Offering Discounts to Customers: How to Optimize Sales for Creators to Increase Sales

 The last update was on August 4 2022

Making money selling your digital items and services online requires just the same level of preparation and planning for creating the products and services. It requires a compelling and effective marketing strategy as well as a loyal audience as well as a reliable selling platform. What happens if all of that doesn't translate into better sales figures?

The best place to start is by offering discounts to customers.

Everyone loves a sale, with a recent survey finding that 88 percent of American consumers used discount coupons in the year 2020.

What's the best way to successfully promote deals on subscriptions, downloads and online memberships? This is what digital creators have to think about before slashing costs.

Do not offer discount offers before taking into account the fundamentals

Selling on the internet is an excellent option to earn money doing what it is you love to do. However, you mustn't forget what you're selling to make money. Consider the following elements when deciding whether it is appropriate, what, and how to offer discounts to customers.

 What's your profit margin?

It is possible to sell your own items online at a low cost upfront is an advantage being a digital artist. However, you still need the right business strategy to succeed.

Prior to offering discounts to customers you need to calculate:

• Your expenses for business (subscription charges to graphic designing software social media management tools and maintenance, hosting for websites, selling platforms etc. )
• The quantity of money you should aim to achieve

Combining these two numbers provides you with the magic number you need to hit every month. This can help you decide what to charge for your goods and how to apply discounts in line with.

 Who are your customers?

Everybody loves sales, regardless of gender, age or financial status. Yet keeping these factors in mind will help you determine which discount offers you can offer, and the best way to give them.

Making customer personas is great way to do this. Here are some categories to get you thinking about potential customers who are attracted to your product and the best way to provide them with discounts.

• Age
• Gender
• Location
• Profession
• Income
• Family (marital status, children)

What does this information help guide decisions when it comes to promotional activities?

Firstly, if you've established the minimum monthly amount you'll need to spend, estimating your customer's budget can help you zero in the sweet spot for discount that is a value which entices customers but nevertheless makes a profit.

Secondly, solid buyer personas are able to assist you in deciding which items to include in sales bundles or purchase one and get one deals.

 How does your store & schedule look?

Getting your products in front of customer eyes is an accomplishment that is a feat in and of itself. After you've accomplished it, your first impression is crucial: Your storefront should provide the background of your business and your products, along with detailed product descriptions and an easy checkout process. This shows legitimacy, boosts trust among customers, and creates a an impact.

If you've got a variety of products, you'll need determine which items to discount in order for customers to be enticed to buy more. That's where an accurate persona of the customer is a big help: It can help you determine which products can be used as a coupon or offer, and which can be used at full price.

If you are a teacher or coach offering free consultations or trials it is not a good idea to book yourself to gain more customers. The first step is to analyze your current client volume and availability before launching such promotional campaigns.

Which types of discount to provide

Smart sellers know that there's more than a sale to be had when providing discounts to customers. Making the most of special deals means giving the right one in the appropriate time.

Digital downloads (Ebooks, printables, presets, sewing patterns etc. )

 Reduction in percentage

It is the most popular type of sale and those who shop online love it the most. Data from recent surveys show that the 74 percent of online coupon buyers favor a percentage discount over other types of promotions.

 What should you look for

When it comes to products that are less expensive, consumers generally consider a more attractive deal when they compare percentage reductions versus dollar amount discounts, even if discounts are similar. For example, a sale that offers $20 T-shirts for sale at 25% discount will attract greater attention than a sale that offers the same price at $5 off T-shirts.

 How do you use it

• Bring in new customers and increase your mailing list with a 10% discount on their first purchase when they join your newsletter.
• Reward loyal customers with a 20% discount for the future purchase.

 Fixed Amount Discount

A different type of discount offers a fixed amount off the price of the product. As with percentage reductions, messaging is everything.

 What should you look out for

Get the most out of fixed amount discounts when you apply them to expensive items. See how different $50 dollars off a $150 digital poster is as compared to providing the same item at 33% off. Consider applying it to pricier merchandise that hasn't done in the past.

 How to use it

• Give a set amount of discount for purchases that are at least. For example, 30% off on all purchases that exceed $100.
• allow customers to purchase and redeem digital gift vouchers in increments of $10, $20, $50, or more.

 Buy One and Buy One,

BOGO offers are essentially offering two goods at 50% off. There's no reason to wonder why this is the type of discount that is favored for 64% customers throughout the entire spectrum. This kind of offer can be a fantastic way to sell items to other customers and expose your clients to items they might not typically purchase.

 What should we look out for

Make sure you are aware of the products you bundle and consider your customer. Are the possibilities of combining products of different categories greater than the risk of an abandoned cart? Do you want to play your cards safe and offer the same products even though it means giving away an item which may have been bought separately?

 How do you use it

• Send BOGO discounts to your mailing list and offer customers any complimentary item when they purchase an item that is new at the cost full.
• Advertising Buy One, Get One offers through social media. Design a multi-slide reel that includes the various products available for customers to mix and match to get discounts.

 Bundle discounts

Giving multiple items with a reduced price is an excellent way to upsell and increase your AOV (average price per order). Research shows an average of 29% consumers are likely to purchase a product that they never planned to buy if the item is heavily reduced. Brick and mortar shops use this type of sale to swiftly eliminate stagnant stock so that they can make room for fresh items.

 What to look for

If you are a digital artist with an unlimited amount of storage, be sure to make sure to consider your margins when you offer multiple items at a reduced price. Also, remember that with bundle discounts the timing of your offer is crucial A popular strategy is to offer this discount toward the end of the customer journey. If someone decides to purchase something, you can offer the items that are related to it for a discounted price at the time of checkout.

