85% of consumers in the USA only use coupons when shopping, and it is quite a broad audience. People used to clip the coupons from the news magazines ( like clippers) and papers, but trust us, this method is getting outdated and hardly accepted by Millenials and younger generations. In this technology world, one of the best ways to make money from your place is to help others save time or money. With a daily deal or coupon site, you can do both. However, the Internet is littered with daily deal sites; if you can find your niche and provide an excellent service, you can do well. If you’re ready to make money by helping others save money, here’s how to get started with a daily deal and coupon site.
Decide what you want to offer.
Coupon sites are sites that offer different kinds of coupons, whereas daily deals offer deals for a product or service. Both types of sites allow you to use affiliate or aggregator sources and pay a percentage. You can create a site that offers both coupons and deal as well.
Plan Your Website
So once you decided which kind of offer you provide, you have to start thinking about your website planning. Your main goal is to create a website that is easy for your visitors to use. That includes a clean layout and clear navigation.
- Buy Your Domain Name and Web Hosting – Do not think to save your few bucks by using a free web hosting and not having a domain name. It looks very unprofessional, and such domain or free hosting has limitations that can block your success. For less than $100/year, you can buy a domain name and host from well know providers like Godaddy or Hostgrator
- Build Your Website – Consider purchasing a customizable template to make your job easier. For example, if you want to create your website using WordPress, get a theme related to a coupon or daily deal website. Remember, your goal is to create an easy to use website that makes money, so avoid too many attractive features that can distract your visitor or slow your website down. Don’t forget to add policies and a privacy statement for both customers and businesses. And be sure your website is responsive as more and more people are using their smartphones and tablets to seek deals.
Market Your Website / Platform
There’s no business without marketing. Just because you offer free coupons and deals doesn’t mean they’ll find you, especially since there are a lot of other coupons and deal sites online. Search engines can help, but don’t expect them to do all the heavy lifting. Develop an online marketing plan to reach your target market. Use social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to share your deals. Don’t forget to consider off-line marketing strategies as well.
