Deal of the Day Websites Thrive in Tough Economic Times
- By Art Gib
- Published 11/30/2010
- Web Development
- Unrated
Have you ever heard of the newest craze online - the deal of the day site? Some of them go by pseudonyms such as 'Salt Lake City's Best' or 'City Deals Weekly' in addition to the traditional site I first found in the Chicago Deal of The Day option.
If you're willing to follow online you'll find killer deals on the food, services, clothes and entertainment options you like best. Most sites change frequently (most are daily to weekly) and sell out based on limited quantities on the deals so it really does take some consistent, ongoing research, but isn't it worth it so save a decent amount of money? I happen to think so.
Here's the basic gist of your average 'deal of the day' portal. These sites go around to local businesses promising increased traffic by offering discounted deals on the products of their choice. Increased traffic usually means people will go above and beyond the coupons/certificates they've purchased. Deals (in the form of gift certificates at seriously discounted rates) are posted on the site. Members login and pay for their gift certificates online. The site may or may not charge a small fee for shipping gift certificates to the address furnished. You can even opt to receive e-mail notifications when your favorite businesses post deals online so they don't sell out before you can purchase.
Everyone wins as local businesses are stimulated, a new online business is patronized and consumers save on what they would typically purchase anyhow. Like the way this sounds? So do thousands of online shoppers looking to tight their proverbial belts.
When I say you can find literally everything, I truly mean it. Here's a smattering of today's deals in the greater Chicago Metropolitan area. I've left out specific business names since this is for demonstration purposes only, but you'll catch my drift nonetheless.
-$60 worth of services for your furry friend Fido for only $25
-$35 worth of food and drinks for $25 at your local, swanky wine bar
-$14 tickets to a local arena football team favorite...GO RUSH!
-$250 in photography services for only $60.
-5 car washes for $50
My personal favorite deal to hunt for is massages. I love to pamper myself, but have problems spending money on myself so I love being able to justify the occasional indulgence by calculating my savings. I also happen to find most of my gifts through such killer bargain sites. Those on the receiving end have no idea you got their gift vouchers for 50% off in some cases.
The trend towards purchasing gift cards/certificates ahead of time through local, discounted sites provides a substantial savings without sacrificing convenience. For once you can feel confident in "following the crowd" towards killer deals!
If you're willing to follow online you'll find killer deals on the food, services, clothes and entertainment options you like best. Most sites change frequently (most are daily to weekly) and sell out based on limited quantities on the deals so it really does take some consistent, ongoing research, but isn't it worth it so save a decent amount of money? I happen to think so.
Here's the basic gist of your average 'deal of the day' portal. These sites go around to local businesses promising increased traffic by offering discounted deals on the products of their choice. Increased traffic usually means people will go above and beyond the coupons/certificates they've purchased. Deals (in the form of gift certificates at seriously discounted rates) are posted on the site. Members login and pay for their gift certificates online. The site may or may not charge a small fee for shipping gift certificates to the address furnished. You can even opt to receive e-mail notifications when your favorite businesses post deals online so they don't sell out before you can purchase.
When I say you can find literally everything, I truly mean it. Here's a smattering of today's deals in the greater Chicago Metropolitan area. I've left out specific business names since this is for demonstration purposes only, but you'll catch my drift nonetheless.
-$60 worth of services for your furry friend Fido for only $25
-$35 worth of food and drinks for $25 at your local, swanky wine bar
-$14 tickets to a local arena football team favorite...GO RUSH!
-$250 in photography services for only $60.
-5 car washes for $50
My personal favorite deal to hunt for is massages. I love to pamper myself, but have problems spending money on myself so I love being able to justify the occasional indulgence by calculating my savings. I also happen to find most of my gifts through such killer bargain sites. Those on the receiving end have no idea you got their gift vouchers for 50% off in some cases.
The trend towards purchasing gift cards/certificates ahead of time through local, discounted sites provides a substantial savings without sacrificing convenience. For once you can feel confident in "following the crowd" towards killer deals!
Art Gib
DealADayOnline, (http://www.dealadayonline.com/) provides a new unbeatable Chicago deal of the day, every day. Deals include anything from car wash discounts to restaurant and apparel coupons and much, much more.
View all articles by Art Gib