What can you do to make use of coupons and Discounts without Sacrificing profits

Jun 9, 2022

Companies use discounts and coupons because they attract customers and encourage them to buy from them rather than the competitors. But making use of coupons and discounts often or in the wrong way, will eventually reduce profit.

JC Penney used to run what seemed like permanent sales. People loved the feeling that they were getting a great bargain. But because the store had a regular schedule of discounts that customers came to expect it. So when the company switched its tactics and offered limited discounts, shoppers reacted. The company remains far from fully recovering from the saga.

All that to say: using coupons and discounts requires the use of a balance.

If you're a proprietor of a shop You want to draw clients, however you do not need to compromise profits particularly in the long run.

Here are eight methods to use coupons and discounts without sacrificing excessive earnings.

1. Inspire a purchase from customers who are new to you.

When you rethink the purpose of coupons for new customers, you realize that it's an effective lead-generation instrument. The goal of a coupon isn't making only one purchase. The goal is to gain a client and then sell to them again.

So how do you motivate another purchase?

One way is to give the customer a second coupon following they have made a purchase as a thank you for being a new customer. The coupon should be either of a lower amount, or require a higher amount of money to purchase it, such as "spend at least $100 and get 20% off."

Another method to encourage a second purchase is to encourage customers to join to your mailing list, and start emailing and messaging them. With email, you can help the potential customer understand the other services and products you offer and how you can solve their issues, and what you do to bring them joy as well as any other advantages that you can offer. This can all be accomplished without having to offer any discount at all. Be on the lookout for them and they'll be more likely to return to the store.

welcome email series with MailPoet

MailPoet gives you all the tools you need to build a welcome mailer series where you can begin the follow-up with your customers and nurture process.

2. Tiered coupons are better than percents

In the last tip, we discussed the strategy to offer 20% off for spending $100 or more. Take a look at the benefits that such a discount plan can bring to you. What do most people think about? You'll have to spend more money in order to receive the discount.

It is possible to use the same method to provide tiered coupons, but not with percentages. As an example:

  • Spend $40 and receive $10 in return
  • Make $100, and you'll receive $20 in return
  • Spend $250 and get back $50

With this kind of arrangement, notice that the amount the customer receives is a fixed amount, regardless of whether they are spending higher than what is required.

For example, a customer who spends $50 receives $10 back and you earn $40. But if a customer spends 80 dollars the customer will will get their $10 back making you 70 dollars. If their final cost is higher than $80, they can be able to increase it more than $100 to receive the $20 back instead. In either case, you earn more cash.

However, with a flat per cent discount, the margins are the same regardless of the quantity they spend. If you pay $100, and receive 20 percent off, that's 80 dollars. But if they spend $200, the 20% discount now becomes $40.

The flat dollar discount can work better for you as it boosts the size of your order, but does not increase discounts in the same rate.

3. Use a loyalty program

Although loyalty programs might not be ideal for every firm, they're an an excellent way to create lasting revenues. In the end, there are some who love them and keep coming returning to see their rewards rise!

points and rewards at checkout

Also, this gives you something to follow up with them over email, since if they do not buy anything for a few months, you can remind them of how many points they have, and what they are able to buy with points.

4. Create a subscription or membership

Discounts work wonders if you can convert them into regular revenue. If you're able to create a successful subscription model for your company, just about any discount is financially justified.

For example, suppose that you offer a subscription of $19 per month as an option. If you are able to prove that your customers will stay subscribed for at minimum six months in total, that's $114 in recurring revenue. Would you offer a $25 discount coupon if someone joined your membership that generated an average of $114 in income? What about the first month at 99 cents?

To motivate customers to join your subscription, you can give away prizes and even bigger discounts. This is because you'll get cash back on the purchase, and much more. It's the idea of winning customers with a huge rewardand continue to offer value, so that they will stay loyal for a long time.

Another option is to give discounts on membership itself. You could say that anyone who spends over $100 gets 20% off their membership. This is still profitable thanks to future recurring revenues.

5. Use product bundling discounts

If you bundle your products, you compete less on price and more on the convenience you're providing clients. Bundles are more fun, especially if you package they well.

You could offer 20% off the bundle of products that provides an excellent deal to the client and also generates higher profits for you. Why? Your order's average is higher and your shipping and packaging costs are less than if you sold all those items separately.

product bundles of a guitar and amp

6. Incentivize referrals

Word of mouth can be powerful. However, it's not always sufficient to be effective, and it's not happening as often as you might like.

For your most faithful customers, offer them an extra reason to tell them about your business to their acquaintances. You can give them coupons that they could pass out to their friends as well, and should their friends use them to redeem coupons, your customer will also be rewarded.

This is a smart way to coupon as it can bring in a new customer you wouldn't normally have reached. Additionally, you turn your current customers into brand ambassadors.

Coupons can be sent like this by email, postal mail, or text messages. Also, you can link to a landing page with coupons specifically for new customers and ask customers to forward it to their friends.

7. Offer upsells

The best part is that it doesn't feel like you're pressuring them, because you're offering the exact product that they have had already made a decision to purchase and just a little more of it.

There are other options for types of upsells, for example, selling your subscription. If you're offering coupons or discounts, upsells give you a way to make back the lost profits on the identical purchase. If the product you're upselling relates in some manner to what consumers are currently purchasing, it seems like an obvious choice for them as well, and some may be willing to take it up.

8. Give a rationale for your sale

We are right back JC Penney story. They never had a reason for their regular sale rates. Therefore, the customers began to expect , and often demand them.

A way to stay clear of this is to run sales only when there is a reason to do so. You can get creative here. As long as you can justify the sale price and your best customers will take you up and not expect that they will come back in the future.

Coupons and discounts used such a way increases loyalty and attracts new customers however it does not tie you in with any longer-term plans for discounts.

Reasons for a sale can be found just about anyplace:

  • The celebration of a local sports team taking home a trophy
  • We thank our customers for X number of year of operation
  • A lot of inventory needs to be cleared
  • Festive Season
  • New customer discount
  • Planning to donate a portion of profits to charity
  • Utilizing a story in the news which you can connect to your own business

Coupons and discounts that are smart boost long-term profits

Each of these strategies serves all have the same aim -- to thread the needle in the direction of attracting new customers without offering too much money or leading to price-conscious customers.

The things you need are loyal customers, repeat buyers as well as recurring revenues. Utilizing coupons and discount offers to generate either or all of them are usually the best choice.

Make sure to leave a message in the comments section if are able to suggest any additional ideas!