Limited time offers are one of the best ways to get the hesitant and reluctant consumers to take action. It is a great option for any business that wants to capitalize on the average person’s desire to be included in something exclusive. Limitations on offers ensure the feeling of immediacy and trigger the fear of missing out. But immediacy itself is not enough to get consumers to act on an offer. There actually has to be some meat to that offer. Here are a few ways to make sure that you offer something your audience actually wants and will act on:
Make it About the Experience.
Did you know that almost 80% of all millennials said that they prefer to spend their money on an experience, rather than on a product? Trying something new is better than simply buying something new in today’s marketplace. Even if you are actually selling a product, you want your offer to sell the idea of an experience. Instead of focusing on the product itself, focus on all of the new things a person will be able to do with that product. If this deal is rare, make sure to emphasize that. If it is never going to happen again, make sure that is the highlight of the offer.
Make it Clear Just How Limited the Offer Is.
Sure, you might say that the deal is only for a limited time, but if the consumer sees it every single time they click on your website, they probably are not going to take it seriously and will just check it out the next time they stop by, if at all. If, instead, you make it extremely clear how much longer they have to act on this offer, your customers are more likely to take it seriously. “Act Now” isn’t going to be as effective as “Ends Tonight at Midnight.” The immediacy of the second option is much, much higher than the first option. The offer seems much more urgent, even if they technically end at the same time. Giving no sense of urgency ensures that they will not think about nor feel compelled to act on what you are offering.
Make Sure That The Benefits Are Clear.
A sense of urgency is not enough. If the buyer does not immediately understand what the benefits of buying now are, they probably are not going to care very much about whatever sense of urgency the language of the offer provides. Instead, tell them exactly what the benefits of acting on this offer are. Do they get a significant discount? Free shipping? A bonus item? What makes it worth their time to pay attention to this offer, instead of just buying the item at full price once the offer ends? Showing discounts is a great way to do this, by first highlighting the original price and then showing the new price.
Keep it Simple and Keep it Short.
The two most important elements of your offer are its benefits and its deadline. It is of paramount importance that those two things are made as clear as possible as quickly as possible, as those are the two things that are going to convince someone to click on and take advantage of the offer. Don’t try to come up with a fancy or unique name for the offer, especially if it obscures the straight facts of that offer. Don’t clutter up the offer with too many details, either. Those can be presented later, after the consumer has already clicked and decided to make a purchase. Don’t use so many numbers that it will be difficult to figure out what they are being offered. Keep the verbiage and the design simple.
Stay Honest.
Don’t mislead your consumers. If your offer promises 20% off the entire store, but once they actually start putting things in their cart, they realize that the discount is only for one small section of the store, they’re going to abandon the cart and they probably won’t come back. If you put a line next to a product that says that there only five left, but there are always only five left, no matter how many times the consumer returns to look at that page, you’re going to start to look disingenuous. Don’t lie about the nature of the offer, either. If this isn’t the best offer you’re ever going to provide, don’t claim that it is.
Limited time offers are a great way to get people to jump and make a purchase, especially if they have been reluctant before. These tips will help you craft an offer that gets people not just interested, but actually buying.
Limited time offers are one of the best ways to get the hesitant and reluctant consumers to take action. It is a great option for any business that wants to capitalize on the average person’s desire to be included in something exclusive. Limitations on offers ensure the feeling of immediacy and trigger the fear of missing out. But immediacy itself is not enough to get consumers to act on an offer. There actually has to be some meat to that offer. Here are a few ways to make sure that you offer something your audience actually wants and will act on:
Make it About the Experience.
Did you know that almost 80% of all millennials said that they prefer to spend their money on an experience, rather than on a product? Trying something new is better than simply buying something new in today’s marketplace. Even if you are actually selling a product, you want your offer to sell the idea of an experience. Instead of focusing on the product itself, focus on all of the new things a person will be able to do with that product. If this deal is rare, make sure to emphasize that. If it is never going to happen again, make sure that is the highlight of the offer.
Make it Clear Just How Limited the Offer Is.
Sure, you might say that the deal is only for a limited time, but if the consumer sees it every single time they click on your website, they probably are not going to take it seriously and will just check it out the next time they stop by, if at all. If, instead, you make it extremely clear how much longer they have to act on this offer, your customers are more likely to take it seriously. “Act Now” isn’t going to be as effective as “Ends Tonight at Midnight.” The immediacy of the second option is much, much higher than the first option. The offer seems much more urgent, even if they technically end at the same time. Giving no sense of urgency ensures that they will not think about nor feel compelled to act on what you are offering.
Make Sure That The Benefits Are Clear.
A sense of urgency is not enough. If the buyer does not immediately understand what the benefits of buying now are, they probably are not going to care very much about whatever sense of urgency the language of the offer provides. Instead, tell them exactly what the benefits of acting on this offer are. Do they get a significant discount? Free shipping? A bonus item? What makes it worth their time to pay attention to this offer, instead of just buying the item at full price once the offer ends? Showing discounts is a great way to do this, by first highlighting the original price and then showing the new price.
Keep it Simple and Keep it Short.
The two most important elements of your offer are its benefits and its deadline. It is of paramount importance that those two things are made as clear as possible as quickly as possible, as those are the two things that are going to convince someone to click on and take advantage of the offer. Don’t try to come up with a fancy or unique name for the offer, especially if it obscures the straight facts of that offer. Don’t clutter up the offer with too many details, either. Those can be presented later, after the consumer has already clicked and decided to make a purchase. Don’t use so many numbers that it will be difficult to figure out what they are being offered. Keep the verbiage and the design simple.
Stay Honest.
Don’t mislead your consumers. If your offer promises 20% off the entire store, but once they actually start putting things in their cart, they realize that the discount is only for one small section of the store, they’re going to abandon the cart and they probably won’t come back. If you put a line next to a product that says that there only five left, but there are always only five left, no matter how many times the consumer returns to look at that page, you’re going to start to look disingenuous. Don’t lie about the nature of the offer, either. If this isn’t the best offer you’re ever going to provide, don’t claim that it is.
Limited time offers are a great way to get people to jump and make a purchase, especially if they have been reluctant before. These tips will help you craft an offer that gets people not just interested, but actually buying.
Published on March 14, 2016
About the Author: Tatyana Mournier
