Can you believe that Mother’s Day is almost here? This – along with Father’s Day in June – is one of the biggest days in the subscription box year, with many people looking to treat their loved ones to a completely unique experience. Is your business ready?
If you hesitated just now, never fear! Today, we’ll dive into how to maximize your conversion rate for future flash sales and special promotions.
Offer a Discount Code
As a consumer, you know that a coupon is always a good idea. That extra incentive may be all that is needed to push them from maybe to definitely. Even a small discount, like 10% off, can do the trick! Keep in mind that it’s important to specify the coupon amount in the coupon description, so gifters know what they’re getting.
Pro tip: Before setting up your coupon, take a look at how to create and add a coupon to your Marketplace listing in our help docs.
Many gifters want to give an experience to their loved ones, so prepaid subscriptions tend to be popular across holidays. Prepaid subscriptions, in general, have a higher rate of response in sales for a holiday or special occasion. They’re tailor-made for gifting! To learn how to set up prepaid subscriptions, take a look at our help doc.
Additionally, it’s also important to make sure you use the right coupon code! Many Cratejoy sales promotions use site-wide codes. (For example, the coupon code for our 2019 Mother’s Day flash sale is MOMSDAY.) Cratejoy shares these specific codes with affiliates and partners, so be sure to use the right code so your listing can get as much visibility as possible. This practice also makes it much easier for customers to find you in search results – and order your subscription box.
We recommend you always double-check that the coupon is visible on your listing when the sale starts. Setting up a coupon is a two-part process! After you create the coupon and add an activation date, you need to go into the Listing tab of your merchant dashboard and select the correct coupon from the dropdown menu to make sure the coupon shows up on your listing. Without this step, customers will not be able to see your coupon.
Pro tip: To confirm that your coupon is set up for all your subscription options, practice checking out with the coupon as if you were a customer.
Check Your Photos
When was the last time you updated the image slideshow on your Marketplace listing? Think for a minute. Are you sure it was that recently?
A few weeks before a big holiday or flash sale, take some time to evaluate your listing images as neutrally as you can. Swap out your featured image for a new one to catch the eye of repeat Marketplace visitors in search results. You have one chance to impress, so be sure to put your best foot forward by using a bright, high-quality image that shows what comes in your box.
If you have any photos with superimposed captions, we recommend replacing them with photos that don’t have any overlays. Images with superimposed captions come off as less sleek and professional, and for that reason, they don’t convert as well. They also go against our image content guidelines, so you’ll be less likely to be chosen for promotions if you have images with overlays.
Make sure your photos use a dynamic background for any flat lays or product highlights to draw the viewer’s attention. And lastly, double-check your image resolution. Fuzzy or dimly-lit images don’t portray your subscription box in the best light (literally): potential subscribers can’t see products as clearly, so they lose a clear sense of your value proposition.
Pro tip: Images are one of the best investments you can make in your business. For a low, one-time cost of $150, you can get excellent lifestyle product photos from one of Cratejoy’s recommended photographers and feel secure that you’re presenting your box in the best light!
Revise Your Shipping Copy
Cratejoy’s sitewide sales are usually planned around holidays or special occasions like Mother’s Day or Black Friday. So when those occasions roll around, they tend to come with a strict timeline for shipping & delivery! If you participate in a big flash sale, it’s crucial you update your shipping information to be as clear and specific as possible.
Here’s an example. Let’s say Mother’s Day falls on May 12 and your normal shipping date falls on the 15th of the month. Well, that schedule doesn’t work for Mother’s Day shoppers, because their moms won’t be able to receive their gifts in time! The same principle applies to any major holiday or special occasion.
Have a subscriber that didn’t order their box in time to ship for Mother’s Day? Take a look at Cratejoy’s printable gift card for Mother’s Day shoppers.
So if you want to participate in a big flash sale, you need to rewrite your shipping copy to explicitly discuss your delivery plans for that occasion. If shoppers need to order your box by a certain date, state that! Be as direct and detailed as possible, so there’s no confusion for your customer when gift time rolls around.
Even better? If your brand is straightforward and reliable with shipping, you could get a special Cratejoy shipping badge on your listing. This gives your brand a stronger sheen of authenticity and value for future flash sales.
Ready to Sell?
You’ve got this! With these tips and your hard-won business acumen, we know you’ll crush it in the next flash sale. Now go and get those gifters!
