What Are Digital Coupons and Should I Use Them to Promote My Uniform Store?

When you check out during an online transaction, you might see a box to enter a promo or digital coupon. Entering a special code often helps you save money off your total order or shipping costs. If you’ve ever asked yourself “What are digital coupons, and how can I use them to effectively promote my uniform store?,” read on to learn the answers.

What are Digital Coupons?

Just as they sound, digital coupons are electronic coupons for manufacturers' products that are found online. They are the same as paper coupons, and can be used, purchased and redeemed online and on a case-by-case basis in stores.

Types of Digital Coupons

Some brands call them coupon codes, others call them promo codes. Regardless of the name, they are all the same thing — a digital coupon. Each code has a different value and will typically require the shopper to enter the information at the point of purchase in order for the total to update and reflect the savings.

Coupon codes can be used as part of an integrated marketing strategy to drive consumers to your website in order to redeem a promotion. For example, a print or direct mail advertisement could give consumers a unique coupon code. They can then head to your website in order to redeem the actual offer. This method allows retailers a way to gauge the response of coupons, the effectiveness of their print and/or direct mail campaigns, and further track their marketing efforts.

Should You Use Them to Promote Your Store?

The short answer is yes. But, it’s important to be cautious of how many offers, and the types of offers, you’re going to be putting out there. Additionally, you’ll need to be mindful of, and account for, the redemption rate of these codes so if multiple codes are redeemed at the same time, it won’t affect your business, stock of a certain uniform or bottom line.

Coupons are a great method of advertising. You can promote digital coupons in your brick and mortar location to help drive traffic to your website, or you can allow customers to print them out and present them in stores. Either way these coupons are driving traffic back to your places of business.

Offering digital coupons can also give you a competitive advantage over other uniform retailers. Considering most uniform businesses offer a lot of the same products, uniform retailers are always looking for a way to one up their competition and set their brand apart from other uniform stores. Think of using coupons to reward loyal customers, or to engage those who haven’t shopped with you in quite some time.

Digital Coupon Best Practices

Just as you should with any sale, make sure the offer is not misleading and the fine print is clear. Tell the user when the coupon expires, what it’s good for, what it’s not good for, etc. While expiration dates give the customer a time frame in which to use the coupon, and also create a sense of urgency to encourage shopping sooner than later. Either way, this is a great reputation management strategy so you’re not fielding complaints because you weren’t specific enough with your offer.

Whatever it’s for — free shipping, a percentage off, a set dollar amount, etc. — digital coupons are a great way to give a little and get a lot. Not only do shoppers benefit from these savings, but having a way to track redemption of the codes gives retailers valuable insight into making educated decisions for future marketing strategies.

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