Merchants, do you need a last extra boost for the Holidays?

Do you need to boost your numbers one more time before the holidays and shopping season are over?  One thing most Merchants ignore is one of the most obvious revenue generators available to them.  Gift Cards.

From talking to Merchants and doing consulting work, 1/3 of all online giftcards or gift cards through coupon codes do not get redeemed.  This is easy instant and extra money for you and your company, but the best part is that there is no need for a shipping deadline for the holidays since most retailers use online coupon codes for their online gift cards.

One thing I don’t understand or get though is why a lot of Merchants and online stores that have Affiliate programs don’t actually commission their Affiliates on Gift Cards.

Not only does this cause the Affiliates to try to avoid mentioning you have them, but you are also missing out not only on some of the major coupon and deals sites busiest sections since they are gift cards in the holidays, but you are also missing out on getting the advantage over your competitors who do commission Affiliates on gift cards.

Gift cards are huge sellers for Affiliates and something that many look for during the holidays.  Not only are they easy to convert, but they are awesome to be able to recommend instead of going off of products.  The other thing about commissioning Affiliates on gift cards which I don’t understand why Merchant’s don’t do it is that they are still getting a sale and still getting money.  Why not consider the same as a regular Affiliate sale?

I don’t think any Merchant would loose out more on a Gift Card than a regular sale, the only difference is that the products will be purchased later, but you still get the same amount for the sale.  Now, if you give free shipping or include shipping costs in the cost of the Gift Card, then I could see where there would be an issue, but if you are like most Merchants and 1/3 of your online gift cards are never redeemed, chances are you are going to come out ahead anyways and one thing that I have seen almost every time is that Affiliates can sell the heck out of gift cards.

They work great in newsletters, in gift recommendations, they usually get prime placements on sites since they can be used for anything and convert like crazy, etc….  not to mention they can be purchased even on the same day since there is no shipping.

If you are a Merchant and are looking for a way to get a last boost in sales for the holidays, I highly recommend 1.  letting your Affiliates promote Gift Cards and 2.  Pushing them through your emails and newsletters.  Gift cards are perfect for last minute sales boosts during the holidays and something I highly recommend for the holidays and getting last minute sales boosts.

If you need help setting up your newsletter or want me to review it for Gift Cards, leave a comment here and I’ll be happy to help.