Gift cards: use them in your next Christmas campaign

They may not be the most original from the recipient's point of view, but it is undeniable that gift cards have many advantages -strong points in general that are even more so from the eCommerce point of view due to strategy-related issues.

 

If you are not yet using this resource in your online store, I think this post will change your perspective on them (and even more in view of the Christmas campaign that you should already be planning).

Get preconceived ideas out of your head. It is true that there are many people who enjoy choosing and giving gifts, but for many others it is a cumbersome or time-consuming process. That is why it is a good idea to sell gift cards as a solution to those needs.

 

Give them, in the customer's eyes, the importance they have. If you see them as residual and treat them as residual, customers will too.

 

This applies year-round, of course, but seasonally this is one of the most gift-giving periods of the year. These cards can and should play a leading role in your communication during these dates.

How much does a pack of 1,000 printed cards take up? Practically nothing. You will not have to allocate room in your warehouse as you would with 1,000 products (however small).

 

And that is counting physical cards, which make some sense for Christmas as they are something physical that we can put in a sock on the mantelpiece. But, if we move  to a digital format (which is still a coupon sent by email), in this case the cost is literally zero.

 

Virtual gift cards mean that we do not  have to pay for printing, storage and shipping.

If there are already a significant number of products returning to your stores, even when the customer buys for himself, the number of orders returning from Christmas gifts made by family and friends is considerably higher.

 

It is simply much easier to get it right when we give a card for a certain value. We get the end customer to make the purchase themselves and therefore eliminate several factors that directly affect returns.

This is really interesting and, undoubtedly, a strategic advantage. Gift cards are perfect for upselling.

 

When the customer finds himself with a balance in his favor to spend in our store, he may value spending some more money  to get a product of a higher category that he liked.

In a way, receiving a gift card from a store we do not  know is still a way of being referred by a third party. It performs a very efficient recruitment because not only is there a social proof component, but we also have a balance to make an initial purchase, overcoming a classic obstacle of eCommerce.

 

As purchase experience is first-hand, the customer can trace the origin of his purchase perfectly and, if it is positive, he will also be inclined to buy from us again or, for example, to follow our blog and subscribe to our newsletter.

 

In short: we can build loyalty and make a recurring buyer who does correspond to our target.

Let's not forget that, behind a person who buys a gift card at Christmas, may be the motivation or the urgency to "get rid of a last minute problem".

 

For this type of profile, gift cards are ideal. These are people who are not going to waste time browsing or reviewing your holiday gift guides, but will buy what they can solve in minutes (especially when deadlines are tight).