4 promo code ideas to drive off-season revenue (with examples!)

Ahhh, the off-season. Seen by some operators as a much-needed moment to breathe and by others as dreaded sales months with slow revenue. Either way, bookings start to taper off as travelers eagerly wait for time away from their busy schedules and more favorable weather.

For experience operators who find themselves in the second camp, there’s no doubt the quieter months can present some challenges. Though undoubtingly tough, what if we could turn the off-season into an opportunity instead of only seeing it as a looming threat?

There are many different ways Checkfront can help you stay profitable during the off-season, but one of the easiest ways is by using promo codes (also known as discount codes or coupon codes). If you’re unfamiliar with these, they are a pricing strategy tactic that incentivizes customers to take an action – like sign up for a newsletter – or to act immediately and take advantage of the deal you’re offering.

An added bonus? For customers who may be a little more price-sensitive, weaving promo codes into your discount strategy can improve sales and boost conversions – especially during a season when you may see less.

So let’s start exploring how we can find an upside for the off-season by diving deeper into promo codes: we’ll discover how to set them up, why they entice customers, and give you four coupon code ideas you can put into action today to start driving more revenue and increasing sales.

Why customers love promo codes

Ready for a not-so-controversial statement? People like saving money. The answer as to why lies in something called psychological pricing.

For customers, finding a way to reduce their final bill always feels like a win. When shopping, people consciously or subconsciously assign value to products. That value is tied to a price point – what they’re willing to pay or what they think the product is worth. So when they see something they want, coupled with the opportunity to get it for less than what it normally sells for, it drives them closer to buying it and completing the checkout process.

Using promo codes can influence your customers’ buying behavior by turning a nice-to-have into a must-have. Coupon codes often feel like an unexpected gift to customers. With this delightful surprise, you’ve put the power in the their hands and given them an additional motivation to commit to their purchase. For e-commerce stores and online businesses, this can be a powerful tool for maintaining a steady cash flow even during the slower months.

What are the benefits of using promo codes and discounts?

You may ask yourself, “Is there a big difference between promo codes and discounts?” After all, they do the same thing by giving customers a way to save some money, right? It seems straightforward, but there is a bit behind how they differ.

Benefits of Discounts

We can look at discounts in two ways. On the one hand, discounts are good for reaching new customers, keeping cash coming in during the off-season, and standing out amongst competitors. On the other hand, if used aimlessly or too often, it can shift how customers perceive your brand and the value of your experiences.

There are many popular ways to use discounts. For example, you can offer a group pricing discount. If five or more people book your activity, they receive a 20% discount. Another popular discount is an early bird special. Set these up to encourage bookings outside of peak hours. For instance, book a canoe rental before 10:00 am and get 10% off. These are both examples of how you can set dynamic pricing with Checkfront to drive customers to complete their purchase and reduce shopping cart abandonment.. 

Benefits of Promo codes

Let’s be honest, who doesn’t like gifts? That is what it feels like when using a promo code or discount coupon. As explained above, promo codes give power back to the consumer. It contributes to the positive feeling people associate with your business and brand. It’s well known that acquiring a new customer can cost five times more than retaining an existing one. So do your business a favour, reward your current clients with promo codes, and they will likely become loyal ones.

A little can go a long way when it comes to promo codes. Like discounts, promo codes can fill off-season capacity and increase revenue when they’re part of a well-executed coupon marketing strategy. They can be the deciding factor in whether someone chooses your business over a competitor, especially for first-time customers or during special events like Black Friday or Cyber Monday.

How to use promo codes?

Without a booking system, the work involved in managing promo codes can often outweigh the benefits of using them. Manually keeping track of which codes are in use and which have expired can be a hassle. Luckily, with Checkfron, it’s easy to create and manage your online promo codes. Let’s see how it works.

Give your promotion a name

In Checkfront, navigate to Manage > Discounts and select + New Discount. Then enter a name for the discount, and be sure to use something descriptive so it’s easier to find.

Quick tip: In Checkfront, the customer will also see the name of the promotion on their invoice.

Create the promo code

Enter a unique code consisting of a combination of letters and numbers without spaces, for example “HELLO10”. Your customers will use this code when they book to receive the discount.

