Today, let’s step into our own shoes as an online shopper. Think about the last time you purchased a product similar to the one you have. Then tell us if you bought both the products from the same store. There’s a high chance that your answer is no.
With the increasing number of online stores, it doesn’t come as a surprise that consumers are becoming more willing to experiment. They don’t just want to give newer brands a chance, but also their products despite having followed one brand for years.
Now considering that even 12-15% of loyal consumers represent 55-70% of sales, that’s a big loss for a brand.
That’s where, undeniably, comes in the one strategy that is known to increase Shopify sales. But at the same time, it also boosts customer loyalty.
Offers.
Here are 10 different ways to use offers to win the shopper’s heart and generate more sales.
Ways to increase Shopify sales with offers
1. Give out first-time and welcome discounts
Most shoppers don’t make a purchase on their first visit to a store. They’re not sure about the brand and the quality of the products, or if they are worth the value. Sweeten the deal for them and make a lasting first impression with a welcome offer or a first-purchase discount.
You can also use this opportunity to nudge them to subscribe to your newsletters. It’s always a good idea to establish a channel of communication before the shopper leaves the site.
2. Offer weekly/monthly discounts
What’s the one thing you look forward to on Amazon? Their lightning deals. While the eCommerce giant has big discounts to offer on a daily basis to keep their shoppers coming back for more, you sure can start with weekly/monthly discounts.
Identify popular products or product ranges and offer a discount on them periodically. When the shoppers see their interests are being noticed, you’ll have them coming back every time.
3. Recover abandoned carts with discounts
The average rate of cart abandonment is hovering at a whopping 70% today. Considering the options a typical shopper has, this doesn’t come across as a surprise. But an abandoned cart doesn’t mean a lost sale; in fact, it means you have an interested shopper who needs a little push to make the purchase.
Make a special offer to recover abandoned carts. Offer an additional, time-sensitive discount or free shipping. But remember to send them the offer in less than 24 hours of the abandonment. You don’t want to lose their interest!
4. Turn actions into incentives
No amount of data on the shopper is ever enough. But 90% of your consumers expect a personalized experience with the brand. To kill two birds with one stone, why not offer discounts to shoppers for completing tasks that benefit your marketing strategy?
Be it liking or following you on social media, sharing their purchase with friends on WhatsApp or simply completing their profile on your store, offer discounts for every effort they make. Make them feel their efforts are acknowledged.
5. Holiday and seasonal offers
We all know of the BFCM – Black Friday Cyber Monday offers. But why restrict yourself to only those days when the whole year is sprinkled with small celebrations that include online shopping, more often than not?
Based on your target market and who your customers are, identify the holidays and seasons they acknowledge. Join in their celebrations and preparations by offering them a custom discount on products relevant to those days. You taking note of these little things will have shoppers come back for more.
6. Make an email subscription offer
So many of your online shoppers are skeptical about sharing their email addresses. The reason – they’re afraid of being spammed with irrelevant promotions. Pretty understandable, right?
That’s where maybe you could make them an offer they cannot say no to. Offer them a special discount in turn of their email address – super simple and straightforward.
And if you want to make things interesting, instill a little gamification as Ikonick did. Instead of the conventional popup, the store used a game of lucky draw to let shoppers win their discounts. Seeing what they get on an interaction like that, makes them more willing to subscribe for the newsletter too!
7. Reward referrals with discounts
92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family. But what do the friends and family get for making those recommendations – from the business side. More often than not, absolutely nothing.
If you want to keep these customers encouraged to actively promote your brand, keep them motivated. The best way to do so is to offer them a discount for successfully bringing you a referred customer.
You could also further sweeten the deal for your existing and new customers by offering them both special discounts. You got to do what it takes to keep the chain of word-of-mouth promotion going!
8. Exit intent discount
Oh yes, no matter how well-priced your products are or what sales you’re running, online shoppers always want more. They’re more than willing to stall the purchase by a few days only to bag a better deal.
But as we all know, once the shopper leaves the site, there’s a high chance they don’t come back. That’s where an exit-intent discount comes into play. Grab the leaving shopper’s attention with a discount they can’t say no to.
Take it as your last sales pitch to them and nail it with the right popup copy.
9. Celebrate customer milestones with offers
Has a shopper been your customer for a few months or for a year? Time to celebrate your friendship and make sure the relationship lasts for many more years.
You’re already recording when a shopper signs up on your store or when they make the first purchase. Use that data to identify every customer’s milestones and automate a marketing campaign that reaches out to them. Thank them for their continual support and offer them a sweet discount as a gift, that will surely make them feel worthy.
10. Set up minimal purchase discounts
This tactic is usually used for upselling to encourage shoppers to add more products to the cart and increase their average order size.
Think about the last time you walked into Zara. Now think about the time you stepped into their store when all the products were on massive discounts. Your second visit will obviously have you bagging more products.
Similarly, telling the shopper that they can avail a free discount on a said cart value and above, you can engage them on the store a little longer. It will also help you get other products discovered as the shopper moves across ranges to find something that helps them reach the minimum order value.
Should you use offers to boost customer loyalty?
Absolutely.
Offers are not just easy and quick to implement, but also easy to track. They help brands boost their conversions, sales, revenue and most importantly, customer loyalty. And that’s what your store needs to grow in this competitive market – customers who can vouch for them!
How do you use offers on your Shopify store?
What’s the one hack you use to get the most sales when you offer a discount? We’d love to hear all about it!
