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Introducing Instagift Mailing Rewards

Do you want to grow your email list? Are you looking for a better, quicker way to reward your most loyal customers? Instagift is proud to announce that our newest feature, Mailing List Rewards, can help you do just that.

  Having an extensive email list is the goal of any large or small business. However, when it comes to email marketing, it is quality over quantity that matters most. In other words, it is better to have the email addresses of 100 good customers than 500 filler emails any day. Instagift Mailing List Rewards allow your business to connect with valuable customers who are already actively seeking your business online. The process is simple. Customers are invited to subscribe to your email list and are sent a beautiful email containing a free gift card in return. As for your business...congratulations! You just added another quality email address to your next marketing campaign. Instagift Mailing Rewards are straightforward, easy to set up, and most definitely beat begging customers to sign up for your newsletter at the bottom of their receipt.

Each and every email address on your mailing list is a valuable asset to your business. Grow this asset with Instagift Mailing List Rewards.

If you would like to learn more about using Instagift for your primary gift card and rewards system, visit instagift.com and sign up for a free demo.

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Announcing InstaGift Comps

Almost every small business sends out free gift certificates and gift cards to their customers. It’s not uncommon for a business to be solicited several times per week (or more) for gift card comps. These solicitations come from charities, school organizations, and groups that want to work in-kind. Additionally, businesses use comps in a variety of ways, including giveaways that soothe unhappy customers or prizes for social media contests.

For most small businesses that we talk to, sending out comps is a messy, time-consuming affair. Many comps go untracked, and involve manual labor that is outside the normal flow of the business workday. When we ask a business how many comps they have sent out in the last year, answers range from "quite a few" to "a lot".  Rarely can a business tell us exactly how many comps they have sent, or to whom.

That’s why we’re excited to introduce InstaGift Comps, which makes issuing comps as easy as sending an email. Here's how InstaGift Comps works:

Login to the InstaGift Comps dashboard and specify one or more recipients, a comp amount, and a personal message.

Press send.

Whether you're sending an e-gift card to a single person, or sending one out to 100 people, all it takes is a few clicks. The recipient receives a beautiful email with easy redemption instructions. Comps can be printed, or redeemed on a smartphone. With our tracking tools, you’ll be able to see whether or not the recipient claimed the comp right inside your dashboard.

Best of all, unlike highly-regulated gift cards, when you send a comp through InstaGift you are free to add reasonable restrictions. These include things like expiration dates and specific usage restrictions (valid Monday - Thursday only).

If you would like to learn more about InstaGift Comps, visit instagift.com and signup for a free demo.

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InstaGift Through the Storm

By Jordyn, InstaGift Content Management

Polar Vortex. Snowmageddon. The Snowpocalypse. Whatever you want to call it, it hit Alabama last week. And it hit us hard.

Tuesday, January 28th started out like any other day at the office. There were flurries, but the forecast only said it would be a “light dusting” in Birmingham, so no one thought twice about going to work or school that day. But by 10:30 am, it was clear that something was amiss.

The phones rang, and the email notifications beeped. School was canceled. Workers were quickly realizing they needed to go home. And everyone went out on the roads at once, the now very treacherous roads.

To understand the next part, you have to remember that we are in Alabama. Where 2 inches of snow is rare and where 2 inches of snow with no warning is even more dangerous and deadly than it is rare. In fact, the last time there was a missed forecast of this magnitude was back in 1992. 

Within 2 hours, the roads were impassable. Abandoned cars were everywhere with people deciding to walk the last few miles to their destination or to the closest source of heat and shelter. Other hopefuls remained in their car for hours on end just to move a mile.

  Although I fishtailed home, Nate walked 4 miles uphill in the ice to get home, and Greg totaled his car (sorry, Greg), we were some of the lucky ones. All of us got home safely and our kids weren't one of the several thousand that spent the night in their schools.

The winter storm nightmare continued for close to three days, but eventually the ice thawed and life got back to normal. Normal with a slightly elevated fear of driving in the snow, that is. 

