All Coupon Sites Are Not Created Equal

In my last post I outlined five positive aspects of “coupon affiliates.” For the sake of argument, I assumed “best practices” were being employed and all coupon sites were adding value. Reality, however, is far from this assumed ideal and so I offer four things that I think merchants would be wise to consider in evaluating how much or little to work with a particular coupon affiliate.

1. Does the coupon site encourage customers to buy online now by creatively using compelling discounts and offers? What demographics are attracted to this site? Do newbies or bargain hunters shop here? How are the coupons presented? How these questions are answered can help you determine the coupon site’s value to your marketing goals. As for coupons, they should be accurate and current. Expired coupons, in my opinion, should be removed immediately. Leaving expired coupons online can suggest that a customer who waits to buy till next month might be rewarded with a better deal or they can suggest a stagnant site.

2. Is customer experience valued more than including SEO keywords? In some cases, merchant brands are abused for purposes of improving rankings on popular search engines. In these cases, content is written for search engines and not customers (examples sometimes include keywords suggesting coupons for merchants that don’t even use coupons). Only people buy things so content should focus on customer needs and improving the user experience. I also believe that search engines are becoming better able to filter out content made for them versus actual content written for human consumption. (Think about this for a minute: search engines can record how long a real visitor is on the site before they hit the back button to do another search. They can and may already factor this data into the relevance algorithm in determining search results placement.)

3. Are investments being made to further enhance the user experience? I think it’s a good sign when you see a coupon site with current content, an attractive design layout, helpful features, and a unique “character” or flavor. These things cost money and take lots of time. They also suggest mutual trust and a track record of service and longevity.

4. Does the coupon site enjoy repeat visits and brand-loyalty by offering anything unique? Many coupon sites have a loyal following and have become brands in their own right due to years of trust and service. Their goal is long-term customer satisfaction and not just a quick sale. A negative I see with some “coupon sites” is what appears to be the goal of merely intercepting sales in progress instead of growing new customers.

In conclusion, unlike people (if I may borrow from the U.S. Declaration of Independence), who are “are created equal . . . [and] endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights,” coupon sites are not created equal and have no rights (but instead are governed by terms and conditions and affiliate agreements). With this in mind, I’m suggesting that merchants can show favoritism and do not have to treat all coupon affiliates equally.

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