the competition.
Nav-to-Net™ allows you to take advantage of the many ways you can use coupons by managing everything in Microsoft Dynamics NAV Business Central. This saves you time and effort while working alongside your sales and marketing strategies.
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