Set the discount amount

You can specify whether the discount is a percentage or a fixed amount. Experiment with different percentage discounts to find what works best for your business.

Set the duration of the promotion

Depending on the promotion you want to run, you can set the promo code to never expire or choose a specific date range and specify which day of the week someone can use it. This is perfect for running limited time offers or flash sales to create a sense of urgency. Consider using a countdown timer on your site to further emphasize the time-limited nature of your deals.

Choose which products

With Checkfront, you can choose which products customers can use the promo code on. For example, create and apply a promo code that works only with your boat tours, but not with your kayak rentals.

Keep track of promo codes

No more haphazard sticky notes or Excel spreadsheets – your promo codes appear in a list with columns showing start and end dates, discount value, and whether they are currently active. This makes it easy to manage multiple marketing campaigns and track the success of different discount code ideas.

4 promo code examples that can boost your off-season sales:

We’ve shared why promo codes can generate more off-season bookings while giving your customers something to smile about. Here are some ideas you can use to run promotions and encourage more bookings in your off-season.

1. Get more newsletter sign-ups 

A proven strategy is to offer promo codes in exchange for subscribing to your newsletter. You can tell customers about this opportunity through a pop-up on your website or on your social media pages.

Encourage people to sign up for your newsletter with a 10% off code on their first purchase. Create a simple code like the “HELLO10” mentioned above and set the date range to “Always Valid” so that the promo code is redeemable every time someone signs up. You might choose to offer 25% off and only run the promotion at the beginning of your off-season. Experiment and see what works best to increase off-season sales and grow your email list.

You’ll benefit by getting more bookings and growing your email list of prospects to communicate with. This offer also works if you want your guests or customers to do something else, like leave a review or participate in a referral program.

2. Create buzz by pre-launching new products

The off-season is the perfect time to stretch your creative muscles and come up with new ideas for activities, tours, rental bundles, and more. You may want to create something completely new or simply refresh what you offered last season. When you’re ready to announce your new products, why not reward your existing customers and give them a pre-launch discount code to be the first to try your new experiences?

Set a discount code that runs for a set time, like one month before launch. Apply that promo code only to the newly made product(s) using the checkboxes. When that’s all said and done, email existing customers the announcement with the promo code.

3. Set up a discount day of the week 

Off-season may not be the time of year when travelers are flooding in, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of locals around. Entice them to book by offering a consistent discounted rate. Set up your version of a weekly discount rate to encourage repeat customers to book with you.

Start by naming your discount code; perhaps you want to give it some local flair and reference it to your surrounding area. Turn the “Always Valid” toggle off and set the discount for a chosen date range, then select which day of the week you’d like the discount to be valid. If you have overlapping promo codes, you can filter them by whether or not they are active to stay on top of your current promotions.

4. Show some love to your loyal customers 

Reward loyal customers who have booked in the past with an exclusive promo code redeemable during the off-season. Send them a personalized email with the incentive and include some personal touches like using their first name. A strong relationship can become even more meaningful, and loyalty becomes advocacy.

Choose the date range that fits your off-season. Apply this promo code to your higher value product. This could be a multi-day tour or a more expensive activity. Think about who you’re targeting and how likely they are to book these experiences. This approach can help increase your average order value and strengthen your loyalty program.

Bonus: Set up gift certificate discounts 

If your off-season forces you to close some of the experiences you offer, digital gift cards provide an additional revenue stream during that time. Now with Checkfront, operators can offer gift certificates at discounted rates. For example, sell a $100 Pre-Season Gift Certificate for $85.

Remember, the off-season is when people search for deals, so discounting your gift certificates is the perfect tactic. Lure this audience with all the different gift certificate ideas you can think of. This strategy works especially well during holiday seasons like Christmas or Halloween.

Final Thoughts

Promo codes are awesome tools that help boost sales and profits while building relationships with your clients. Be creative, try different ideas, and play around with the numbers. Finding the balance will satisfy your customer’s love of saving money while making some extra revenue yourself.

With Checkfront you can put all the examples above into practice. To see first hand how easy it is to integrate promo codes into your business, don’t hesitate to book a demo with one of our consultants.