Everybody loves discounts. Many people treat haggling as an enjoyable game. Whether it's asking for bulk discounts or last price, online is no different from offline. If they succeed, they feel that they've gotten a good deal.
And you've got a sale.
Chances are you've been doing this on your Messenger sales already, or at the very least have come across people asking for discounts. Don't immediately say no--or even yes--without thinking a little about what you want out of it other than a sale.
A good discounting strategy will help you for more than a one-time sale.
We've got a few suggestions and ideas.
Give Customers Private Coupon Codes
You know what's better than a seller agreeing to tawad? Getting a coupon code just for you. Such a personal touch will be sure to make your customer feel like a VIP.
But make sure that you're giving private codes to reward those who do specific things, such as making repeat orders, or reaching a certain order quantity or amount. Just make sure they're set up to single-use coupons so that they don't end up using it again and again without your knowledge.
In Chatbuddy, it's easy to know when to give these people the coupons. Since order history is accessible in the conversation itself, Chatbuddy knows things like how many times the customer has ordered in the past, how many items is in their "cart", etc.
Use Codes to Get Customers to Do Other Things
Managing an online store is not just about transactional sales. Maybe you have email mailing lists, or send out SMS updates for subscribers. The promise of unlocking a coupon code can encourage people to sign up for newsletters or refer other people. Get creative!
Coupons are Not Just For Cash Discounts
Don't get bogged down by thinking that promotional codes = cash discounts. You can do all of the following promotions with coupon codes:
- Free or discounted shipping
- Buy 1 take 1
- Free samples
- Free full-size items
- Extended warranties and guarantees
- Free digital downloads / instructions / etc
Make Sure Your Promotions Have a Deadline
Don't fall into the trap of making promotions always available. Make sure that your customers know when the deadline is. With a deadline, they’ll feel the urgency to act now before the promotion goes away. Otherwise, they might forget about it.
A faster sale is always a good thing for you too, so any reason for your customers to buy now is always best.
Use Coupons to Drive Sales to Outdated Products
If you're trying to make room for new inventory, or have items that are so last year, it might be time to try to push them out the door. Instead of just lowering the price, think about keeping them the same price but giving a discount. Using promotional codes to get these items off the shelf and into carts can help. These can drive sales of these items faster or even highlight updated or new iterations of these products.
Of course, it can also backfire if your customers end up expecting continuous discounts from you or they might question if the product is good enough. Don't blindly slash prices!
Conclusion
There are many ways the tawad and last price mentality can work to your favor especially now when many people are looking for the best deal they can get. But excessive discounts can definitely cut into your bottom line, so make sure you do them right.
Think about the tips we shared today:
- Give customers private coupon codes so they feel like a VIP.
- Use codes to get customers to do other things like sign up for mailing lists or refer their friends to buy from you.
- Coupons are not just for cash discounts - think about alternative promos like free shipping, free items, extended services, etc.
- Make sure your promotions have a deadline so customers buy immediately.
- Use coupons to drive sales to outdated or last-season products.
Promotional codes can sell products and also build your brand and customer relationships, but it’s important to have the right plan and the right implementation. A sales platform that can help you implement great promotions like Chatbuddy is important, or else you’d have to work everything manually and from the ground up.
Done well, whatever financial hit you take for your promotions will return great value for your business in the future.