Gift cards introduction
With TV and radio advertising rates sky high and Internet advertising reaching only a percentage of customers, companies are turning to more focused and targeted marketing programs. Gift cards can be an inexpensive way to generate guaranteed sales, increase foot traffic, and raise brand awareness.
For less than $1 per card, you can set up a gift card system to handle gift certificates, loyalty programs, and even credit for merchandise returns. Customers can determine how much the gift cards are worth and recharge them when they run low. And since most gift cards are shaped like credit cards and feature your company logo, they fit easily inside wallets or purses, keeping your company’s name fresh in the mind of the consumer.
Gift cards are becoming a significant part of the bottom line for some businesses, with the gift card market itself worth over $97 billion in 2010. Particularly sought after during the holiday season, millions of consumers buy some form of gift card, with nearly 60 percent of friends and family reportedly asking for them, according to a recent study by the National Retail Federation. These days, it’s hard to find any consumer-focused industry that doesn’t offer gift cards. They’ve become a staple for coffeehouses, fast food restaurants, retail outlets, auto body shops, and hardware stores alike.
This BuyerZone Gift Cards Buyer’s Guide will walk you through the various types of gift cards you can offer, the pros and cons of a card system, and the pricing involved in getting started.
