How To Use Timed Promotions
For years brick-and-mortar retailers have used timed promotions (such as 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. sales) to create a sense of urgency and drive traffic to their stores. But given that few consumers are willing to get up at the crack of dawn for a discount, online retailers are in the perfect position to create a sense of urgency without requiring that their customers break with their comfortable, daily routines.
Twenty-four hour, or even 12 hour, online sales can offer shoppers great bargains with the same sense of immediacy. And timed promotions not only allow e-tailers to create revenue spikes, but they also allow them to introduce their brand and products to new customers generated by the sale’s marketing.
In addition to driving traffic, use your timed promotions to advertise upcoming events and products. You want to extend the sense of excitement that your sale produces for as long as possible. Make sure that you have an active promotional calendar in place, and keep in mind that your markdowns don’t have to be extreme to draw interest. Even normal planned promotions, such as 10 to 20% off or “2 for 1” discounts are enough to generate interest.
