The Most Popular (Easy-to-Implement) Opt-in Offer Used by Online Retailers to Get More Email Subscribers
If you’re like most online retailers, you spend a lot of time and effort building your email campaigns. I hope you are because email works!.Your success in email marketing will depend a lot on the size and quality of your subscribers list.One of the keys to more email subscribers is to give shoppers an opt-in promotional coupon offer they simply can’t refuse.Most shoppers are deal seekers. When was the last time you bought something online without making sure you were getting the best deal? A study by RetailMeNot using Google Consumer Surveys found that 89% of deal seekers said a promotion triggered an online purchase.Here’s a fun fact. Did you know that the word COUPON is derived from the French word “couper” which means “to cut.”?Now you know!So why use coupons as an opt-in offer?
Coupons Make Shoppers Feel Happier and More Relaxed
I stumbled on this study by Claremont Graduate University “that proves that not only are people who get a coupon happier, less stressed and experience less anxiety, but also that getting a coupon—as hard as it is to believe—is physically shown to be more enjoyable than getting a gift.”
Coupons Reduce Shopping Cart Abandonments
The same study by RetailMeNot also show that 78% of cart abandoners have sometimes, frequently or always looked for a promotion before abandoning their cart over the past year, and 68% have sometimes, frequently or always used promotions to return to their abandoned cart and complete their purchase.
Use Coupons to Acquire New Customers
Coupons can also encourage shoppers in becoming first-time buyers. Statistics from VoucherCloud reveal that 57% of shoppers are motivated to complete a first-time purchase when they are able to redeem a coupon.The use of online coupons is increasing not only because shoppers enjoy them but also because every retailer displays a coupon box during checkout.
The First-Time Customer Opt-in Coupon Offer
Offering this type of coupon is going to help your email acquisition efforts and also help boost online sales. Do not target all website visitors. Focus on first time visitors and people who have never bought from your online store.
What Type of Discount Should Your Offer First-Time Customers?
Some experts might tell you to never discount your products. This shouldn’t stop you from giving away coupons. You simply have to be creative. Your coupon doesn’t have to be a discount on a product. It can simply be applied on the whole purchase or offer some sort of additional incentive.For example, your coupon can be:
- Get X% off Your First Purchase
- Get $X off your First Purchase
- Get X% off Your First Order Over $X
- Get Free Shipping On Your First Purchase with No Minimum
- Get a Free Gift with Your First Purchase
When & Where Should You Display the Opt-in Offer?
Personally, I don’t like being interrupted as soon as I visit your online store. Give me some time to get comfortable understand what your shop is all about. I recommend you analyze your website traffic using tools like Google Analytics when deciding when and which pages to display your coupon offer.Things Your Should ConsiderConsider the average time spent on a pageConsider the amount of traffic you get on certain pagesConsider the amount of traffic you get on certain pagesEvaluate bounce rates on specific pagesEvaluate the number of pages browsed by shoppers per visit
My recommendation on where and when to display your coupon opt-in offer
1. Show the coupon on pages that get a lot of traffic from first-time visitors. For example your homepage or blog post.2. Show the coupon only when visitors come from specific traffic sources. For example, do not show it when people come from email campaigns since you already have them on your email list. Display it on traffic coming from Google Organic or Social Media.3. Show the coupon only after a specific amount of time spent on your website. For example, if people spend on average 50 seconds on a page, show it at the 45 second mark.4. Show the coupon on pages that have a high bounce rate. For example, if you notice 80% of people leaving your store when they visit a specific product page, that’s when you would want to display the coupon.5. Show the coupon offer when shoppers have browsed a specific amount of pages. For example, if someone visits 5 pages on average during their visit, why not show it during their 4th page visit. This can potentially help you increase the pages browsed per visit.
REMEMBER THIS
Test everything! These recommendations might not work for you because every online store is different. No two stores are alike. We sell different products, target different customers and drive traffic from different sources. Test, test and test!
Final Words
The next time someone tells you not to offer discount coupons, prove them wrong. Show them your creative ways of acquiring email subscribers without negatively impacting your brand.As mentioned previously, success in email marketing relies a lot on the size and quality of your subscribers list. Constantly test new initiatives and adjust marketing campaigns as needed.
Your Turn
I’m curious to know what type of coupon works best for you for getting more email subscribers to your eCommerce list?Comment below. 