Gift cards are really popular items among online shoppers, which is why selling them can be very lucrative for eCommerce stores. On this episode of eCommerce Unscripted, we take a deep dive into offering gift cards at a WooCommerce store. Host Sam Greenspan is joined by two WooCommerce experts: Ian Misner, the head of GoDaddy’s WooCommerce care team, and Erica Ross, a GoDaddy Customer Support Specialist, to discuss gift cards. 

The panel shares statistics and anecdotes on why people buy gift cards, how purchasing behavior differs when a customer is using a gift card, buying gift cards for yourself, and the sheer number of unused gift cards. 

From there, they cover several strategies, like using the PDF Product Vouchers extension to sell digital and physical gift cards, incorporating the Name Your Price extension, and ideas for gift card promotions.  

Finally, in the Q&A, the panel addresses sending cart abandonment emails through wp_mail() and using Facebook Messenger for customer service and promotions. 

Check out GoDaddy’s Managed WordPress Ecommerce hosting which includes many of the premium extensions discussed in this episode for free! https://www.godaddy.com/hosting/ecommerce-hosting  

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Extensions and services referenced (* - included in the GoDaddy Managed WordPress Ecommerce bundle) 

PDF Product Vouchers* - https://woocommerce.com/products/pdf-product-vouchers/  

Name Your Price - https://woocommerce.com/products/name-your-price/  

Cart Add-ons* - https://woocommerce.com/products/cart-add-ons/  

WooCommerce Checkout Add-ons* - https://woocommerce.com/products/woocommerce-checkout-add-ons/  

WooCommerce Memberships* - https://woocommerce.com/products/woocommerce-memberships/  

AutomateWoo* - https://automatewoo.com/  

Facebook for WooCommerce - https://woocommerce.com/products/facebook/  

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Sources for statistics: 

https://thergca.org/RGCA/Resources/Tips_for_Safe_Gift_Card_Use/RGCA/Resources/Tips_for_Safe_Gift_Card_Use/Tips_for_Safe_Gift_Card_Use.aspx?hkey=3529daa3-2086-447d-b453-04e1c671e3c8 

Gift cards are the most popular gift for 14 years in a row 

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/demand-for-digital-gifting-reaches-all-time-high-new-report-reveals-best-practices-progress-and-areas-for-growth-in-gift-card-ecommerce-programs-301054120.html 

Gift card market saw 14% compound annual growth rate. 

https://www.invespcro.com/blog/10-ways-to-boost-gift-cards-and-wish-lists-conversions-on-ecommerce-websites/ 

Study: For every $1 spent on gift card advertising, merchants get $13 in gift card orders 

Online retailers can get a 10% lift in sales after launching a gift card program 

People with a gift card are 250% more likely to buy things at full price than people who buy in regular currency 

41% will visit a new store because they receive a gift card, 72% make return trip to the store 

https://www.mageplaza.com/blog/gift-card-statistics.html 

Why people buy gift cards 

59% of people spend more than their gift card's value 

https://www.giftcards.com/gift-card-statistics 

69% have purchased a gift card for themselves 

https://www.giftcards.com/gift-card-statistics 

29% received a gift card they never used 

20% forget to use gift cards they receive 

https://www.giftcardgranny.com/blog/gift-card-survey-holidays-2020/ 

33% prefer digital, 29% prefer physical, 38% don't care. 

55% will buy gift cards based on promotions (extra reward points, bogo, etc.)