How to Do Shopify Buy One Get One Free (BOGO)? A detailed guide
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Most online shoppers can hardly say no to promotions since they enjoy getting what they like with a good deal, such as a discount or an extra incentive. Shopify buy one get one is an effective sales strategy for you to consider.
To simplify, this type of discount allows customers to receive another item when they add the qualified product to their cart. However, there are more complex and intriguing variations that you can try and apply to your target audience to grow your store.
This article explains how to utilize this promotion to gain the best results.
1. Types of Shopify Buy One, Get One You Can Create
Below are the common types of Shopify buy one get one (BOGO) promotions to initiate:
Buy one, get one for free:
When customers purchase the trigger product (A), they receive another item (B) for free. B can be identical to A or a different product.
Example: Buy a laptop, get a laptop bag for free.
Buy one, get one at a discount:
After adding product A to their cart, customers are eligible to receive product B for a lower price, which can be a fixed rate or percentage discount. They can choose whether to accept this offer.
Example: Buy a skateboard, get a helmet for 30% off.
Multiplied buy one, get one:
The number of gifts multiplies as the number of trigger products increases. Simply said, the more product A is added to the cart, the more product B they receive.
Example: Buy 1 T-shirt, get 1 hat for free; Buy 2 T-shirts, get 2 hats, and so on.
Other variations:
A few popular Shopify buy one get one discount alternatives include buy 2 get 1 or buy 3 get 2, which are similar to BOGO but require shoppers to purchase more items for eligibility.
Example: Buy 2 pairs of shorts, get 1 tote bag for free.
2. How To Create Shopify Buy One, Get One Free With Shopify Native Discount
Shopify has a highly functional internal system that enables store owners to create and monitor their promotional campaigns. Its wide range of basic promotion types and discount rules are beneficial for newbies wanting to boost sales with a limited budget.
However, its most significant disadvantage for Shopify buy one get one discounts is that it does not support adding product B to carts automatically when buyers are qualified.
Thus, if you configure BOGO with this approach, customers must manually add the free gift to their cart to claim the offer instead of enjoying it automatically. Merchants can notify them of the reward by customizing a pop-up or cart message.
A step-by-step guide
Step 1: Visit your Shopify admin dashboard > Click Create discount and choose Buy X, get Y.
Step 2:
Select the automatic discount method and name this offer to display in-cart and at checkout.
Regarding Customer buys, decide whether customers need to meet the minimum quantity of items of 1 product (product A).
Step 3:
Customer gets consist of the conditions for product B. You can choose between 3 discounted values, including percentage, amount off each, and free.
The maximum number of uses per order restricts the times this discount is applied to each purchase.
Other than being available on all sales channels, this Shopify buy X get Y discount can be offered on Point of Sale.
Step 4:
Configure your promotion to combine with other active discounts: product, order, or shipping discounts.
Then, set its active dates, including the start and end times for pre-scheduling. Click Save for later use or Publish to activate the offer instantly.
Read more: How to create a Shopify Buy X get Y promotion? [2024] A step by step guide
3. How To Create Shopify Buy One, Get One Free, And Auto Add Gift Item To Cart
Since Shopify native discount does not support the automatic add-to-cart feature, a Shopify Buy One Get One Free App with more complex rules will easily solve this problem.
BOGOS is a popular software that generates automatic Shopify buy one get one and other free gifts with purchase offers. It enables merchants to set up and monitor compelling promotions that boost sales and enhance customer experience, contributing to the overall business growth.
If you are not yet satisfied with Shopify’s internal functionalities, BOGOS is the ideal choice for generating advanced promotions that automatically add to your cart. Customers no longer have to claim the offer manually, increasing their happiness and conversion rates.
Shopify rating: 4.9/5
Customer support: Documentation, FAQs, live chat, email, video call
Pricing: $23.99 – $79.99 per month
A step-by-step guide with BOGOS app
4. How To Offer Shopify Buy One, Get One Promotion To Specific Customer Segments
Shopify buy one get one free promotions can be created and monitored using Shopify native settings and third-party apps. However, Shopify has a few disadvantages that may reduce the effectiveness of your promotional campaigns.
For example, its internal functionalities do not support you in dividing customers into more specific groups and restricting the offer to a limited number of shoppers.
On the other hand, external discount software simplifies and automates this process by targeting shoppers based on their total spending or total order.
In Step 3 of creating the offer with BOGOS, you can choose to apply your discounts to a specific group of customers based on different criteria, including:
- Specific link address: Customers get a gift when they access via special links.
- Customers’ order history: Customers have to meet the order history requirements.
- Customer tags: Customers get equivalent gifts with their tags.
- Customer location: Customers can only receive gifts if they are from specific countries.
- Subscription products: Condition with subscription products.
- Mobile app channel: Condition for customers purchasing from the mobile app channel.
Consequently, only assigned customer segments can see and grab the promotion. This helps store owners target specific audiences and personalize the discounts better, increasing their satisfaction and likelihood of making a purchase.
5. How To Effectively Promote BOGO Promotion On the Shopify Store
Homepage banners
A promotional banner on your homepage is the very first thing visitors see on your site. Thus, it should be bold and engaging, delivering clear messages like “Buy one, get one free today!”
Our tip is to use large fonts and bright colors to emphasize your sales message, as well as eye-catching images of the products included in your BOGO promotion. Place the banner in prominent locations and make it as visible as possible.
Pop-ups
The most favorable timing for a pop-up is as soon as customers land on your site or after they have browsed for a few minutes. It often informs buyers of active deals, including time-sensitive or limited-stock offers, or collects email addresses.