 What is it and how to utilize it

• Add a pop-up window to your checkout webpage that shows a bundle with related products.
• Feature a bundle discount on the product page with free items below or as an additional sidebar.

 Limited time/supplies & seasonal deals

The internet is available 24 hours a day and this reduces the urgency needed to buy when shopping on the internet. Using time-sensitive discount offers or limited-supply offers encourages customers to act immediately. Additionally, you can use holiday or seasonal offers to benefit from more shoppers or to promote items relevant to particular seasons.

 What to watch out for

Plan your discount calendar ahead of the time. This can help you plan your the launch of new products and also your social media content. Also, be careful about timings for sales duration The goal is to make the sales small enough to cause the sense of urgency, yet sufficient to allow for proper promotion as well as customer recognition.

 How do you use it

• Birthday discounts are offered to those who previously purchased with you.
• Offer digital holiday coupons to those on your mailing lists.
• Participate in Cyber Monday with significant discounts.
• Include sales on seasonal products inside your newsletters. If, for instance, you create vegan cookbooks, give discounts to your top soup cookbooks in the first week of the fall season.

 Freebies

Although technically, they are not discounts but they are a great method for retailers to increase the visibility of their brand and bring more customers to their store. This kind of offer works well for online creators as you don't suffer any losses in terms of money.

 What to watch out for

Everybody loves free...but the point of giveaways is to encourage customers to purchase eventually. Be sure to provide designs that show your top work and leave your audience wanting more. If, for instance, you're a fitness trainer You could give your customers a complimentary daily meal program that offers meals only and workout regimens that are targeted to a particular area.

 How to use them

• Offer free downloadable PDF templates throughout your social media platforms.
• Combining less well-known products as freebies for customers who purchase items for all price.
• Advertise free products through your newsletters to customers along with a provide a link to your store's website to increase customers to your store page.

Subscriptions, Memberships and Software

You think that offering discounts to your clients is only for downloads? If you're a teacher, coach, or software developer, you've got plenty of options for advertising memberships in your classes, as well as subscriptions for your software.

 Free trial/Freemium trial

Giving a trial-free of your course material or software can be the perfect way to attract and retain new followers.

 What to watch out for

As with product-based promotions, knowing your market is vital: What do those potential clients searching for? How can you show them just enough of your services or software to convince them to choose paid choices?

 How to use it

• Provide a no-cost version of your software with no features.
• Offer a full version of your program for a specified period of time.
• Offer a trial of workout plans or even courses.
• Make savings by choosing for annual payments vs. monthly.

 Free consultation

Consultations for free are a great opportunity for coaches and service providers to earn the trust of their clients. You can offer a short online meeting via Zoom or via an online messaging system. Customers can describe their specific issues (weight loss, nutrition and parenting concerns) You can then provide an organized plan that is specific to their requirements.

 What to look for

First and foremost, you'll be able to figure out the amount of time in your schedule. Are you planning to reach a local or international audience? There could be differences in time that are a scheduling factor. For both of these reasons make sure you announce the availability of your product (i.e. first 10 respondents) and provide a clear description as the product you're selling and for whom it's appropriate.

 How to use it

• Include a "booking" button on your store page linked to Calendly or another online software for scheduling.
• Free consult offers to your members on your list of subscribers who didn't have previously made a purchase or booked through you.

Free webinar/ Questions and Answers

Live events are an excellent way of getting people talking about your services. While you won't be able to dedicate enough time to each person, this method might be easier than an individual consultation.

 What to look for

Select a topic general to your audience is attracted to and be ready to respond to any questions! Try to give useful information without trying to sell your services but don't get in depth and keep your audience wanting more!

 How do you use it

• Make live events on Facebook and promote it via your account on social media along with your site, email, and.

Which channels for marketing should I employ when offering discount for customers

Even the most well-planned discounts will fall flat if they aren't promoted successfully. Making use of the correct channels for marketing increases the likelihood of your campaigns reaching your target audience and convince people to act.

 Social media

If you've not yet set up a page on social media to promote your business, this is the time to start. This is the primary tool for getting your products or services noticed.

• Making your own Facebook company page can help your business appear more professional, and allows millions of users all over the world to connect with you. Make use of your Facebook page to advertise discounts, and interact with your target audience. Join relevant forums to find out more about your industry and grow awareness of your services. You can also use the platform to create and market live events for free as well as paid advertisements.
• Instagram is the best tool to capture your audience's focus, show off your merchandise or services, and drive customers to your online storefront. In a recent survey, 33% of respondents said they'd used coupon codes found on stores' Instagram pages to buy online. Make posts that feature the sale items and incorporate discounts inside the post's caption. Add your store's URL to your bio for an easy way to take visitors to your website in seconds.

 Email marketing

Emails from marketing are generally regarded as unpopular by customers. Don't completely eliminate your newsletter just yet: A surprising 81% of customers are actually happy to receive emails that contain promotions or sales announcements. Expand your list of email subscribers by offering signup discounts and freebies, then use it to send your customers coupons and draw additional traffic to your website.

 Your website or storefront

For a digital artist, having a dedicated space for your products and services is vital. Make use of social media and email marketing to drive more traffic to your store front and give customers a more in-depth look at your products and inventory. Utilize pop-ups, and other related product windows to promote deals, BOGO discounts and more.

No website? It's not a problem! Join your store's social media account and instantly make your product available to millions of internet-savvy shoppers. Find out how easy it is by clicking here.

In the average, shoppers who use discount codes spend 24% more than those who do not. As a digital creator, it's in your most best interest to discover the most efficient and simple method to offer discounts to your customers.

helps thousands of online creators offer their goods for sale without any upfront investments or site required. Find out more about how simple it is to start right now.