Knowledge Base

I recently read several articles on eCoupons and online promotions, and thought about my circle of family and friends in Atlanta, GA.  We all love discounts, but no one likes to go through the ciculars arriving in the mail or go through the Sunday newspaper.  It takes too much time or is not timely.  We do use an electronic coupon or promotion when we are at the purchase stage of the buying cycle, though.  And not just the younger generation.  One of my roles at TwinEngines is eCommerce consulting where I help small and mid-market companies increase sales via the Internet sales channel. Online promotions are a great way to increase sales.

For an eCommerce website, there is a trend of more and more people using online promotions and specifically younger people using eCoupons and electronic discounts.  The recession has made coupons cool again, as more consumers use coupons to combat the current economic times.  The social media sites, like Twitter and Facebook, are popular because people can receive the coupons they want to receive.  Just compare receiving a Tweet or a message from your favorite stores or online merchants compared with trying to find last week's mail circular.  Do you even buy the Sunday paper anymore?

When you want to send a promotional discount or eCoupon, whether via the cellphone, an email or through social media sites, consider the fact that your eCoupon can spread very quickly to a greater audience than you first intended.  Consider: You send a eCoupon for a free widget to your Facebook fans, and find out that friends of your fans and friends of friends of your fans are all of sudden placing orders to get the free widget.

Here are some tips on using eCoupons for your eCommerce website:

1. Develop a strategy for using eCoupons and tailor your promotions to motivate customers to make a purchase decision beneficial to your bottom line or future growth. Example are:
   • Daily or weekly Tweet with limited promotion or discount
   • 10% off your order when you join the email program
   • Free shipping for orders over a certain amount
   • A free side dish for the first 1000 customers
2. Be very specific and forthright regarding the terms of the eCoupon or online promotion.
3. Prepare your customer service to be consistent in responding to consumers, and have dedicated resources for all the communication channels your consumers use - including the social media sites. 
4. Make cosnsumers create an account and login to use the eCoupon. 
5. Through the account, associate the promotion to a single shipping address and email address, so you can restrict the usage to one per account, for example.
6. Promote the eCoupons program on your website, explaining terms and offering FAQs to help consumers understand the rules.

TwinEngines' customers with an eBusiness or an eCommerce website use eCoupons and online promotions for the following reasons:

1. Drivie consumer traffic
2. Build loyalty
3. increase sales
4. Attract new customers

It is a continual learning experience on what promotions work best.  The important thing is to (1) measure everything, and (2) listen to your social networks and customers, responding to their desires and needs in a way that makes sense to your business growth plans.