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Recent press in the Birmingham Business Journal

Instagift to expand due to rapid business growth

Yann Ranaivo Reporter- Birmingham Business Journal

Rapid growth in the number of new merchants has prompted Instagift to acquire additional space and make plans to double its staff next year.

I met with Instagift's director of business development Greg Wingo this week to discuss some of the latest deals the Birmingham-based digital gift card developer is offering. We also spoke about the firm's future growth plans.

"We're getting new merchants every day," Wingo said, adding that the firm has close to 100 local merchants and more than 5,000 national merchants.

Wingo said the firm earlier this year acquired additional space in its home at the Innovation Depot, a business incubator in downtown Birmingham that houses approximately 90 early stage companies. He said Instagift will likely move into the additional space during the first or second quarter of 2014. The expansion, he said, will double Instagift's space.

Wingo said Instagift also has plans to double its staff of seven next year.

Instagift has satellite offices in New Jersey and Boston. Wingo said the addition of more satellite offices in the future will depend on their merchant activity.

Operating from the Depot for about a year and a half, Instagift specializes in the development of digital gift cards that the firm sells through merchants that want the gift cards to be exclusively used on their merchandise. The gift cards, which can be directly accessed from a smartphone or tablet or printed out on paper, are emailed to the recipients, cutting the need to mail or hand deliver the items.

In response to this past Cyber Monday, Instagift is offering a deal that allows its gift card buyers to earn rewards. Wingo said the deal, in part, aims to help the firm's eating and drinking establishments bolster their digital gift card transactions.

"We had so many clients, particularly restaurants, where the only the thing they had online was gift cards," he said.

Wingo said Instagift expects to keep pace with the growth in smartphone technology and online services.

"If a merchant isn't with us now, they will be eventually," he said. "2014, it's going to be a banner year for us."

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3 Reasons Why Virtual Gift Cards are the Perfect Gift This Holiday Season

By Jordyn, InstaGift Content Management

1. You can complete your shopping list from the comfort of your home

Believe it or not, you can actually enjoy the holidays this year. No long lines, no elbows to the face, and no packed parking lots. Just pour a hot cup of coffee, whip out the laptop, and have yourself a merry little Christmas.

2. Need a last minute gift? No problem!

We’ve all been there. It’s December 23rd and you’ve yet to find the perfect gift for Aunt Marge. The shops are closing down and you’re losing all hope. But then you remember...Aunt Marge loves to eat! You go online to buy a gift card to her favorite restaurant, set it to send to her via email on December 25th, and alas the shopping list is done. The townspeople cheer and all is right in the world.

3. They fit EVERYONE on your list

From your niece and nephew, to your best friend and neighbor, a gift card can be enjoyed by all. Not only are they always the right size and color, but they allow the person to get exactly what they want. There is no forced smile or thank you. Just genuine appreciation for the gift-giving hero you are. We wish we could say the same about Aunt Marge and her affinity for gifting handmade sweaters.

If virtual gift cards aren't available for your favorite local merchant, let us know! We love to help local businesses around the country become better at e-commerce.

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Give Locals the Power to Purchase Your Products Online!

By Darlene, InstaGift Support Specialist

I visit a local farmers market every weekend. It's a great way to connect with farmers, vendors and merchants in the area. Unfortunately, most farmers markets will be ending for the season.  This means I won’t be able to purchase some of the items I've grown fond of throughout the summer months.  Aware of this, many of the vendors have been providing shoppers with their website address to purchase must-have items over the winter season.

Because of this, I recently visited one vendor's site to purchase a few items. I received a wonderful email back from the business owner. She thanked me for supporting local businesses. Not only did I get the items I wanted - online and fast - I felt really good about her note and supporting a local business.

This interaction hit me like a ton of bricks! It made me think of a very valuable lesson that can be tied into what we do here at InstaGift:

Locals love to support businesses in their community. But, sometimes even locals need a "not so local" alternative for their gift card purchases; especially when they are in a time crunch! One of the first places they will turn is to the merchant’s website for results.   Merchants: Don't miss out on this opportunity! Have items, such as virtual gift cards, available for purchase at a click of a button on your website. Customers will visit your site and make a purchase. Like me, they’ll feel happy supporting a local business, instead of purchasing a gift card from a site like Amazon or iTunes. 

