How to Create Coupon Codes in WordPress

Creating coupon codes for your online store can be an effective way to encourage more sales. It can also help you build customer loyalty. But if you’re new to WooCommerce, you may be wondering how to do this.

Well, setting up coupon codes is more straightforward than you might think. WooCommerce offers this functionality out of the box. However, you can also install plugins to create more advanced offers for your customers.

In this post, we’ll discuss the benefits of creating promotional codes for your ecommerce site. We’ll then show you how to do this in WooCommerce, and look at a few plugins you can use to customize your offers. Finally, we’ll share some tips for promoting your WordPress coupon codes. Let’s dive right in!

The Benefits of Offering Coupon Codes

Coupon codes incentivize customers to make a purchase from your store. If the offer is time-sensitive, it can create a sense of urgency, further prompting shoppers to complete their orders. 

You might also consider offering exclusive coupons to repeat customers. This can foster loyalty and make customers feel valued. Plus, it encourages shoppers to make an additional purchase, using your coupon code. 

You could even provide discounts on orders over a certain amount. This way, customers will be tempted to add more items to their cart to benefit from the offer. 

For instance, offering a $10 discount on orders over $50 can increase the average order value.

If you have items that aren’t selling well or have been in stock for a while, offering a discount on those items can help clear them out, making space for new products.

And finally, coupon codes can help attract new customers to your site. If the offer is good, people who may have been hesitant to try your products will likely be swayed by the discount. 

How to Enable Coupon Codes in WooCommerce

WooCommerce is the most popular e-commerce plugin for WordPress. If you’re not already using it, you can go ahead and install it for free. 

WooCommerce has a built-in coupon feature that makes it easy to create and manage coupon codes. Let’s show you how to get started.

Step 1: Enable Coupon Codes in WooCommerce

By default, WooCommerce may not have coupons enabled. 

In your WordPress dashboard, go to WooCommerce > Settings and click on the General tab.

Scroll down to General options and check the box that says Enable the use of coupon codes:

Click on Save Changes. Now, the coupon functionality is activated on your site.

Step 2: Create a Coupon Code

Next, go to Marketing > Coupons in your dashboard and click on Create your first coupon:

This will take you to the coupon creation screen. First, you’ll want to write the code, like WELCOME10 or SALE20:

You can add descriptions for the discount codes to help you remember their purpose, such as “10% discount for first-time buyers.”

Step 3: Set Up Coupon Discounts and Restrictions

On the same page, scroll down to the Coupon Data box. In the General tab, you can select the discount type:

The main options are:

• Percentage Discount: Apply a percentage discount (e.g., 10% off).
• Fixed Cart Discount: Deduct a fixed amount from the cart total (e.g., $5 off).
• Fixed Product Discount: Deduct a fixed amount from specific products.

Next, enter the discount amount. For example, if you’re offering a 10% discount, write 10.

You can also check the Allow free shipping box if you want to offer it with the coupon. Then, set an expiration date to create urgency and limit the duration of the offer.

Step 4: Set Up Usage Restrictions

If you click on the Usage restriction tab, you’ll be able to set up rules for the coupon code:

For example, you can define the minimum or maximum amount customers need to spend for the coupon to be valid. You can also prevent this coupon from being used with other offers and applied to items that are already on sale.

If you want to exclude certain products or categories from the offer, you can just add them to the relevant fields.

Step 5: Set Up Usage Limits

To avoid overuse or abuse of a coupon, you can also set up limits. In the Usage limits tab, specify how many times this coupon can be used in total:

For example, setting a limit of 100 would mean the coupon can be redeemed 100 times before it’s no longer valid.

You can also specify how many times each customer can use the coupon. This is particularly useful for one-time-use offers.

Step 6: Publish the Coupon

Once you’ve configured all the settings, click on Publish. Your coupon code is now active and ready to be used by customers on your site.

You can manage all your promo codes by navigating to Marketing > Coupons. 

Advanced Coupon Options with WooCommerce Plugins

WooCommerce’s built-in coupon system is powerful. But if you want to create more advanced offers, there are several plugins can use. 

Here are some of the best options.

1. Advanced Coupons for WooCommerce

Advanced Coupons is a popular plugin that adds a variety of features to WooCommerce’s basic coupon system. These include:

• BOGO (Buy One Get One): Create “Buy One, Get One” deals, which are great for boosting sales of specific products.
• Cart conditions: Add complex conditions to your coupons, such as requiring specific products in the cart.
• Schedule coupons: Automatically activate and deactivate coupons based on specific dates.

Advanced Coupons is a good choice for stores looking to implement more sophisticated marketing strategies.

2. Smart Coupons for WooCommerce

WooCommerce Smart Coupons is a robust plugin that lets you create, manage, and distribute coupons in bulk. Key features include:

• Store credit and gift certificates: Allow customers to purchase store credit or gift certificates as a gift.
• Bulk generation: Create hundreds or even thousands of unique coupon codes for marketing campaigns.
• Automatic application: Automatically apply eligible coupons at the checkout page, improving user experience.

This plugin can be particularly useful for stores with large volumes of customers, or those that run large-scale promotions.

3. Discount Rules for WooCommerce

Discount Rules for WooCommerce is a powerful plugin that lets you create complex discount rules. Its features include:

• Dynamic pricing: Offer tiered discounts based on quantity (e.g., buy more, save more).
• User role-based discounts: Create exclusive discounts for specific user roles, such as wholesale buyers or premium members.
• Conditional discounts: Apply discounts based on various conditions, such as cart contents, order history, or customer location.

If you need advanced discount capabilities, or want to create personalized offers for different customer segments, this can be a good plugin for you. 

Tips for Promoting Your Coupon Codes

Once you have your coupon codes ready, you’ll want to make sure that customers know about them. 

It’s a good idea to create a website banner that promotes your coupon code. This way, everyone can see it.

If you have an email list, you can send coupon codes to your subscribers. Remember to mention the offer in the subject line of your email to grab their attention. 

You’ll also want to post your coupon codes on social media, especially during peak sales seasons. Consider creating short videos to show some of the items that the coupon can be used on. 

For time-sensitive campaigns, you might want to add a countdown timer on your site (or emails) to show how much time is left before the coupon expires. This will help create a sense of urgency and prompt shoppers to take action.

Conclusion

Adding WordPress coupons can be a powerful way to boost sales, clear inventory, and attract new customers. With WooCommerce’s built-in tools and the added capabilities of plugins like Advanced Coupons and Discount Rules for WooCommerce, you can create coupon offers tailored to your business needs.

To recap, here’s how to a WordPress coupon code:

1. Enable coupon codes in WooCommerce
2. Create your first coupon
3. Specify the discount.
4. Set up usage restrictions.
5. Add usage limits.
6. Publish the coupon.

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