Sure, here’s a more conversational and streamlined version of the article:
Gift certificates are a great way for businesses to keep the cash flowing, especially during tough times like the COVID-19 pandemic. But they’re not just for emergencies – they can boost sales all year round. Here’s how you can start selling gift certificates for your business:
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Decide What You’re Offering: Think about what types of gift certificates you want to sell. They could be for a fixed amount, for specific services, or customizable. Make sure you set any terms and conditions, like expiry dates or what services are included.
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Design Your Certificates: Make sure your gift certificates reflect your brand. You can use design tools like Canva or Adobe Spark, or work with a professional designer. Don’t forget to include all the important details like value, expiry date, terms and conditions, and a unique identifier for tracking.
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Choose How You’ll Sell Them: If you’re selling physical gift certificates, decide if you’ll sell them in-store, online, or both. For digital ones, set up an online sales system. You can use your business website or platforms like Shopify, Square, or WooCommerce.
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Track Your Sales: Set up a system to track your sold and redeemed certificates. This could be a simple spreadsheet or integrated into your POS system. Use unique serial numbers or barcodes to prevent fraud.
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Train Your Team: Make sure your staff knows all about your gift certificates and how to process sales and redemptions. They should also understand the terms and conditions to communicate effectively with customers.
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Promote Your Certificates: Use your website, email lists, and social media to promote your gift certificates. Consider special promotions, like bonus value for a certain amount purchased or seasonal themes.
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Launch Your Program: Announce your gift certificate program to your customers via email, social media, and in-store signage. Keep an eye on sales and get customer feedback to make improvements.
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Manage Your Orders: Have a process for managing both online and in-store purchases. For digital certificates, automate the process as much as possible to deliver certificates promptly via email.
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Keep Adapting: Regularly review your sales performance and make adjustments based on customer preferences and seasonal trends. Update designs and offerings occasionally to keep things fresh and appealing.
If you’re selling physical gift certificates, you can design and print them yourself or use a printing service. Just make sure to include all the essential information. You can also sell online gift certificates, which we’ll cover later.
Gift certificates are different from gift cards. They’re usually redeemable only once and aren’t generally reloadable. They can cover a set amount of money or a specific type of product or service. Gift cards only operate in dollar amounts and can often be used multiple times. This option usually takes more time to get started, but you might consider offering both at some point.
If you’re going to offer gift certificates, you should have a way for recording and tracking which ones are sold and used so you can prevent fraud and knock-offs. The most basic way to do this is through a number system. Each certificate should have a unique number on it so that you can check off when they’re used and make sure there aren’t duplicates. If you have a POS system that works with gift certificates or cards, you might even include a barcode that you can scan to make sure a certificate is original.
Laws surrounding gift cards and certificates can vary from state to state. However, businesses are generally not allowed to refuse to honor a gift card unless the customer violates a term that’s clearly laid out in the terms and conditions of the card, like presenting the card after a clearly marked expiration date. You must also clearly outline any terms and conditions on the card and avoid changing those without the customer’s knowledge.
Selling online gift cards may currently be an especially attractive option for businesses in areas with very restricted foot traffic. However, it can also help companies that operate mainly online in general. If you sell on platforms like Etsy or Shopify, each of those services has their own process for creating and offering gift cards. So go to your shop dashboard to create those. If you have your own store or want to offer gift certificates on another platform, you can offer them as a free download on your site.
Finally, make sure to promote your gift certificates. Use your website, social media, and in-store signage to let customers know they’re available. Offer discounts or promotions to entice customers even more. For example, include a gift certificate with each order over a certain amount. Or offer a two-for-one promotion. Use it to increase the amount that each customer is likely to spend.