Customers: On the run and need a gift fast? Don’t forget to check your favorite local business’s website for online gift card buying. If they don’t have such an alternative available, send them our way! Nothing is far more rewarding for us than to provide the tools necessary for local businesses to extend their products online. It’s a win-win for the business and their customers alike!

If your business is ready to give locals the power to purchase gift cards online,  contact [email protected] to get started! 

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Entrepreneur Spotlight Awards

It's always exciting to be recognized for any accomplishments. It was recently announced that we are the fortunate recipients of the Birmingham Business Journal's Entrepreneur Spotlight Awards. There are some really cool companies on this list, many whom we call good friends. Here's the article and list of recipients: 

http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/news/2013/09/13/bbj-names-entrepreneur-spotlight-winners.html

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Embracing Change: Upgrading Your Gift Card Program

By Darlene, InstaGift Support Specialist

Autumn is almost here. It's a time when leaves begin to change color in many parts of the United States. I find that it's a nice reminder that change is a good thing. Especially when it comes to business procedures and protocols.

Managing a business requires you to make many decisions on a daily basis. Some decisions are far easier than others. An easy decision for a restaurant, for example, would be creating today’s specials based on local, seasonal ingredients. For a retailer, deciding to put a slow moving product on sale for the week can also be an easy decision.  Deciding to upgrade or change protocol for business procedures, such as selling gift cards, can seem daunting. However, this type of decision is equally important.

The processes you choose for selling and accepting gift cards can greatly increase (or decrease) your bottom line. 

Take a moment and think about your current process for your gift card sales. 

Do you sell them? 

What is involved in your process?

Is there room for improvement?

Like most businesses, you may sell gift cards or certificates in-house. Some may even be paper certificates in which your staff must hand write the denomination and get a manager to approve before making the sale. Or perhaps you sell plastic gift cards in-house and online. Chances are, you and your staff are spending more time prepping the gift certificates and cards for re-sale, rather than using that time for promotion; thus greatly decreasing your bottom line. 

Like many restaurants and retailers, you think, “Well, that’s just the way gift card sales go. Besides, gift cards are integrated into our POS. We can’t change the process.” 

Change is hard. Oftentimes, the status quo is comfortable and familiar. You are not alone in this thinking. 

However, change is good. Despite what you may think about gift card transactions, the future of your gift card sales is not through your POS. In fact, technology is evolving, allowing you to make different and better choices; it will continue to do so.

Our eCommerce solutions give merchants the ability to sell gift cards online so customers can print or email them as gifts instantly. This means you don’t have to lift a finger and can spend more time on other tasks, like marketing! 

Businesses are also joining the green revolution,  restaurants are providing customers with farm to table experiences and many retailers are using recyclable products to reduce waste. If this sounds like your business, then you can also opt to redeem online gift cards right from a customer’s smart phone. No paper gift certificates means less in-office paperwork and leads to a reduction in your carbon footprint. Win, win. 

In order to keep up with customer demands and to increase productivity, it’s important to embrace change.  If that doesn't convince you, then how about this fact:

Making subtle enhancements to your gift card process will lead to a decrease in the time it takes to sell gift cards and an increase in your overall sales. 

Ready to learn more about how we can help you enhance your gift card program? Send an email to [email protected]. We can help!

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Stamping Out Loyalty Cards

By Greg, InstaGift Business Development

The other day, I took my young son to get ice cream at the local ice cream shop. The ritual of picking him up from school and rewarding him with this treat is one that is both enjoyable and frequent. So frequent that we are generally acknowledged with a smile from the young salesperson only afforded to those deemed "regulars". As I was paying for our ice cream I began another ritual as frequent as visiting this store, the search for my loyalty punch card.

