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On the face of it, deals websites like Citydeals, Groupon and Boardsdeals etc offer businesses a great opportunity to generate more custom through promoting out of this world special offers.
However, for those advertising on deals websites the real challenge is how to maximise the return on investment in using this promotional tool.
Here are five tips on how to maximise your return from website deals and how to reduce the potential for your offer being a high investment, loss making exercise.
1. Plan in advance
In selecting the deal you want to offer, consider what you want to achieve. Of course increased business is the obvious goal. Are you covering your costs? What is the potential to cross sell and up sell? Are you geared up for the wave of increased traffic? What are you going to do to generate repeat business?
2. Educate and inform your staff
You may understand that every coupon carrying customer has the potential to spend more and return for more, but do your staff? Involve them in your plans. Inform them of what you want to achieve with the deal and educate them as to the importance of their role in making the deal work.
3. Treat the customer like royalty
This may seem obvious but without the highest levels of service quality you are fighting a losing battle to generate sustained repeat business.
4. Cross sell and up sell
With the customer through the door, this is your opportunity to generate more income through suggesting that dessert, day spa, facial etc as an add on to their deal. A word of warning though. Too much selling pressure will lead to a bad customer experience and loss of repeat business.
5. Incentivise repeat business
Don't let the customer leave without enticing them back. Provide them with another offer. It doesn't have to be to the same level as their initial deal. A simple gesture can suffice – a free bottle of wine, manicure etc.
Finally, it is important to remember that If you consider every interaction with your customers as a step in building a relationship with them rather than simply executing a transaction you will give yourself the best chance of generating repeat business, loyalty and referrals.
Have you advertised on a deals website? How would you rate it as a marketing and business development tool? Please share.
To hear my piece on this topic on The Colm Hayes Show on RTE 2FM click the audio button at the top of this post.