The power of the promo code

Most shoppers love a deal and will hunt down promo codes before completing a purchase and that definitely applies to the travel industry! If you’ve got that little box on your site, you can be sure that your potential guests will try to find an applicable code to put in there.

Promo codes not only help you fill need periods but also strengthen your relationship with your guests by:

• Making them happy (A.C. Nielson Co. found that 95% of consumers like getting coupons or special offers)
• Promo codes or discounts incentivize past guests to come back

Where we can get into trouble with promo codes is when the traveler leaves your site to look for a promo code and they might not come back to complete their reservation. Now, one easy way to avoid this is by having your promo code option early in the booking process, not as a part of their payment screen. Add it to your dates option so they can apply the right discounts right away and continue effortlessly through the reservation.

You can also put time limits on your promo codes to encourage immediate action and remind travelers that these deals aren’t always available.

You should share your promo codes through an email campaign as well as share it on social media. This notion ties directly back into making your guests happy as most people subscribe to emails or follow brands on social media to get exclusive discounts. You could also use two different promo codes for the same discount but share one in your email and one on social to see which audience is more likely to book with a promo code.