You dared to create an online store and manage your stocks. It is now time to pass a new milestone by creating promotions. Here is a little guide to help you with this.
Why create promotions?
There are many reasons why you would like to create promotions.
Yet, one of the most obvious reasons is to be more competitive. Indeed, rare are the sellers who have a monopoly. It can be necessary to promote your products or services to attract customers. In the same vein, promotions can be helpful to secure the loyalty of your customers too. If you plan to create a promotion when your competitors have none, the client looking for the best offer will likely choose your business. Moreover, the more you work on customer loyalty, the more it improves your brand image, which can be a considerable advantage in a competitive market.
Another reason why it is relevant to create promotions is to encourage your clients to make a purchase. This way, you can increase your average basket and business revenues. Lastly, you can also decide to create a promotion because you need to get rid of older stock. You might need some space for new products or collections.
We suggest you take the time to choose a goal before starting your promotion. Is it to get more notoriety or improve your conversion rate?
Some different types of promotion
There are also many different types of promotions. Indeed, it is not because you decided to add a banner with a promotion that you will automatically attract potential customers to your online store. Let’s start with the price reduction category. There are:
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Cross-sales promotions: a coupon is given after the purchase of a product. For example, you sell body products, and a customer decides to buy a moisturizing cream. To invite them to come back to your online store, you could do a cross-sale promotion by offering a discount on a complementary product.
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The special offer is one of the most popular promotions. It is mainly used during Black Friday or any commercial holiday like Christmas or Valentine’s Day. This promotion is quite simple: there is a rebate on a product.
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Bundling and tying offers: it consists of selling many products together at a discounted price (it would cost more if the customer buys them separately). If you take the example from above, a set of three moisturizing creams could cost $100, when they would cost $40 individually.
You can also make promotions related to games. Once again, there are different ways to create them, like a contest, a quiz, a wheel of fortune, and everything your imagination can think of.
Another type of promotion is to give gifts or advantages. Here are a few examples:
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The direct gift: when you give something after a purchase or free shipping.
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The deferred gift: when your clients can accumulate points to get free items, like at Sephora.
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The increased gift: when you offer something more for the same price. For example, you could offer the 750 ml moisturizer cream at the cost of 500 ml.
The last type of promotion we want to talk about is the free sample. Customers often appreciate it. Indeed, they receive a free sample with an order or a free trial on a product or service you offer. For example, if you want to promote your new lip balm, you could provide a small sample with all new orders. It will allow people to discover and test it.
You now have to choose the type of promotion that will work best with your potential customers. However, keep in mind the ROI, the return on investment. You need to choose a promotion that will be financially profitable.
How to advertise your promotions
First, you need to set your goals and choose a target audience. Indeed, you do not need to target the whole world. Also, think about using attractive visuals. It will help you promote your promotions.
If your promotion has a time limit, you need to promote it a few days before. You can send emails to your potential customers with a countdown. Of course, you need to remain original, do not always do the same campaigns, or your clients will get bored.
Furthermore, social media networks are one of the best ways to tell about and sponsor your promotions. You will need the target audiences you set at first.
Do not forget to mention your promotions on your website too. You could add a banner or a countdown. You should also update your online store FAQ in order to inform your customers about the terms and conditions regarding your promotions, like the refunds.
How to create a promo code on WebSelf
To create a promo code, you need to have an online store and choose our eCommerce plan.
Go to the builder, click on the shop manager, and then on the Coupons tab. Choose a code for your promotion, add a description, select the type (percentage, fixed amount, free shipping), enter the discount, the terms, and the time period. It is possible to create many promotions for your WebSelf online store easily. We suggest you create different types of offers to see which ones are the most popular with your customers.
In conclusion, you now have all the information you need to create efficient promotions. Keep in mind that you should avoid using promotions all the time since it could harm your brand image and reputation. Choose specific and relevant events. If you want more tips on managing your online store, take a look at our article about 11 things that prevent you from having sales.