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04.12.10
Making Sure That Special Offers Don't Backfire
 By Doug Caverly
Every day, millions of people throw out envelopes and click away from commercials that flaunt the word "free" simply because they know there's a catch. So when businesses make a special offer (whether it relates to free stuff or not), they should be very careful to make sure that there aren't too many obstacles associated with it.
A key aim of many offers is to get people in the figurative door, of course, and from there, businesses expect that they'll buy other stuff or be seduced by services of their own accord. And this strategy can work well, if the offer puts folks in a positive mood.
But the approach can also backfire. Suppose a bank offers people $100 to open a checking account, for example, and then a savvy consumer discovers that he has to maintain a large minimum balance, redirect his automatic deposits, and use a debit card on a regular basis in order to avoid fees. Odds are he'll complain about these hoops whether he goes for the $100 or not.
So if a business is giving something away, managers should be sure to either have plenty on hand or be very clear about the "limited availability" aspect. If a website's involved, it needs to be able to deal with lots of traffic. And employees should be prepped, too, so that they don't get testy whenever someone walks up with a handful of coupons.
Otherwise, businesses risk getting lumped in with junk mail and too-good-to-be-true "as seen on TV" offers, which isn't the sort of reputation many companies seek.
About the Author:
Doug is a staff writer for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest eBusiness news.
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