We all have merchants that we love giving our business. We are loyal to them. In return, many merchants give us a small, wallet-sized punch card that often yields a FREE SANDWICH or $5 OFF YOUR NEXT PURCHASE after our tenth visit or something similar. If you're like me, you find yourself holding on to many of these little cards. In my case, they are stuffed in my wallet, the console of my car and on the dresser in my bedroom. Though the punch cards in my wallet get used often, the ones in my car and at home are rarely top of my mind until I see them and realize I missed an opportunity to use one on a recent purchase.

On the flip side, the merchant gets very little out of punch cards. Though they do drive loyal customers to take advantage of the FREE offer, they are full of flaws. Most cards have no information about the customer; no name, e-mail, date of use, etc. This makes it impossible for the merchant to track who used it, how frequently it was used or how to contact the customer. Some merchants offer a plastic rewards card to track this info at POS, but this still requires the customer to hold onto the card for use. Loyalty punch cards also cost money to make. They require staffing someone to track when they come in and how many FREE SANDWICHES are given away. The list goes on and on.

So what's the solution? Well, like instant gift cards, we think a merchant's loyalty rewards program should live in a mobile world. The ability for a customer to keep all their loyalty punch cards and rewards on their smart phone allows for greater ease of use. Instead of a customer having to keep up with all the paper cards and remember when a freebie is due, a mobile rewards card simply lives in your phone and sends the reward when appropriate. Merchants can track who is using the reward and how often, allowing for better optimization of their rewards program. Easier use for customers means a greater return for merchants. It's a win-win!

In the coming months, InstaGift will be increasing the loyalty rewards options for our merchants and their customers. Feel free to reach out to us to find out more about how your business can strengthen the loyalty of your customers.

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The Best Money a Business will ever make

Most small and medium sized businesses offer gift certificates or gift cards, but very few give customers the ability to purchase one on their website available for instant electronic delivery. Unfortunately, they are missing out on a lot of sales for one very simple reason... gift cards are impulse purchases. When a consumer needs a gift card, it's because they are looking for a last minute gift. They don't have time to get in the car and drive to a merchant and pick up a gift card. They definitely don't have time to wait a week for one to be delivered by mail.  

Gift card revenue is the best money a business will ever make. It's the only time that a consumer hands over money for a product that may or may not get used at some point in the future. During the time period between when a gift card is purchased and redeemed, the result is an interest free loan to the business. Best of all, around 20% of gift cards are never redeemed. If a business is located in a state that allows them to keep unclaimed money (around two thirds of states are escheat friendly, meaning you don't have to turn over unclaimed gift card revenue to the state), they can count breakage as revenue after several years. This can be a very significant income stream for small and large businesses alike. 

All businesses should do everything they can to get as much gift card revenue as possible, which includes allowing for virtual gift card sales. Every day consumers visit the websites of the local businesses they love looking to purchase gift cards, and end up buying Amazon credit instead because its instantly available and they're in a time crunch. 

At InstaGift, we specialize in making it extremely easy for a business to start selling instant gift cards. We build beautiful ecommerce pages that can be plugged into any existing website for quick virtual gift card functionality. Our virtual gift cards can store value, are easy to redeem when presented by a customer, and work well with any POS system. We offer both electronic gift cards, redeemable on a mobile phone, or printed gift cards. 

If your business is ready to start accepting more of the best money you'll ever make, get started with InstaGift today! Just contact [email protected]. 

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How to Infuse Great Customer Service Into Your Restaurant

By Darlene, InstaGift Support Specialist

Customer service for your restaurant begins the moment a user lands on your web site, as Jordyn explained last week. It then continues on until the customer has dined at your venue; leaving happy, satisfied and with a full stomach. It’s what I like to call a “warm in their belly” moment. All of their senses and emotions have been equally fulfilled. 

That’s exactly how you want your customers to feel when they are done doing business with you.

Great service will almost always get you repeat customers. Better yet, those happy diners may even tell their friends about your restaurant. Ultimate win!  

