September 17th, 2008  

If you are a small business trying to compete in the internet world you need to find the edge. By offering discounts, you can attract loyal customers for the long haul. That is repeat customers giving you their money time and again.

Many webmasters and home business owners have not used a mighty resource they all have at their beck and call. Special offers used properly can result in a considerable boom in your business. Many people think they cannot afford to give away their goods at high discounts, but when they add up the future income it can lead to, they see that low discount or special offer today will reap them rewards tomorrow.  

Many businesses choose to do poorly, and struggle to survive rather than apply such a simple marketing tool. For example, a candy dealer may have a huge order of deluxe chocolates waiting to be bought, but his business has not taken off yet, so traffic to his store is low, and the chocolate has an impending expiration date on it. This business entrepreneur could easily choose to slash prices giving potential clients a deal they cannot refuse, or go the extra mile offering a free amount to anyone who buys a certain truffle.  

You will find that a large percentage of customers who receive free product will return to buy even more at a later date. This is a useful way to make use of potentially wasteful product. Many online businesses need to think in future tense rather than the presence. What will grow their future business may seem like a hindrance today.

Special offers and discounts work wonders in bringing back return clients. However you must make the discount worth your customer抯 time. Many businesses will offer discounts that are not even worth the time it takes to accept it. The whole concept behind discounts is to make it an offer the prospect cannot refuse. Everyone likes to feel like they got a great deal, that they somehow wrangled a great product for way less than it was worth. Why do you think the sales rack is so popular in clothing stores? When someone can get a great sweater for a fraction of the price the buyer is thrilled at their shopping prowess. The same logic applies to online business.

It is important to remember that you do not need to make a profit right away on all your special offers or discounts. Long term is where you will see the growth in your income. Some of the most wildly successful businesses have put special offers and discounts into affect and it has boosted their businesses in the long run. So by thinking in future tense, using peoples desire to get that deal?you can see huge growth in your business in the long run.