ffering gift cards for your rental or activity business is a great option. It's more popular in the last several years to 'give the gift of experiences', and as a rental operator, you are uniquely positioned to provide this experience.
In your industry, selling gift cards is a great option as people are looking for unique gifts that they can give to their loved ones. People often want a memorable experience over material possessions. The reason these types of gifts are so special is because each experience can’t be compared to another’s experience and those memories last a lifetime.
Choosing to offering gift cards is a win for your bottom line, too! Two exciting things will happen when you sell gift cards:
- You'll get more customers
- You'll earn more revenue
And isn't that the goal to running a successful rental operation? Yes! Let's delve into what type of gift cards you should offer and how to advertise them online to get those sales coming in.
What type of gift cards should I offer?
You can customize the gift options to appeal to all types of gift buyers. Let's explore below.
Dollar amount gift cards. This is likely the most popular option as it will offer the purchaser a choice of how much they want to spend, and give the recipient a nice discount when they make the booking with you. When selecting dollar amounts, create several options that appeal to all wallets. It's best to add in a custom amount option, so it gives the buyer an option to decide their own dollar amount.
Activity specific gift cards. Consider adding gift options that matches (or closely matches) the amount of a certain activity or rental. These are good choices for buyers if they are using the gift as an option for a fundraiser or auction. They can choose the "4 Hour Boat Rental" gift card as an item for giveaway at a local fundraising event. It's also great for past customers who have experienced these activities, and can share the same option as a gift to a friend.
Add-on specific gift cards For more gift card options, choose to add in a few smaller amounts that will go towards the add-ons you offer. Add-ons are a great way to enhance the rental or activity, and offering these as gift card options will increase the likelihood that a renter will choose to add one or more of your offerings.
Create a Combination of Offerings. Of course, offering a combination of all options will ensure that you will appeal to all types of gift givers. BookingCentral's booking platform offers you a gift card feature that will allow you to create gift cards in varying amounts and types, and can be added to your online checkout to sell all year long.
The feature also includes automated emails to the recipient with a unique code and book button for them to use the gift card. In addition, include an expiration date or set to none, so the gift card will never expire. Having this type of flexibility is important.
How do I advertise Gift Cards?
Advertising your gift card options will be key to getting more customers and increasing your bottom line. You'll want to be intentional about how you market gift cards. We'll share a few key ways to get the word out:
- Share on your social media during key holidays.
- Send a marketing email to your past customers with a button to see the gift card options. Past customers will likely be the ones who will buy a gift card from you since they have already experienced the fun that you offer. They will be happy to pass on the fun to their loved ones.
- Include a link to your gift card booking page in a thank you email at the end of a customer's experience. Setup automated thank you email for all customers, and include a direct link to your gift card page for instant purchase. The activity will be fresh in their minds, and this will encourage them to purchase the gift card for their friends and family.
- Include a booking link on your website's home page to buy gift cards. Make it easy for customers that go to your website to buy a gift card. The BookingCentral platform includes a quick link that can be added to a button on your website to buy the gift cards.
- Partner with local schools and businesses and offer one of your gift cards options as a donation to a local fundraiser or auction. The local business or school will be thrilled to showcase your business at their events, and it will be a great way to advertise your business to the community.
Giving the Gift of Experiences is a wonderful way to create memories with loved ones. If you don't yet have gift card options, contact BookingCentral today, and we'll help you set up your options. We offer the most feature-rich booking platform on the market for rental and activity operators. Happy Gift Giving!
