Comments on: Simple coupon codes http://www.alwinhoogerdijk.com/2010/04/03/simple-coupon-codes/ Software Marketing, Adwords, SEO, Email Marketing, A/B Split testing Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:33:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: James http://www.alwinhoogerdijk.com/2010/04/03/simple-coupon-codes/comment-page-1/#comment-4001 James Thu, 21 Apr 2011 09:35:11 +0000 http://www.alwinhoogerdijk.com/?p=1358#comment-4001 How to better name the coupon codes? How to better name the coupon codes?

]]> By: Alwin http://www.alwinhoogerdijk.com/2010/04/03/simple-coupon-codes/comment-page-1/#comment-1793 Alwin Mon, 12 Apr 2010 07:59:49 +0000 http://www.alwinhoogerdijk.com/?p=1358#comment-1793 I am trying the coupon as argument in a couple of places now. But the effect is different indeed. The problem is that the user immediately sees the discounted total price. So it's like that is the regular price. I think it feels more like a discount if you see the regular total first, then enter the coupon and see the total price being reduced. I am trying the coupon as argument in a couple of places now.
But the effect is different indeed. The problem is that the user immediately sees the discounted total price. So it’s like that is the regular price.
I think it feels more like a discount if you see the regular total first, then enter the coupon and see the total price being reduced.

]]> By: Andy Brice http://www.alwinhoogerdijk.com/2010/04/03/simple-coupon-codes/comment-page-1/#comment-1792 Andy Brice Sun, 11 Apr 2010 22:19:10 +0000 http://www.alwinhoogerdijk.com/?p=1358#comment-1792 From my own experience in B2C support I can tell you that there are plenty of people who don't know how to copy and paste. Couldn't you include the coupon as an arg in a hyperlink? Clicking on the hyperlink then fills in the coupon field for them. Or do you think this wouldn't work as well psychologically? From my own experience in B2C support I can tell you that there are plenty of people who don’t know how to copy and paste.

Couldn’t you include the coupon as an arg in a hyperlink? Clicking on the hyperlink then fills in the coupon field for them. Or do you think this wouldn’t work as well psychologically?

]]> By: Alwin http://www.alwinhoogerdijk.com/2010/04/03/simple-coupon-codes/comment-page-1/#comment-1758 Alwin Mon, 05 Apr 2010 14:31:21 +0000 http://www.alwinhoogerdijk.com/?p=1358#comment-1758 Tom, I would definitely use coupons for product that I want to market as premium items. Because using coupons lets you keep your "list prices" high (and thus make your product feel more premium) and still let your customers buy them for lower prices. And making them feel special at the same time :-) I already discussed the "people being turned off by a coupon box" in my previous post about coupons. My solution: I make sure that as many people as possible actually have a coupon. And on top of that, I make it easy to find a coupon if you don't have one. For instance, try clicking the little blue question mark thingy next to the coupon box here: http://www.collectorz.com/shop/ And yes, suggestions for the Collectorz.com website are always very welcome :-) Tom,
I would definitely use coupons for product that I want to market as premium items. Because using coupons lets you keep your “list prices” high (and thus make your product feel more premium) and still let your customers buy them for lower prices. And making them feel special at the same time :-)

I already discussed the “people being turned off by a coupon box” in my previous post about coupons. My solution: I make sure that as many people as possible actually have a coupon. And on top of that, I make it easy to find a coupon if you don’t have one. For instance, try clicking the little blue question mark thingy next to the coupon box here:
http://www.collectorz.com/shop/

And yes, suggestions for the Collectorz.com website are always very welcome :-)

]]> By: Tom http://www.alwinhoogerdijk.com/2010/04/03/simple-coupon-codes/comment-page-1/#comment-1756 Tom Mon, 05 Apr 2010 10:07:05 +0000 http://www.alwinhoogerdijk.com/?p=1358#comment-1756 Yes, that makes sense. So what you want to do is make people give out little bit of effort to get the discount so that they have invested in it. Yet, it must be easy enough for everybody to get it. And it should also be not known that everybody could get the same discount. On the other hand, I guess it all depends on what kind of product you are selling. I mean, if you are aiming to market your product as premium item, would you then use coupons? "Smarter" people might also be turned off by having such coupon thing. Depending on the product, I know I am. Especially if I go to a site which has "insert coupon code here" slot and I don't have a code. Then I get a feeling, I'm getting ripped off at least little bit. Thanks for the link. Good reading. May I suggest little bit of refactoring on the collectorz.com site layout? Yes, that makes sense. So what you want to do is make people give out little bit of effort to get the discount so that they have invested in it. Yet, it must be easy enough for everybody to get it. And it should also be not known that everybody could get the same discount.

On the other hand, I guess it all depends on what kind of product you are selling. I mean, if you are aiming to market your product as premium item, would you then use coupons? “Smarter” people might also be turned off by having such coupon thing. Depending on the product, I know I am. Especially if I go to a site which has “insert coupon code here” slot and I don’t have a code. Then I get a feeling, I’m getting ripped off at least little bit.

Thanks for the link. Good reading. May I suggest little bit of refactoring on the collectorz.com site layout?