Over the years, I've learned a few tips and tricks that will make your job with customer service that much better - I won’t say easier, because let’s face it - some issues aren't easy. But, every issue is worth addressing and learning from too.

Listen. I've read many articles that say listening is a skill that must be practiced and requires your full attention.  It’s true. Be sure you take the time to listen to your customers’ questions, problems or concerns. Whether you've heard the same issue or question 1000 times before – it doesn't matter. The customer will recognize that you are being attentive to their needs and be happy that you gave them the time and attention they so deserve. Also, you might learn something new!

Plan your response.  In today’s fast moving world, we tend to respond faster to a situation than we really should. Maybe it is because we want to move on to the next task; more likely it’s because nobody likes confrontation. We just want to get past the issue, resolve it for the customer and move on. In reality, it’s best to take a few extra minutes (not hours, definitely not days) to determine the best resolution and response to a problem a customer is having.

This tip especially comes in handy when a customer just laid what felt like a smack down. Stepping away to collect your thoughts and cool down is not only smart, it’s necessary. Once you've had time to assess and understand what the customer has explained, decide how you want to respond.

Finally, offer resolution and stick to it! There isn't much more to add here, resolve the issue and then stand by it. Your customers will respect you and your business for the better.

We manage many of the incoming purchasing support inquiries for our merchant stores. By following the tips above, we come away feeling good about our customer service, as do, our customers and their diners. 

Need some help? Get started with your own virtual gift card store and we’ll take the purchasing support off of your hands! Contact us at [email protected].

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Great Customer Services Starts with a Great Website

By Jordyn, InstaGift Content Management

Great customer service is something I think most restaurant owners/managers would agree is a top priority in their industry. Along with serving quality food, one could easily argue it is the most important factor with respect to earning repeat customers. What some don’t realize (or, just choose to ignore) is that good customer service doesn’t necessarily begin or end when a customer walks through your door. In many cases, it starts with a simple Google search. And when a customer visits your restaurant’s website, there are a few key questions that need to be answered fast, or else you may risk losing them forever.

Where are you located?

Many times a first-time customer just needs to find you. And if you don’t have the proper contact information for them to plug into their fancy Garmin or iPhone, then how will they ever get there? This one seems obvious, but you would be surprised.  

Are you open?

Hours of Operation are also a must-have. No one likes to find out you’re closed through a sign on the door. Hungry people and surprises just don’t mix well.

What's on the menu?

Chances are if a customer isn’t visiting your website for location or hours, they want to see your menu. After all, you don’t go on a blind date without checking out the person’s Facebook profile first, am I right? And for the same reason you don’t want to see a profile picture of them from 5 years ago, your customers don’t want to see what your restaurant had for the Chef’s Special back in February 2008. So keep your Facebook profile online menu up-to-date. In the end, everyone’s happier and you might just get a second date.

Does the food and atmosphere look appealing?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been to a restaurant website that has grainy, low-quality pictures of their menu items and restaurant. If you’re going to include pictures of food, they should be professional grade.  (And no, Instagram does not make you a professional). This is your chance to make mouths water through the computer screen and if you get it right, it can help bring people in fast. If you get it wrong… well, at least you’ll be in good company.

Visual people, that one’s for you.

Can I buy a gift card without leaving my home?

Featuring e-commerce on your website is what I like to call a “win-win”. Having an online store will not only keep your customers happy, it can create additional revenue streams for you to make more money. (For those readers who were asleep until now, welcome back). If your restaurant already sells gift cards in-house, you can and should also offer them on your website. Customers will appreciate the “instant gratification” factor, and you will appreciate the increase in your bottom line.

A Few Dont's

Auto-play Music: If you’re wondering what the virtual equivalent of a clumsy waiter spilling your drink on you, it would undoubtedly be the music that un-welcomingly blasts through your speakers when you go to a restaurant’s website. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I never get the urge to listen to the instrumental version of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow”, but it’s typically not while perusing online menus.

Underestimate Mobile-Optimized sites: In our mobile-based world, up to 50% of your customers are viewing your website on their smartphones. Having a website that doesn't render well on mobile devices is another guaranteed way to frustrate customers. 

