20
Sep
The most effective way to make sure that you are getting the best deal that you can from your use of coupons is to arm yourself with information about smart coupon use. The majority of the information that you’ll get will be from other coupon users who provide you with tips and insights into how to maximize your savings with coupon codes, mobile coupons and other types of coupon deals. However, there is another type of information source that could be even more powerful in providing you with true coupon savings. That source is the source of the coupons themselves.
People who are in the business of creating online coupons and doing eCoupon marketing are relying on inside strategies to get your attention as a consumer. If you know what strategies they are using then you can better understand the process of shopping with their coupons. Getting to know the intimate secrets used by eCoupon marketers will help you to avoid some of the traps that they use to get you to spend more money than you may want to. And learning more about how they operate their marketing campaigns will assist you in finding the best deals for the coupons that you do wish to use.
Arm yourself with this important information by learning about the following 10 inside secrets used by eCoupon marketers:
1. Online coupon codes have a much higher redemption rate than print coupons. People who market eCoupons know that these coupons are likely to be redeemed whereas their print counterparts may not. As a result, they may offer online coupons that have a rapid expiration date whereas their print coupons for the exact same product will have a longer expiration date. Likewise, they may prohibit people from using two coupon codes for the same purchase but would not prohibit the use of an online coupon code along with a print coupon. That’s because they know that most people won’t bother with the print coupon. As a consumer, if you know this then you can use online coupons in conjunction with print coupons from the same manufacturer to get the best deals on the items that you want to buy.
2. Targeted marketing is the most successful way to convince customers to use coupons codes. Businesses that want you to use their coupons will offer to send you coupons that are targeted to your specific interests. Often this is through an opt-in option to receive such deals by email. This is great for you as a consumer because it means that you get access to good deals on items that you actually want. However, it can also be a negative thing because it may mean that you’re enticed to buy items that you don’t need simply because you see a good deal on items that you like. When receiving these targeted online coupon offers you should review them carefully and make sure that the purchase is really something that you want as well as something that you can afford to buy.
3. Online coupons encourage customers to spend more. Studies indicate that a customer who comes to an online store to shop using a coupon code will actually spend more money at the store than just the cost of the product being offered at a discount. Customers may be enticed to buy new products or to return to a store that they don’t need to shop at simply to “get a deal”. Many eCoupon marketers realize that offering a deal is going to get you to spend money that you otherwise would not have spent at their store. However, it’s not a real deal if you’re buying things that you don’t really want. To combat this as a consumer, you’ll want to set a budget for all online shopping and make sure that you only purchase items that fit within that budget. Also, avoid impulse buys by thinking through purchases overnight before clicking that “checkout” button.
4. Regularly offering good online coupons encourages customer loyalty. One secret that eCoupon marketers know is that if they keep putting their brand in front of you with coupons then you’re going to develop loyalty to their brand. They may even offer coupons specifically to people who join a customer loyalty program. There’s nothing wrong with that except that it might discourage you from shopping around which can in turn mean that you aren’t always getting the best deal available. Continue to shop around even if there are brands that you prefer. Luckily most coupon code users seem to be aware of this and do avoid brand loyalty when looking for coupon codes. Be one of those smart people!
5. Good coupon codes make customers feel special. This goes along with the last point in that customers develop a loyalty to the store because coupons, especially targeted coupons, make them feel like they are special to the store. The store wants their business. This goes even deeper in providing emotional satisfaction to the buyer who is using a coupon code from a store that provides this feeling. This can lead consumers to buy items for the emotional high it gives them. Make sure that you’re not making emotional purchases when using coupon codes.
6. It’s harder to attract new customers than to keep existing customers. Businesses spend more money trying to get new customers than to keep their old customers. This means that online coupon codes intended for new customers typically offer higher savings than coupon codes intended for repeat customers. Keep this in mind while shopping by specifically looking for coupons intended for new customers even if you’re shopping at a store that you’ve shopped at in the past. You may still be able to find better deals this way.
7. Online coupons are a great way to offload excess inventory. A business will market its coupons for a variety of different reasons including getting new customers, attracting repeat customers and encouraging people to shop with them during the off season. One important thing businesses try to do is to use coupons to get rid of inventory that they don’t want to keep around anymore. They often offer the greatest deals on this type of inventory since they absolutely have to get rid of it. The trick for the consumer here is to shop for items at the end of their season when coupon codes are likely to offer the most savings.
8. Customers love to get something for free. Businesses know that it’s hard for customers to ignore the opportunity to get something for free. They will often choose to offer a free inexpensive item in order to convince customers to come buy something at their online store. This item may be a small gadget or it may simply be free information (in the form of something like a free ebook). People who market coupons frequently target customers that are likely to make a purchase if they are offered something “free” in exchange. Knowing this, you can look at “free” offers with a wary eye. If you don’t want or need the free item then you should ignore the offer even though it’s tempting to get something for nothing.
9. Reminding customers about coupons may decrease business profits. One thing that businesses have started to realize is that it’s profitable for them to offer coupons but there are drawbacks as well. One drawback comes when a customer is about to pay full price for something and then sees that “enter coupon code” box at the online checkout so they search around for a coupon that they can use to reduce the discount price. Businesses don’t want to give coupon discounts to people who would be willing to pay full price without the coupon. Therefore, some businesses are using different phrasing at checkout such as “enter gift certificate code” to deter people from realizing that they can get a discount at this stage in their shopping. As a consumer, you always want to look for a coupon code before checkout no matter whether or not you’d be willing to pay full price for an item.
10. Smart coupon use increases a business’s profits. A company isn’t going to bother to offer coupons if they are going to lose money by doing so. They implement coupon campaigns that allow them to ultimately increase their revenue. This is something to keep in mind as a consumer. It allows you to keep yourself in check while you’re shopping and to remember that your goal is to get the best deal possible for yourself without getting enticed into anything by a coupon.
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