]]> By: Alwin http://www.alwinhoogerdijk.com/2010/04/03/simple-coupon-codes/comment-page-1/#comment-1740 Alwin Sun, 04 Apr 2010 13:54:55 +0000 http://www.alwinhoogerdijk.com/?p=1358#comment-1740 Tom, Of course, a coupon code is a "marketing trick". But the coupon discount should not be given out to everyone and certainly not automatically. If you do that, the coupon loses its effect. You see, the effect of a coupon works best if the user who has the coupon feels special. He must feel he is getting a special discount. It doesn't matter if everyone has a coupon (a situation I always try to create). The user doesn't know that. He still thinks he is getting a better deal than the regular price listed on the site (and he is). Of course it would be possible to let our shop identify trial users and give him/her the CLZTRIAL discount automatically. But that would not have the same positive effect on conversion. BTW: did you read my earlier post on discount coupons? http://www.alwinhoogerdijk.com/2009/06/21/discount-coupons-how-to-use-them-effectively/ Tom,
Of course, a coupon code is a “marketing trick”. But the coupon discount should not be given out to everyone and certainly not automatically. If you do that, the coupon loses its effect.

You see, the effect of a coupon works best if the user who has the coupon feels special. He must feel he is getting a special discount.

It doesn’t matter if everyone has a coupon (a situation I always try to create). The user doesn’t know that. He still thinks he is getting a better deal than the regular price listed on the site (and he is).

Of course it would be possible to let our shop identify trial users and give him/her the CLZTRIAL discount automatically. But that would not have the same positive effect on conversion.

BTW: did you read my earlier post on discount coupons?
http://www.alwinhoogerdijk.com/2009/06/21/discount-coupons-how-to-use-them-effectively/

]]> By: Tom http://www.alwinhoogerdijk.com/2010/04/03/simple-coupon-codes/comment-page-1/#comment-1739 Tom Sun, 04 Apr 2010 13:21:13 +0000 http://www.alwinhoogerdijk.com/?p=1358#comment-1739 From what I've seen, coupon codes are used as a marketing trick basically giving out the coupon code for everyone. Coupon codes given to a bigger audience through advertisement quickly spread out the internet and far as I see (which is not far) it loses half of it's idea. It's not targeted anymore but sure some people might feel it's a special change even while it's most likely not. I'm no marketer so can you give me an example where you'd like to give special discount for specific group who are yet not your customers and who you can not identify by other means? Can you get their contact information instead? I guess it boils down to what's your basis for specifying group. By location? By age? From what I’ve seen, coupon codes are used as a marketing trick basically giving out the coupon code for everyone. Coupon codes given to a bigger audience through advertisement quickly spread out the internet and far as I see (which is not far) it loses half of it’s idea. It’s not targeted anymore but sure some people might feel it’s a special change even while it’s most likely not.

I’m no marketer so can you give me an example where you’d like to give special discount for specific group who are yet not your customers and who you can not identify by other means? Can you get their contact information instead?

I guess it boils down to what’s your basis for specifying group. By location? By age?

]]> By: Alwin http://www.alwinhoogerdijk.com/2010/04/03/simple-coupon-codes/comment-page-1/#comment-1731 Alwin Sun, 04 Apr 2010 08:26:19 +0000 http://www.alwinhoogerdijk.com/?p=1358#comment-1731 Tom, can you recommend a better way to give a special discount to specific groups of customers? Tom, can you recommend a better way to give a special discount to specific groups of customers?

]]> By: Tom http://www.alwinhoogerdijk.com/2010/04/03/simple-coupon-codes/comment-page-1/#comment-1730 Tom Sun, 04 Apr 2010 08:17:37 +0000 http://www.alwinhoogerdijk.com/?p=1358#comment-1730 One way to solve this is to get rid off coupon codes. No more copy pasting problem, no more worries that people can't get it right. One way to solve this is to get rid off coupon codes. No more copy pasting problem, no more worries that people can’t get it right.

]]> By: Jared http://www.alwinhoogerdijk.com/2010/04/03/simple-coupon-codes/comment-page-1/#comment-1725 Jared Sun, 04 Apr 2010 05:44:31 +0000 http://www.alwinhoogerdijk.com/?p=1358#comment-1725 Another change you might look in to making is converting your coupon codes to lower case. Text that is lower case has been shown to be easier to read due to the varying heights of the letters. 'CLZTRIAL' at a glance can give the appearance of a rectangle, whereas 'clztrial' shows distinctness between letters like i and l. If I were to recommend one more change, it would be to not use letters that can look like numbers: I = 1, 0 = O, Z = 2, S = 5, B = 8. Users that are typing in the coupon code may be interpreting these uppercase letters as the similar looking numbers. - jared Another change you might look in to making is converting your coupon codes to lower case. Text that is lower case has been shown to be easier to read due to the varying heights of the letters.

‘CLZTRIAL’ at a glance can give the appearance of a rectangle, whereas ‘clztrial’ shows distinctness between letters like i and l.

If I were to recommend one more change, it would be to not use letters that can look like numbers: I = 1, 0 = O, Z = 2, S = 5, B = 8. Users that are typing in the coupon code may be interpreting these uppercase letters as the similar looking numbers.

- jared

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