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Everyone likes
to get something for free. Whether we're at the grocery
store or we're out at a restaurant, things that we get
for free are fun, exciting, and they make us feel good
about where we are. Using this knowledge, does this mean
that free samples are a good way to promote your
business? Many businesses are giving away things for
free in their promotions and advertising as well as with
shipments of orders. Here's what you need to know.
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Do You Have
Samples to Share?
The trick with offering samples to your customers is
that you need to have a product that is able to be
sampled. If you're selling computers, for example, you
aren't going to be able to give out samples necessarily.
But if you are selling organic lotions, you will be able
to give out samples to those who are interested. Think
first if you can actually give out free samples of your
products before you make any decisions about whether or
not they are going to help.
Enticing Customers to Your Site
The good news is that nearly any business can
incorporate free things and samples into their website –
if they're creative. For example, if you're selling an
eBook as your online business, you can offer a sample
chapter to those who are curious. This will help your
customers to see the value of your manuscript before
they download it. You might also want to create an
advertising campaign based on the idea of something that
you're giving away for free. Or when people sign up for
your mailing list, you can send them something for free
– but then you have their email address and mailing
address to send advertising to.
You will also want to add your website address to the
sample packaging to help encourage visits to your site –
especially when you handing these samples out locally.
Trying it Before You Buy It
Some businesses will allow customers to order a free
sample (though you might want to charge the customer
shipping fees) before they buy anything on their
website. This is a good idea. Not only are you
establishing yourself as a trustworthy seller, but you
are also helping the customer make up their mind. You
can even make sure to limit the samples to only one per
household to help limit the costs, while still allowing
customers a chance to try things out.
If they've already placed an order, you might want to
include a few free samples of other items they haven't
bought yet. Since you're already paying for shipping,
this won't add too much extra cost to you, plus it will
be a fun surprise for the person who receives the order.
Why Samples Aren't a Good Idea
In most cases, free samples are a great way to promote
your online business, but when they are very costly,
this might not be the best way to sell yourself. If you
are selling very expensive items, you might want to
limit your samples to those who have already bought
items, rather than for those who are new customers.
Instead, offer a money back guarantee on your products –
this will help a customer feel as though they are still
entering into a risk free transaction.
Samples help customers see what they are paying for,
though they can add up for the seller. Try out a small
sample campaign to see if you get more customers from
the freebies. If not, try only giving out samples to
those who are buying – word will spread and people may
even start buying from you just to get those rare
samples.
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