In some cases, an exit-intent pop-up about the Shopify buy one get one helps remind shoppers who are about to leave the store without purchasing.
Cart messages
To encourage customers to spend more for discount eligibility, you can initiate cart reminders with messages like “Add 2 more items to get a FREE product.” A bold message on top of the cart page can urge buyers to buy 1 more product to qualify for Shopify BOGO promotions.
Also, you can incorporate upsell recommendations into these messages to increase sales.
Countdown timer
A countdown timer works effectively in many different site locations, such as pop-ups, homepage banners, or product pages. Its main purpose is to create a sense of urgency, motivating customers to make quick shopping decisions to grab the deal.
Use triggering phrases like “Limited stock” or “Only 18 hours left” to urge immediate action.
Digital ads
Ideal platforms to run digital ads are Facebook, Instagram, Google, etc., to help you promote the Shopify BOGO discount to a broader audience. Include a strong CTA (call-to-action) like “Claim your offer” or “Shop now.”
It is also helpful to retarget previous customers who showed interest in your goods.
Email marketing
Email marketing is an effective tactic for customer retention, persuading customers to reconsider active deals and make a purchase. To achieve better results, personalize these emails based on customer journey drop-offs.
We recommend emphasizing urgency with messages like “Don’t miss out” and include a countdown timer in the email if it is a time-limited deal.
6. Best Practices For Using Shopify BOGO Promotion
Set clear and attractive deal
Make sure you deliver the Shopify buy one get one free message clearly across the website so customers are aware of what they will receive. This clarity drives more engagement and increases their chance of finalizing the purchase.
For this specific type of promotion, you should group complementary products together. For instance, if customers buy a T-shirt, offer another T-shirt as product B or relevant accessories like socks or a hat to help them complete the outfit.
Furthermore, you can create a sense of urgency by offering limited-time BOGO offers. They will encourage customers to act quickly to take advantage of the promotion.
Use bundles strategically
Other than the BOGO offer, you can combine more complementary items to create valuable bundles. Customers will be enticed to spend more to receive product bundles at a discounted price, increasing the perceived value and average order value (AOV).
Another strategy to boost AOV is through cross-selling and upselling other goods. You should recommend higher-priced or complementary items with the BOGO deal, enhancing the perceived value and motivating buyers to make quick shopping decisions.
Experiment with different variations
Be creative with the product combinations in your Shopify BOGO deals, such as alternating between different items in the same category. This helps you examine which one resonates best with your audience and continue to offer them similar deals.
You can also A/B test promotional messages, including the wording and messaging styles, to compare which version performs better. For instance, “Get one free” might be more compelling than “Grab the BOGO deal.”
Promote the offer across channels
Not only should you promote the sales across your website, but you can also spread the word on other online platforms. Make it widely known to potential customers elsewhere that your store is offering an enticing Shopify buy one get one free promotion.
In specific, social media like Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok are popular channels for reaching your target audience with the BOGO deal. Use eye-catching images and videos, along with relevant hashtags, to push its visibility on these sites.
If you have collected your customers’ email addresses, send them targeted emails to promote the offer. For better results, try personalizing these emails based on their purchase history (e.g., first-time purchases, VIP customers, etc.).
Track and analyze results
Last but not least, it is crucial to track and analyze how your BOGO promotions perform within the campaign. You need to evaluate the effectiveness of each campaign to learn where it succeeds and where it does not, and then adjust accordingly for the finest results.
Some key metrics that merchants should keep track of are:
- Conversion rate: Measures the percentage of website visitors who take the desired action (buy something, subscribe to a service, etc.).
- Average order value (AOV): Calculates the average dollar amount spent whenever a buyer places an order on your site.
- Cost per acquisition (CPA): Tracks the average cost to acquire a new lead or customer via a specific channel or campaign.
- Click-through rate (CTR): Measures the percentage of visitors clicking on a link or an ad compared to the number of people viewing it.
- Return on investment (ROI): Calculates the profitability of an investment versus its costs.
Shopify Analytics provides built-in tools to measure these metrics through a specific time period, helping you gain insights and make timely adjustments. Third-party apps like BOGOS offer more advanced analytics to help you leverage campaigns even better.
7. Conclusion
It might seem hard to believe that a simple Shopify buy one get one discount can bring various benefits, but this method has long been fail-proof for store growth. If applied properly, it helps increase conversion rates and enhance customer satisfaction.
New merchants with a budget can directly use Shopify native discount to set it up, while third-party options like BOGOS enable more complex conditions to leverage your campaigns. Either way, you can generate more traffic and sales with this discount type.
Try setting up BOGO right away for your store, and remember to track its performance!
8. FAQs
Can I create multiple Shopify buy one get one offers?
Yes, Shopify allows you to create multiple buy one, get one offers in its admin system.
However, this platform restricts the number of active discounts for each store, meaning you can only activate a maximum of 25 automatic discounts and discount codes at a time.
Do I need an app to set up BOGO deals on Shopify?
For basic BOGO promotions, Shopify has adequate native features for quick and simple configuration.
If you require more advanced conditions, such as offering multiple items, stacking discounts, and other complex promotions, opt for trusted discount apps like BOGOS.
Can customers use a BOGO deal multiple times in an order?
Yes, you can configure rules that determine how many times a Shopify buy one, get one free is applied per order.
For example, merchants can limit buyers to receive one free gift per purchase or allow them to get multiple incentives.
How do return orders work with BOGO promotions?
If a shopper returns a product from the BOGO promotion, your return policy should clarify whether they need to return the free gift as well. Shopify does not have an automatic feature for this, so establish clear policies and handle returns manually.