Use Flash: For the same reason as above, it’s also a good idea to just say NO to Flash. It’s not universally compatible, it takes forever to load, and no one cares to see your restaurant’s logo surrounded by moving flames. 

PDF your menu: Embed it. It's more professional and saves your customer time.

Use Obscure Fonts: No one has time to decipher a size 10 Curlz MT menu. Stick to the basics.

To genuinely commit to good customer service in 2013 means using all available resources, virtual or otherwise, to put the customer first. The time is over for restaurants to consider their online presence of little worth. A well-thought-out website can be your most valuable customer service tool, constantly communicating to potential customers 24-hours a day/ 7-days a week why your restaurant is where they want to spend their Saturday night. 

At the end of the day, your website is both an extension and reflection of your restaurant. If you’re not satisfied with what you see, it’s never too late to take action. For help on getting started, contact [email protected].

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If you Build it, they will Come (if you Promote it)

By Greg Wingo, InstaGift Sales

Time and again, I find myself in meetings with new clients who are very excited about our product. The vast majority understand that gift cards are the easiest money they’ll ever make in their business. Our initial conversation about InstaGift generally begins with some education about how virtual gift cards work and the benefit to the business, and finishes with “how quickly can I get started?”.  

Once their store is launched though, each merchant comes to a crossroads. Some will choose the correct path and see gift card sales flourish immediately. Others will choose a path leading to slower sales; a path that can be avoided altogether. This crossroads that defines their chosen path is Promotion.

We’ve all heard the movie line, “If you build it, they will come”. It references the building of a baseball field in the middle of an Iowa cornfield in the 1989 movie, Field of Dreams. This line, mysteriously whispered to the main character, has been used in countless presentations and sales pitches since it was famously spoken. It’s often used to reference the growth of an audience based on the offering of some good or service. And to an extent it holds true in the virtual gift card world. If you build it (offer virtual gift cards through your website), they will come (customers will buy them). The problem with this statement is that it places an assumption that by simply providing something to an audience they will buy it. Unfortunately, that assumption can cost you sales.

Ideally, the whispered line would have been, “If you build it AND promote it, they will come”. Too often, we see clients add virtual gift cards to their website with great enthusiasm, yet do little on their end to promote them? Every restaurant is great about promoting “tonight’s special” but often drops the ball on reminding customers about buying gift cards. Why add a service that will provide a new revenue stream and not tell anyone about it? We consistently see greater virtual gift card sales from those clients who tell everyone they know through social media channels, e-blasts, and even word-of-mouth.

If you’re a business looking to add virtual gift cards, InstaGift is here to help. We will even show you some good methods for promoting your gift cards. Remember, your customers need to know something is available in order to buy it!

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What restaurants need to know about gift card fraud

A concern expressed by potential clients interested in learning more about our ecommerce software is fraud; especially when it comes to printed or plastic gift cards. It’s a valid concern, and one that we take very seriously at InstaGift. Accordingly, we have created some of the industry’s best virtual gift card validation tools to assure that merchants can instantly validate incoming printed, mobile and plastic gift cards.

Barcode usage on printed and plastic gift cards: our system allows for each printed certificate or plastic gift card to have a unique barcode. The barcode can be scanned on a smartphone for instant validation; using our Instagift Merchants App (available for iPhone and Android users).

If a smartphone is not available, you can still validate printed or plastic gift cards online by accessing your Instagift merchant dashboard, within seconds.

Consumer smartphone usage is on the rise. By accepting mobile vouchers, you can also validate directly on customers' smartphones.

What happens if you do receive a duplicate redemption?  We have found in very small instances this can occur, it’s usually an honest mistake (not fraud) and can easily be resolved with the customer.

If the validation is done on the spot – calmly address the issue with the customer. If you find a duplicate after the shift is over and are an Instagift merchant - contact us with the gift card code number. We’ll assist you with researching the issue and following up with the customer. 

