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Customer Incentive Programs, Resources

Coupons; Customer Gift Cards and Certificates; Customized Gifts and Programs; Freebies; Legal Rules and Regulations; Multi-Merchant Reward Programs; Sweepstakes Programs; Sweepstakes, Contests, and Promotions Directories 

Multi-Merchant Reward Programs

Your costs and opportunities will vary with these programs, depending on the individual service.

Bizrate
e-centives
Ebates
MemoLink
Milesource.com
MyPoints
S&H Greenpoints
Spree

Customer Gift Cards and Certificates

You can order American Express Gift Cheques in $25, $50, or $100 denominations. The checks can be used like cash at most traditional retail stores, restaurants, and hotels. No electronic versions are offered. The cost for each cheque is face value plus a service charge.

Gift Certificate.com’s SuperCertificates are redeemable with any of the more than 700 merchants in the program. You can purchase electronic or paper certificates as incentives to give your customers. The cost of each certificate is face value plus a service charge.

Hallmark Premiere Choice Award is available in paper or electronic form. Your customers use their rewards to select a gift certificate from a choice of over 400 national retailers. The cost of each award is face value plus a 10% service charge.

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Customized Gifts and Programs

Giveanything.com offers a variety of programs centered around their online gift certificate program. Your customers log onto a customized site to use their certificates at any giveanything.com affiliate site.

At Branders.com you can order items with your logo on them straight from the Website. Provide artwork over the Internet and Branders.com will put it on the premium of your choice. Item choices are numerous - 23 categories. Minimum order for each item varies.

Sweepstakes Programs

SweepstakesBuilder offers sweepstakes through their Online network or advertises your existing sweepstakes. Their services also include consultation, legal, and prize fulfillment. Programs vary widely, with costs beginning mid-$ for a basic sweepstakes advertising package.

The SweepsXpress program, offered by Eprize, is designed for small businesses. You can offer major sweepstakes prizes (trips, jewelry, cars, cash, etc.) from your Website. Winners are chosen from entrants on all participating Websites. You can have a sweepstakes up on your site in just a few minutes by signing up for SweepsXpress from their Website. Sweepstakes promotions run quarterly. Your cost is low-$$$ for each promotion.

Legal Rules and Regulations

Law Research includes advertising law links to government regulations, law firms, and publications, among others.

ADLAW.com is the advertising law Website of the New York-based law firm Hall Dickler Kent Goldstein & Wood. The site contains free legal resource files for marketing and advertising professionals. The firm’s services include legal review of your sweepstakes or other promotional campaign.

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Sweepstakes, Contests, and Promotions Directories

Sweeps Advantage includes a 25-category directory with numerous sweepstakes.

Lists sweepstakes and free offers from around the Web on Webstakes.com.

When I visited the site,  ContestGuide.com included more than 1,000 sweepstakes, contests, and promotions.

Coupons

CouponSurfer offers a free Coupon GiftBasket program where you offer a “basket” of discounts to complementary online services from your Website. Their fee-based programs include co-branded coupon sites, private label coupons, and coupons printed from your site.

H.O.T! Coupons distributes coupons to consumers via their Website. You can choose specific geographies ranging from an area immediately surrounding your retail store to nationwide U.S. distribution. The site develops coupons for both “brick-and-mortar” stores and e-commerce sites. Published rates are high-$ to $$$$ for a six-month program.

Freebies

Look through these sites to get ideas for your giveaways.

All-4-Free
Free-n-Cool
Free Stuff Central
It’s Free 4 U.com
MyFree.com
Prospector – Free Stuff
The Free Site.com
Totally Freebies.com
Totally Free Stuff
Yes-Its-Free.com

These resources were originally developed as companion to the strategic marketing plan development book How Much for Just the Spider? Strategic Website Marketing for Small-budget Businesses. I've updated them as additional appropriate resources come to my attention. In developing these resource lists, I scoured the Web for resources useful to small-budget businesses and entrepreneurs. I looked for sites and services that would help you learn more about Internet Marketing and help you get things done efficiently. My focus is on services that appear to be designed for the needs and time frames of small businesses. Bobette

To the best of my knowledge, resource information was accurate at the time of this writing. Current programs may vary from those reported here. Please let me know if you find any outdated information. Although my intent is to list only upstanding products and services on the site, I cannot personally  make any guarantees. It is wise to check any company out before purchasing, signing any agreement, or making a commitment. Online fraud bureaus and consumer groups are one way to do this. Among them are The Better Business Bureau (and BBBOnline), Fraud Bureau, The Federal Trade Commission, the Internet Crime Complain Center , Complaints.com, and Scambusters. Bobette