Perhaps the biggest unknown going into a new Daily Deal campaign is the rate at which you will succeed in converting the coupon visitor into a returning customer.  Some evidence suggests this can be the single biggest problem in the viability of Daily Deals.  The fact is, at one level, the goal of the Daily Deal provider is somewhat competitive to your goals.  Akin to a Tour Bus, the Deal provider aims to channel their consumers from deal to deal as frequently as possible.  Conversion rates are critical to the value you derive from any Loss Leader promotion!

The Deal Purchaser List
Most Daily Deal providers do not share the contact information of the consumers who have purchased the voucher. While the name of the consumer may be shared for coupon redemption management, the business will not normally get contact information. Essentially you are “renting their list” as part of the service, and it’s your job to convert their consumers into return visits.

Service First
The single best way to convert a new customer to a return customer is, of course, by giving them a use experience that is top shelf!  Of the limited survey information done on Daily Deal consumers to date, the attitude and demeanor of your delivery team is the single biggest factor. This just makes sense, but it’s often overlooked.  How you approach tipping policies, how you prepare your team for a sudden burst in visit traffic, and how you handle issues such as reservations and supplies are critical.  Simply – communicate well, and be ready for the quantity shifts!

Techniques and Tips
One of the most common and proven digital marketing techniques is to use the consumer visit to gather their email addresses for future marketing purposes.  Increasingly, having a Twitter and/or Facebook account are the most effective means of having consumers “opt in”.   Anecdotal evidence suggests that consumers are more likely to agree to follow you on social media than to share their email address.  Most experience to date suggests that Twitter users tend to click through to an offer more frequently than Facebook users, but Facebook has a lot more users.  It’s free and simple to have accounts on both, use them!

Here are some examples of return visit marketing techniques:

1. Provide a “join our list” card with the check, to gather email addresses.
2. Provide a card for users to take home so you can remember to follow/fan the business.
3. Provide a point-of-purchase display soliciting consumers to follow the business to stay “in the know” on hot deals.
4. Require a consumer to have “Liked” an offer before being eligible to purchase it.
5. Providing extra deal incentive for liking or sharing the business offer.

What has your experience been – are there other techniques you have seen and liked, or that you’ve tried?