Online Coupons: Free Publicity for Businesses
Online coupons serve two purposes. The first is to let your clients get a better deal and encourage them to buy more from you . . . after all, they`re saving money! The second purpose is to help new customers find you. Let`s elaborate on that one a bit.
Whether you run your business online or off, you need people to find you in order to buy from you. Advertising can be expensive and while there are plenty of ways to cut costs in publicity, there`s nothing better than free advertising. Coupons give you that edge.
You see, offering discount codes (which is basically all an online coupon is) so that customers can get a discount at your online checkout is something of value. That means blogs and websites dedicated to finding specials and deals will be picking up your codes and letting people know about them, basically giving you free publicity! You`ll be reaching people that you might never have found otherwise and this can be invaluable in itself, since these could become repeat customers.
How to Set Up a Coupon Code
Most shopping cart programs will offer you a very simple way to add coupon codes. In most cases you will just need to invent your code and type it in and then specify how much the discount is.
It`s important to read the directions on your particular shopping cart. For example, I use E-junkie as my shopping cart system and with them, you type in your code (multiple codes are allowed) and then the dollar amount that is saved. In other programs, it might be a percentage or the discounted price, so double check or you could end up giving product away.
Where to Submit Online Coupons
In order to actually get publicity and increased sales, you`ll need to put your coupon code out there. Here are a few places to get started:
RetailMeNot
Coupon Chief
Redeem Coupon
Coupon Paradise
The Mommy Insider
Jump on Deals
Promotion Code
Coupon Hut
Providing coupons for 10% off or a $5 discount is a great way to not only help your customers stick around, but also to encourage new people who browse these coupon sites to come and purchase from you. In today`s economy, small businesses need as much help as they can get.
Leave a Reply