When we make changes to client websites, one thing we like to have is metrics. We want to be able to quantify the benefits reaped from our efforts. One of the easiest things to add to your website and the simplest to measure is online coupons. Quite simply, who doesn’t like and use coupons? If you are going to your local pizzeria and they have a coupon, won’t you go to their website and use it? So 2 things happened, you get a visitor to your website that printed a coupon, and you know this was a successful conversion as the coupon is redeemed at your store. (or on an eCommerce site, they entered a coupon code)
Say you are working on an effort to bolster your “likes” on Facebook, coupons are a great way to add fans. You can have an app that makes tabbed content only available to people who have liked your page. People know that once they like your page they will get your news feed every time you post. As such, they are being far more selective than in the past. By giving them something for their loyalty, you are enticing them. As an example I added a coupon to a retail clothing store’s facebook page and within a week, they added 500 new likes. We also gave people the option to receive a coupon via email by signing up for our mailing list both on the website and through facebook. We added over 1100 people to our list!
Coupons are a great way to attract customers and offer an easy way to track how well your promotion did. You don’t need anything fancy, just a simple coupon for people to print out with an expiration date. Of course, you can add barcodes, etc if your business is set up to handle them. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, I am happy to help.
As a small business, I often question myself. Am I doing things right? Could I do things better? I am always looking to improve the way I do things, and each year I feel I get better at the services I provide.
I think that any company that is succeeding in a less then stellar economy is probably practicing Kaizen. If not, they are probably floundering or on their way out.
So the question is, how do you know if your attempts at ‘Kaizen’ are paying off? To me a good way to measure is your word of mouth success. Are your clients or customers recommending you to their friends and their clients?
I have recently had that question answered with a resounding YES. I had a call which was a referral of a referral of a referral of a referral. A mouthful yes, but boy it did a lot to validate the practices I have put in place and spoke volumes how our clients are feeling.
So my question for my readers today is this: Do you feel strongly about the person or company that manages your website? Would you recommend them to clients, friends or family. If not, it is probably time for a change.
