Everyone loves a bargain. We look for ways in which we can get the most fantastic offer. Wasting money is not an option for most people and even those who have a lot of funds like the feeling of buying something at a lower price. Sales are people’s favorite opportunities, and these days there are even specialized sites dedicated solely to finding the best discounts, like Coupon Codes Me, for example. Besides, the discount offers are so popular at the moment, almost nobody shops online anymore without looking for a discount, promotional code, or a coupon first.
Types of discounted offers
There are a few types of discounts and offers out there at your disposal. Here the most commonly used ones:
- Percentage-based discount – the most popular offers out there. It can include smaller incentive percentages like 5% off; larger rates are sales drivers like 20%, significant percentages are used to liquidate old products.
- Money value discount – it can be positioned as a credit. The example of this type of offer is as follows “Spend $250, get $25 off.”
- Free shipping – Shipping costs are one of the most frequent reasons for shopping cart abandonment. Offering free shipping is a fantastic way to increase sales.
- Free gift – this offer doesn’t need much explanation. It is a classic, pay for 2 get the third item free.
You can expect these offers to come in two forms, either as an automated discount or as a coupon code that you get through the website or via email. Also, please remember that the discounts are usually not possible to combine, so make sure you calculate the best deal out of all of them.
Holiday and seasonal discounts
There are times of the year when you can rely on the discounts being really high. The prime examples here are Black Friday or Cyber Monday as well as Christmas discounts, but the whole year is full of different kinds of holidays that provide an opportunity for the shops to introduce a discount. You can expect a discount on flowers on Valentine’s day or a special offer for chocolate bunnies just before Easter. In some cases, it is best to wait for the right time, especially if you wish to buy a more expensive product, like a TV or a phone. Taking advantage of Black Friday in this instance is the right course of action.
Become a gift card specialist
Here is a trick for the times there aren’t many discounted offers at the table. It turns out; gift cards aren’t just useful as a gift option. Often, you can buy gift cards online for less than their listed value, because people don’t want them and try to get some additional cash instead. You can check out some sites like Cardpool or Gift Card Granny to see if there are any gift cards from brands you look for available. You can also buy them from private individuals on Facebook groups or other large communities. By doing so, you can effectively get a great deal on anything you can buy with a gift card.
Pretend to be a student
Another great way to get an additional discount is to be a student. There are thousands of student’s discounts available. So if you’re currently enrolled in a school, you can hope for discounts on things ranging from software to laptops to office supplies and some more. Of course, technically, you can’t be a student all your life. However, if you have flexible ethics, you can still use your old uni email address or school ID to get the same discounts. It’s not entirely legal, but as long as it works, it works. If you like taking a risk, this option might be for you.
Get to know some simple negotiations tactics
Not all of our shopping gets done online, and when it doesn’t, there is some space for negotiations on the price. Because, if the tag with a discount is not on the product, it doesn’t matter that you can’t get a discount. You would be surprised at how many products you can negotiate for, not just massive deals like houses or cars. With a few simple tactics up your sleeve, you should get lower prices on most hostings you wish to have. The key to success here is to prepare yourself before you enter a shop. Make sure to do your research beforehand and listen carefully to the other party involved in the trade. Chances are you can get a lot of clues on where you can negotiate. If you play it right, you will get a fantastic offer in no time.
Abandon your basket first
If you aren’t in a rush to purchase a specific product, you can take advantage of the online shops. With close to 70% of all potential customers abandoning their shopping baskets, abandoned baskets email offers can be a powerful tactic to use. What you can do is simply put the item in your shopping basket and leave it for a day or two. The shop will detect that you want to buy something but still think if it’s the right decision. And because online shops are highly competitive, they will fight for you. You can expect to get a coupon sent to your email, trying to make you come back and buy the products you wanted anyway. A lot of online stores have used this system in the past, so it’s worth a shot. All you need is a little patience, and you just might get the best deal out there.
Finding the best-discounted offer might seem like a difficult task, but it really isn’t. All you need to do is a tiny bit of research before you decide to buy something. Look through online sites specializing in discounts, then wait for the right time and finally, try some of the additional tactics like negotiation or abandoning your shopping basket. A little bit of patience and you will outsmart the online and traditional retailers. Get the best deals you can, and save some money for other necessary purchases.
