Selling digital gift cards is a smart move for brick-and-mortar businesses looking to expand into the online market and secure immediate cash flow. By setting up a simple online store and sharing the URL with customers, businesses can offer digital gift cards that can be purchased and paid for online, then received via email. This allows for easy tracking and management of gift cards in platforms like Shopify, where customers can redeem them for products available for online purchase, local delivery, or pickup.
### Why Create Gift Cards for Your Business
Gift cards offer a range of benefits for both merchants and customers. They can boost cash flow without the need for physical products, attract new customers through existing customer referrals, and serve as a flexible tool for promotions and deals. Digital gift cards also provide easy fulfillment and redemption, enhance sales and customer relationships, and are preferred by many consumers over traditional discounts or coupons.
Before setting up your online store, ensure you have a logo and brand photos ready. If not, you can source royalty-free stock photos to represent your brand effectively.
### How to Create Gift Cards for Your Business
There are two main ways to create digital gift cards for your Shopify store: through the native Shopify app or using a third-party gift card app from the Shopify App Store. The process involves setting up gift card features, creating gift card products, inputting relevant information like title, description, denominations, and media, and making the gift cards available for purchase on selected sales channels.
Third-party apps like Rise.ai Gift Cards & Loyalty, GiftKart, ShopKeeper Gift Cards, Gift Card Factory, Gift Card Pro, and Govalo offer additional features and customization options for creating and selling gift cards.
### Managing Gift Card Sales on Shopify
Gift card sales are reported differently from regular product sales on Shopify. The platform provides reports to track gift card sales, outstanding balances, and customer information related to gift card purchases. By utilizing these reports, businesses can effectively manage and track their gift card sales and redemptions.
### Tips for Using Gift Cards to Drive Sales and Customer Loyalty
To maximize the benefits of gift cards, businesses can create custom gift card images, offer discounts on gift card purchases, sell gift cards on other sites using Shopify’s Buy Button channel, incorporate gift cards into loyalty programs, collaborate with other brands, take a seasonal approach to gift card promotions, include discounts when redeeming gift cards, offer gift cards in response to complaints, and run social media contests with gift card prizes.
### Conclusion
Digital gift cards are a cost-effective way for businesses to boost sales, customer loyalty, and brand awareness. By leveraging the features and tools available on platforms like Shopify, businesses can create, sell, and manage gift cards efficiently. With the right strategies in place, gift cards can serve as valuable tools for driving sales, engaging customers, and building brand loyalty.
