With the holiday season quickly approaching, it’s time to prepare for the busy months ahead and strategize how to bring in some additional revenue. Whether you sell goods or services, gift cards are a great, easy way to make more money all year round for a small investment. There are many benefits of gift cards for small business owners in Anchorage, but first, you’ll need a POS system that can process them. Here’s why your merchant service provider can help you improve your cash flow and bring in new customers with a POS gift card system.
Need help selling gift cards this holiday season? Let us help you get started.
The Benefits of Gift Cards for Small Businesses
If you’re looking for a proven method to increase sales and boost profits, gift cards are a no-brainer. More than 70% of gift card recipients spend about 38% more money than the value of their gift cards, and you’re guaranteed profit any time you sell one. Additionally, there’s a high demand for gift card sales. The already successful gift card market is expected to grow by 9.7% in 2021 and will continue to see long-term growth.
While increased profit is a huge reason to invest in a gift card POS system, there are several other benefits:
- New Customers: If you have a loyal customer who already spends money at your store, they may purchase a gift card and give it to someone who had never engaged with your business before. The recipient will have time to shop your collection and see the full range of products you have to offer. If they like what they see, they’ll likely come back for more.
- Brand Awareness: Small business owners need to take every available opportunity to promote their businesses and introduce others to their brand. A well-designed, branded gift card plays the same role as a business card or personalized shopping bag. It gets your logo and brand in front of others.
- Instant Revenue: Even though gift cards aren’t redeemed until a later date, you get money the instant one is purchased. For businesses that struggle with sales, promoting gift cards brings in cash flow that can get you through difficult periods of stagnation.
- Easy Processing: When giving gifts, people want the process to be as easy as possible. Rather than spending too much time trying to find the perfect gift for someone, people can quickly go up to the cash register and purchase a gift card. Additionally, there’s no guesswork involved when purchasing gift cards.
How To Increase Gift Card Sales
Simply having gift cards available for sale is often not enough for you to rake in the full benefits of gift cards. You’ll need to market them effectively and make them easy to find. Always have the cards within view of the cash register, with trendy designs to pull people in. You’ll also want to make it easy for people to find and purchase digital gift cards on your website. Be proactive in your marketing by advertising gift cards on social media, your email campaign, and however else you get the word out about your products.
If you’re not seeing steady sales in gift cards, a promotion can help you get more out the door. If you offer a discount on your gift cards or a buy-one-get-one sale, you’re sure to see an increase in sales and potentially see long-term value as you bring new customers.
Getting Started With a Gift Card POS System
Many POS systems that already accept debit and credit cards are designed to work with credit cards as well. You may need to purchase new software to redeem self-branded gift cards and track these types of purchases. Cornerstone Credit Services is based in Anchorage and can help your small business get set up with the best credit and debit card processions solutions from Clover.
Clover POS systems are designed to make gift card sales easy, with customized sales reports, simplified checkouts, and easy store credit reimbursement. If you already have an existing gift card program, you can easily convert it to Clover. As you set your business up to make the most from gift card sales, we’ll support you every step of the way.
Want to work with a merchant service provider who cares? Contact CCS Payment Solutions.