Is Your Business Ready for a Gift Card Program?

Do You Know Your Customer Base?

It's important to know:

• Who your customers are
• Their ages
• Whether they're male or female
• What they like
• How they shop.

A study from Service Objects tells us that businesses that really understand their customers can make their marketing and sales a lot better—by as much as 60% better! It turns out that when you make sure your products and services fit what different customers want, you can really boost how often they buy from you.

In simple terms, getting to know your customers can not only help you sell more gift cards but also make your marketing more personal and effective.

Does Your Checkout System Work with Gift Cards?

Having a checkout system (POS system) that works well with gift cards is key. Your POS system is super important for handling gift card sales smoothly, from when they're bought to when they're used.

eCard Systems says there are over 125 POS brands ready to help out with gift cards, helping more than 90,000 small businesses. And Clover found that shops with compatible POS systems see gift card sales go a lot faster, which is great when things get busy.

Making sure your POS system can handle gift cards is a smart business move that makes everything run smoother for your customers and your team.

Ready for More Customers?

Gift cards can bring a lot more people to your shop. You need to be ready for this to keep up with customer service and keep things running well.

A report by SilkCards says that shops with gift cards see up to 35% more customers. This is because of both people using their gift cards and their friends hearing about your shop.

Being ready for more customers means you can make the most out of your gift card program and keep providing great service to new and regular customers.

Got a Plan to Market Your Gift Cards?

Having a good marketing plan is super important for your gift card program.

Popupsmart shows us that shops with a solid plan for promoting their gift cards can see up to 50% more sales, especially during the holidays or special promotions.

According to Xoxoday, using online marketing like SEO, social media, and emails about your gift cards can increase your sales by 70%.

This means having a strong marketing plan is a must. It helps get the word out about your gift cards and makes sure they catch the eye of both new and existing customers.

Will Your Team Know How to Sell and Manage Gift Cards?

Training your team properly is really important for a successful gift card program.

A study by MyCardMarket shows that when staff are trained to talk about gift cards, sales can go up by 25%. Using real-life practice and teaching them all about gift cards can also make your customer service 40% better.

Teaching your team about how to sell and manage gift cards can make a big difference. When they know what they're doing, they're more likely to sell more gift cards and make your customers happy.

Conclusion

Getting your team ready and having a way to keep track of your gift card sales are big steps towards starting a successful gift card program. These steps are important for making sure your customers are happy, your sales are good, and everything is working well.

References

• Service Objects. (n.d.). Understanding Your Customers: The Important Role of Demographics. Retrieved from https://www.serviceobjects.com/blog/understanding-your-customers-the-important-role-of-demographics/
• eCard Systems. (n.d.). Supported Point of Sale (POS) Systems for Gift Cards. Retrieved from https://ecardsystems.com/pos-systems/
• SilkCards. (n.d.). How Gift Cards Can Increase Traffic to Your Business. Retrieved from https://silkcards.com/blog/learn/how-gift-cards-can-increase-traffic-to-your-business/
• Popupsmart. (n.d.). Gift Card Marketing: 10 Top Strategies for Maximizing ROI. Retrieved from https://popupsmart.com/blog/gift-card-marketing/
• MyCardMarket. (n.d.). How to Train Your Associates to Promote Your Gift Cards. Retrieved from https://mycardmarket.com/how-to-train-your-associates-to-sell-gift-cards/
• Clover. (n.d.). Clover Gift Cards: Custom POS Gift Cards for Business. Retrieved from https://www.clover.com/pos-systems/gift-cards
• Xoxoday. (n.d.). 15 Gift Card Marketing Strategies to Boost Your Growth. Retrieved from https://blog.xoxoday.com/gift/gift-card-marketing-strategies/