Paul Serra has done a few things; he’s worked as a nurse, and been an alchohol distributor, but his sole focus now is DealFlip; a site which helps businesses choose the best daily deal provider for their daily deal marketing offer.
According to Serra it will save time and money for businesses, because although the entire daily deals category is only a few years old, businesses already have a choice of more than 80 sites in Australia to consider.
“Everyone wants to save money, and I guess deal sites have created that opportunity,” says Serra.
“Some of these sites are taking a 40-50% commission. We’re trying to reduce that for businesses.”
DealFlip allows businesses to post the details of a deal they want to offer. Those details will be then provided to daily deals sites, which can then send back a proposal, removing the need to go through a deal broker.
Serra says DealFlip already has seven deal sites onboard, including Honey and Ginger, Love it Up and My247 Deals.
“It’s been quite easy to get the smaller sites; using relationships we already had.”
Serra’s advice for getting a startup deal right:
- Don’t’ forget the customer service. Whether someone has found you through a promotional offer or is a long time customer, make sure you deliver customer service equally. It’s an obvious rule; however it can sadly be overlooked. Customers can usually tell when they’re being treated differently, especially if they’re a discount buyer.
- Know the ‘ins’ and ‘outs’ of your deal. You and your staff should fully understand the terms and conditions of the deal. Structure the fine print so it’s easy to understand and make sure there’s enough time for customers to redeem their offer. We’ve all heard the horror stories of customers complaining and merchants being in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
- Have the team ready to go. Make sure you have enough resources and staff to manage the sudden influx of customers. Keep in mind that the two peak times will be at the start and end of the promotional period. Being prepared for the deal is vital; you don’t want your customers under serviced or your staff over worked.
- Upsell, upsell then upsell some more! A daily deals campaign should never be used in isolation. Have a system in place where customers are enticed to spend more or given vouchers for future use. Remember, the aim is to convert these discount buyers into loyal customers. This is where the campaign really pays off!
- Measure your success. Make note of how many customers spend over their voucher amount and how much they’re actually spending. Even consider trying to opt-in these discount buyers into a database and record the number that return in the future. Simple exercises like these can determine if you run a campaign again.
- Bigger isn’t always better. With over 80 plus daily deal sites currently operating in Australia, shopping around is a must. Do your research and find the best site that suits your offering and goals for the campaign. Remember the big operators are not always the best fit. Be realistic, your offer might be better suited with a smaller or niche based site.