Fraud is no joke. We take it very seriously. Our industry-leading validation techniques have led to fraud levels at virtually 0%.

If you are a restaurant that would like to sell gift cards using our ecommerce software, contact [email protected]. 

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How to Tip when Paying with a Gift Card

One problem that gift cards present is that they aren't as tip-friendly as credit cards, especially at restaurants. If you are paying with a credit card, here's how a typical transaction works:

The server gives you a bill

You give the server a credit card

They authorize your card for the bill amount

They bring you a sales slip

You sign the slip, and add in a tip

You get up and leave. 

The server takes your slip to their POS and runs your card for the amount of your meal plus tip.

Most people have been through this exact process many, many times. An issue when paying with a gift card is that this process breaks down around step five. When using a gift card, even if the value of the card exceeds your bill, there typically isn't an opportunity to sign for a tip and walk away. So what's the best way to leave a tip if you are using a gift card? You have a few options... 

Pay with cash - You can always pay the initial bill with a gift card, and then leave a cash tip. 

Pay with a credit card - A little known trick that almost all restaurants will allow is to hand your credit card to the server and ask them to "charge you one penny". The server will take your card, charge it a penny (or sometimes one dollar), and then then bring you a slip that includes the nominal charge, plus a tip line. Add a tip and walk away. 

Ultimately what is needed is a better gift card tipping process, where once you identify to the server that you are going to pay with a gift card, you are allowed to specify a tip before the card is debited. We're working hand in hand with restaurants to help them refine their handling of gift cards, and are creating systems that will allow you to tip using card funds. However, if you find yourself in a bind where you can't use a gift card for a tip, don't be shy about asking the business to run your card for a nominal amount, especially if you don't have cash!

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Restaurant takes Control of their own Daily Deals

The InstaGift platform powers three types of voucher-based ecommerce, 1) virtual gift card sales, 2) daily deals, 2) and 3) event tickets. This week we had a virtual gift card customer utilize our daily deal software to implement and promote their own in-house deal. The popular Cincinnati steakhouse Jag's worked with us to create an offer where they made a $50 Jag's gift certificate available for $35. This offer runs for one month, and has been heavily promoted by Jag's on their website, email list, social media, and in traditional Cincinnati media. 

It's great to see a restaurant taking control of their own deals. In this case, Jag's was able to set their own pricing, offer length, and expiration date.

This offer has been active for just a few days, and has already sold several hundred units. It's being very well received by Jag's customers, and is creating a nice buzz in the Cincinnati dining community.

If you are a restaurant that would like to sell virtual gift cards, and/or take control of your own daily deals, contact [email protected]. 

If you live in the Cincinnati area, be sure to purchase an offer and enjoy a great night out at Jag's!

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Interview with Virtual Gift Cards Merchant: Dine Originals Columbus

Merchants across various industries use our software for their ecommerce business needs - restaurants, organizations, event organizers and more.   Our ecommerce software powers the online sales of full price virtual gift cards, discounted virtual gift cards, event ticketing, rewards and loyalty programs and even daily deal stores; just to name a few.

We thought it would be fun to highlight, on our blog, just some of the merchants that utilize our software. This gives our merchants an opportunity to share something fun and interesting about their business and gives you the chance to get to know the customers we serve, just a little bit better.

Welcome to the first edition of Instagift’s Merchant Spotlight, a feature that will appear on our blog every few months. First up is our interview with Katharine Moore, Executive Director of Dine Originals Columbus.

Dine Originals Columbus is a community of independently owned and operated restaurants in central Ohio. They have been partnering with us for over 5 years and currently use our ecommerce platform to sell discounted and full price virtual gift cards for their 45 member restaurants.

During our interview we discussed:

The group's mission and their beginnings - going from a group of 10 restaurants to 45 members strong today!

Their virtual gift card programs and how they further the group's mission.

The different food and regional cuisines represented by their member restaurants and more!

Are you an Instagift merchant and want to be featured on our blog? Email us at [email protected], include “Instagift Merchant Spotlight” in the subject line.

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