7 Strategies to Increase Customers Through Discounts

Can discount help to increase or retain customers?

Straightforward answer – absolutely yes! Discount is a psychological strategy that creates a sense of "value for money" in the customer’s mind. Especially Bangladeshi customers are highly attracted to discounts! If someone sees they're getting 10% or 20% off, they don’t want to miss the offer—even if they don’t really need the product or service at that moment! As a result –

• They make quick decisions.
• Buy more than they need and
• Come back again later.
• Loyalty increases among existing customers.
• One’s position in the market becomes stronger.

If planned properly, discount is not just a strategy to increase customers, but also becomes a profitable marketing strategy.

7 strategies to increase customers and sales through discounts

1. Flash sale or limited-time offer

Flash sale means offering attractive discounts for a short period. For example, “20% off if ordered today,” or “25% discount only on a specific day,” or “free delivery if ordered within 1 hour,” etc.

Why flash sales work—

• Flash sales work because they create a sense of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) in the customer's mind.
• It creates the feeling that if they delay making a decision, they will lose the opportunity.
• Sales increase quickly and website traffic also rises.

Tips for running flash sales— 

• Promote using all social media channels and SMS marketing.
• Run flash sales only on selected products, not on all products.
• Add a highlighted timer on the website to show the offer duration.
• Make the payment methods simple and widely accepted.

Example: Before Eid, an online fashion store offers 30% discount on selected products for one day. If it’s a well-known brand, sales can increase fivefold in just 8 hours!

2. First-time buyer discount or discount on the first purchase

Offer a one-time special discount for new customers. For example, “15% off on the first purchase” or “free delivery on the first order,” etc.

Why first-time purchase discounts work—

• It motivates new customers to make a decision and helps grow the customer base.
• It makes it easier for customers to try the brand for the first time.
• Bounce rate decreases and the likelihood of customers returning increases.

Tips for offering first-time buyer discounts—

• Show popup offers on the website.
• Allow customers to get discounts using a first-time coupon code.
• You can ask users to register with their mobile number or email. 

Example: If an e-commerce site offers 20% discount to new users, it becomes possible to acquire new customers every month through this.

3. Give referral discounts

Referral discounts work very well as a strategy to increase customers. Encourage existing customers to refer others. Give discounts to both parties when a referral happens. For example, “Refer and both you and your friend get a 50 Taka discount.”

How referral discounts work— 

• Word-of-mouth or customer-to-customer marketing increases. Your marketing costs decrease.
• Trusted recommendations help increase customers. They build trust because people tend to believe advice from those they know.
• It also works as a strategy to retain existing customers.

Tips for giving referral discounts—

• Make it easy to generate referral links.
• Track referral discounts within the app.
• Give extra gifts or discounts to the top referrer at the end of the month.

Example: An online food delivery app can get 50% new customers in just one month by launching a “Refer and Earn” program.

4. Bulk or combo offer discount

Give discounts when multiple products are purchased together. This is a very popular method. For example, “Buy 3, get 1 free” or “25% discount on combo packs,” etc.

How combo offers work— 

• Sales volume increases because customers are motivated to buy extra products.
• This helps clear inventory faster.
• Customers develop a habit of buying more.
• Profit increases due to volume sales.

Tips for giving combo offers—

• Include high-margin or highly profitable products in the combo.
• Create visually attractive packages.
• Run it as a limited-time offer.

Example: An online grocery shop offers 1 liter of oil free with 20 kg of rice. As a result, rice sales increase 3-4 times within a week.

5. Implement loyalty discounts

You can offer exclusive deals for regular customers. For example, “Get 25% off on the next order after 5 orders” or “Free delivery on the 5th order if you place 4 orders in a week,” etc.

How loyalty discounts work— 

• Long-term relationships are built. The relationship with customers becomes more friendly.
• Client or customer retention rate increases.
• They become advocates for your brand.
• The chances of switching to competitor brands decrease.
• Today’s small discount brings back bigger customers in the future.

Tips for giving loyalty discounts—

• Add loyalty points to purchases.
• Launch VIP offers for premium customers.
• Send personalized offers (via SMS, WhatsApp, etc.).
• লয়াল ক্রেতারা যে অন্যদের থেকে আলাদা সেই অনুভূতি দিন।

Example: A boutique shop gives 20% discount to regular customers on their birthday. Additionally, by sending the offer SMS one day earlier than others, customers feel special and valued. Currently, the fashion brand Aarong is applying this tip. 

6. Offer festival-based or occasion-based discounts

Give special discounts on festivals or special occasions like Eid, Puja, English New Year, Bengali New Year, etc. For example, “26% discount on 26th March!”

How festival or occasion-based discounts work—

• During festivals or special occasions, customers have a buying mindset that matches their increased demand.
• On special days, customers’ buying mindset increases.
• A positive brand image is created. You can stay ahead of competitors.
• Your product secures a place in customers’ festival shopping budget.

Tips for giving festival- or event-based discounts—

• Run promotions at least 7 days before the festival or special day.
• Post attractive festival-related content on email and social media.
• Attract customers’ attention using different slogans, such as “Dream Fulfillment Discount for Eid Joy!”

Example: An e-commerce site offers a 20% discount 10 days before Eid. Within one week, they achieve 40% of their annual sales target.

7. Discount offers for a limited number of customers

Discounts can be given to only a limited number of customers. For example, the first 100 customers will get a 20% discount.

How limited-customer discounts work— 

• FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) creates a sense of competition among customers.
• A sense of urgency to shop increases among customers.
• Through this, you actually create an event or occasion.

Tips for giving discounts to a limited number of customers— 

• If you have a website, show a separate countdown or counter there.
• This creates a sense of urgency for the customers.
• Try to collect reviews from those who received the discount and publish them.

Example: A popular gadget site offers a 30% discount to the first 50 customers in a flash deal. It turns out the entire stock gets sold out within 1 hour!

Discount doesn’t always mean loss! Turn discounts into a business strategy.

Many hesitate to offer discounts fearing it will reduce profit. But the reality is, if you calculate correctly and keep your goals clear, discounts can be a profitable strategy to increase customers.

Easily track discounts using the HishabPati app

Many people get confused with calculations when giving discounts, especially small business owners. But by using an accounting app, you can very easily:

• You will be able to see how much discount was given on each product.
• At the end of the month, you will be able to understand how much profit or loss the discounts have caused.
• You will be able to automatically track inventory and sales.

Remember, a discount strategy is only successful when it stays within proper calculations. Discount is a simple marketing strategy that, when applied correctly, can increase customers, retain them, and boost sales. Timely discounts add value to your brand. But it must never be without planning and calculation! So create your customer growth strategy today with accurate calculations, target audience analysis, and the use of digital tools!

Demo - View this & start your journey with HishabPati in three simple steps!

• Step 1: Sign up on HishabPati 

First, go to the HishabPati website and create an account for your business. Or, to make managing your business easier, download and install the ‘HishabPati’ app for free today.

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Then complete the registration. The registration process in HishabPati is very easy and completely free!

• Step 2: Set up your company 

After signing up, first set up your business profile by providing the necessary information as the owner. Then, set up essential business aspects such as inventory, units, purchases and sales, outstanding balances, invoices, and transactions. After that, start updating daily transactions.

• Step 3: Enjoy the various features of HishabPati 

Once you start managing your business accounts with HishabPati, make sure to utilize the necessary and unique features, such as invoicing, barcode scanning, units, and expense management. To understand how to use HishabPati and its features in detail, watch demo videos in Bengali on YouTube. 

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