How is Your 10% Discount Different from Your Competitor’s 10% Discount?

Gerard Tollefsen - April 8, 2009

In today’s economic times, many companies are promoting discounts to attract and entice customers to buy.  It makes good business sense to come up with creative ways to provide an incentive to customers when they are shopping around.  So what do you do when everyone in your industry is offering the same (or maybe steeper) discounts to attract shoppers?  You need to convey value in the purchase, not just a good percentage discount. 

The old adage, “You get what you pay for” is as relevant today in search engine marketing as it was when first spoken.  Shoppers are inundated with deals offering 10%, 20%, even 50% discounts.  As mentioned in a recent Advertising Age article, you must rise above the commotion of all these “discounts” and position your product or service with true value to the shopper.  Yes, they are getting a discount…but are they getting value with their purchase?  How do you convey this message inside a Pay-per-Click (PPC) campaign?  Get creative in your ad copy and your landing pages.  Promote not just the 10% or 15% discount, but also the value of that discount to your customer.  Target your value proposition across banners ads and text ads and be consistent with your message.  The discount gets their attention but the value they receive is more important and if they recognize the value of the discount you gain an advantage over your competition.

When I first entered the world of marketing, a wise manager once said, “If you gain a customer on price, you will lose a customer on price”.  Given all the price discounts companies are offering today, it would be wise to promote your product or service with that in mind.  Remember to explain and promote the value of your discount, and avoid making the discount itself the prime focus of your marketing campaign.