- Offer a special discount such as a $50 gift certificate for $45.
- Promote your gift certificates all year round and also use special gift certificates for the holidays to provide solutions to consumers looking for gifts. Offer not only Christmas gift certificates but gift cards for every holiday such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, etc.
- Make it easy for consumers to purchase gift certificates. If you have lines during the holidays, why not offer an express till for gift certificates. Better yet, enable consumers to buy your gift certificates online from the comfort of their home without having to visit your store. Online shopping allows consumers to do their shopping at irregular hours when they have spare time without having to take the time to drive to your store. They can theoretically complete all their shopping without having to drive, find parking and wait in lines.
- Use your website to offer gift cards to consumers abroad or in another State looking for purchase gifts for family or friends who live nearby your store. Often you need to purchase a gift for someone who doesn’t live nearby. If you offer such consumers gift cards they can buy from smaller local stores instead of forcing them to buy from large companies with many branches. These consumers might look for a local store to purchase a gift. To increase the likelihood of these consumers finding your website, make sure that the correct keywords are on your site. For example, if you offer local goods or services to consumers in Greenville, then make sure that you write this on your website. Search engines such as Google cannot find keywords if they do not appear on your website.
- Promote your gift cards in your store. Use our free signs in your store and near the cash register. Often stores don’t even advertise their gift cards until someone specifically requests them. People often reach a stage where they are sick of shopping and are ready to accept any solution that will put an end to their shopping. A gift card is a perfect solution. Advertise your gift certificates in a prominent place in the store so that consumers who have not found the ideal gift in your store will not leave empty-handed.
- If you have a newsletter, then advertise your gift cards in your newsletter throughout the year and before holidays.
- Offer promotional contests with gift certificates as prizes.
- Use gift certificates as bonuses for staff to increase their motivation. This will also enable them to try your products and genuinely recommend them to customers. A motivated team will increase your sales.
- Offer a free gift card with a purchase above a certain amount. In addition to increasing sales, this also increases the likelihood of the consumer revisiting the store. Moreover, most people will spend more than the value of the gift certificate.
- Award customers with gift cards redeemable during periods where sales are low (such as right after the holidays). This will bring consumers into the store to redeem their gift card, often resulting in them spending more than the value of the gift card. It is also a way to show repeat customers that you value their business and to keep them loyal.