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Newsletter #848: The “Lessons from Daily-Deal Retailers” Issue

[Welcome back to the Damn, I Wish I’d Thought of That! newsletter. This is text of the great issue all of our email subscribers just received. Sign yourself up using the handy form on the right.]

There’s been a recent explosion of weekly, daily, and even hourly deal sites popping up (or “flash-sale retailers” as they’re sometimes called). And in this increasingly competitive market with so many niches, there’s a ton of marketing lessons to take away. A few to get you started:

1. Have a countdown
2. Give them a preview
3. Encourage repeat business
4. Check it out: Love These Pics

1. Have a countdown

A challenge in closing a sale is convincing a customer why they need to do it now, not later. One way to overcome this is through a countdown timer. JackThreads, a members-only retailer focused on men’s clothing, reserves your product for 10 minutes once you add it to your shopping cart. As you browse around, each item in your cart is ticking down. It helps JackThreads keep their limited inventory available to actual buyers — and it also helps them visualize the scarcity of their stuff to potential customers.

The lesson: How could adding timers, inventory counts, or deadlines help your customers make their purchase decision faster?

Learn more: JackThreads

2. Give them a preview

When you’re unveiling something new, a preview can help create anticipation among your fans. The team at Fab uses this strategy to get people excited about their upcoming deals for the week. Every Sunday they send an email highlighting the items and the artists they’ll be featuring, as well as a schedule of when the sales will start. It’s a simple preview that gets their fans thinking about — and talking about — Fab and their deals before they’re even available.

The lesson: You don’t have to wait until launch day to get people talking about the great stuff you’re working on right now.

Learn more: Fab

3. Encourage repeat business

Look for ways to build features into your products and offers that encourage customers to keep coming back. Boutique retailer Rue La La has launched an offer where customers can purchase unlimited monthly shipping for $10. Once purchased, a customer sees how many shipping days they have left with a simple calendar on the Rue La La website, in emails, and in their mobile app. Though they might lose a little on shipping costs, they’ll more than make up for it in repeat sales from customers trying to make the most of the special offer.

The lesson: Good things happen when you create offers that help your best customers save more when they spend more.

Learn more: Internet Retailer

4. Check it out: Love These Pics

Check out Love These Pics for a fantastic tour of some of the biggest and most beautiful photos on the whole wide internet.
Learn more: Love These Pics

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