Groupon

[eyecaremindi]

Has anyone out there done anything with Groupon? If so what was your experience?

[AngeHamm]

We have also considered using Groupon but can't quite figure out how best to utilize it.

[WFruit]

I know my wife buys them on a "more often than I think she should" basis....

[TheMacGyverGuy]

We have something similar here called SeizeTheDeal. My wife and I like it a lot. We always get the food ones that save you 50%. The only downside right now is that every deal that's gone though lately we wouldn't use. A local optical shop is utilizing the system as well. I'm tempted to set up multiple accounts so that when a deal that I like rolls around, I can purchase several....

[brucekrymow]

We use Groupon more & more here in Phoenix, mostly for restaurant deals & some spa/hair/nail stuff. They've all been great & hassle-free.

[HarryChiling]

Guarenteed ROI what's not to like. There is no other advertising opportunity that I know of that offers a guarentee. Of course the cost is high but the number of clients that utilize it is phenominal. Every office that I know that utilizes groupon raves about it. The only downside is that you may be late to the game if you don't act sooner rather than later as consumers seem to tire of these sites fairly quickly and move on to the next reincarnation fairly quickly.

[asuperstar103]

I use Groupon! I've used it for restaurants and it is hassle free. They offer deals everyday! Give it a try! :-)

[GOS_Queen]

I know of a practice that just had its first GROUPON deal. Several hundred were sold. I would recommend specifying if the GROUPON can be used with insurance or not; with other discounts or not and whether or not any unused portion will be given back in cash (for example, if the groupon is $150 in value and the glasses are $130, they won't be getting a $20 back in change). Also, specifiy what the groupon can be used for - Exam? Contacts? Eyewear?

The practice I know of is keeping track of the redemptions - since the practice has a couple of locations, which location is it redeemed at? Is this a new patient? Did they get an exam? (this groupon was just for eyewear) what is the gross sale amount?

hope that helps

[Chris Ryser]

Advantages of Groupon:

You can get some fantastic deals that you couldn’t get anywhere else. Recent deals included:

• $50 for $100 worth of apparel at an upscale clothing store
• $25 for 30 days of unlimited tanning plus two spray tans ($100 value)
• $50 for a catered buffet for a party of 10 people
• $10 for $25 worth of food and drinks at a nice family restaurant
• $99 for an introductory flight lesson ($225 value)
• $40 for $80 worth of services at a high end salon
• $29 for a quart of OMS markings remover, NA freight included

[GOS_Queen]

http://www.groupon.com/austin/deals/...eyewear-austin

http://www.groupon.com/charleston/de...ear-charleston

http://www.groupon.com/san-antonio/d...c-lean-eyewear

http://www.groupon.com/detroit/deals/zeldes-eye-center

http://www.groupon.com/baltimore/dea...-eye-baltimore

http://www.groupon.com/richmond/deal...enter-richmond

http://www.groupon.com/portland/deal...r-city-eyecare

http://www.groupon.com/miami/deals/see-eyewear-miami

[lensgrinder]

You should check out Foursquare too. Great way to bring in people.

[opticalcathy]

Good questions- here is a eye doc that got 87 new patients http://theopticalvisionsite.com/mark...-from-groupon/
Nate Bondillo is a huge Foursquare user http://theopticalvisionsite.com/mark...ecrets-part-2/
and I can't tell you how many consumers use Foursquare and tweet about it! Its all about local and search engines.
I would recommend you try both and see what works for you best- It may depend on how the users have grown in your market. I remember when I started using Craigslist,- NO-One new who they were in San Diego, and believe it or not, when I first started using gmail- Google was still relatively unheard of.
Good luck

[morinput]

http://www.groupon.com/austin/deals/...eyewear-austin

http://www.groupon.com/charleston/de...ear-charleston

http://www.groupon.com/san-antonio/d...c-lean-eyewear

http://www.groupon.com/detroit/deals/zeldes-eye-center

http://www.groupon.com/baltimore/dea...-eye-baltimore

http://www.groupon.com/richmond/deal...enter-richmond

http://www.groupon.com/portland/deal...r-city-eyecare

http://www.groupon.com/miami/deals/see-eyewear-miami

This is cool, how were you able to easily search out of market deals?
thanks

[jefe]

I was just checking out Groupon today. According to their FAQs section, they "take a portion of each deal". Does anyone know what that portion is? I could find out by filling out a form and submitting it to their sales department, but I'd rather get the info before putting myself on their phone/mail/e-mail list.

[GOS_Queen]

This is cool, how were you able to easily search out of market deals?
thanks

I just did a "google" search (I think it was "groupon + eyewear" or something like that)

[Lee Prewitt]

I was just checking out Groupon today. According to their FAQs section, they "take a portion of each deal". Does anyone know what that portion is? I could find out by filling out a form and submitting it to their sales department, but I'd rather get the info before putting myself on their phone/mail/e-mail list.

They take 50%. If I buy a groupon for $50, the vendor gets $25 and groupon gets $25. I have an account that is running a deal. I will keep you posted as to results.

[jefe]

They take 50%. If I buy a groupon for $50, the vendor gets $25 and groupon gets $25. I have an account that is running a deal. I will keep you posted as to results.

Ouch!

[harry888]

Am I the only one who doesn't like the coupon crowd for optical? Especially since we see the person once every one/two years, and they forgot whether they liked us or not?

It attracts the people that will come in once, then a year later will go to the next really good deal. Learned that well with Val-pak.

Harry

[gunner05]

Doesn't have to be a horrible combo. I can do a package at $200, give 50% off (what they try to shoot for) then make $50 on a pair. With the right rules on it, it might not be too big of a hit and drive a lot of sales.

[Snay]

A friend of my was complaining about Groupon to me the other day as it happens.

He runs a gym, and they ran a groupon deal over here in the UK. He wasn't overly impressed with it. The main reason being they ran it as a very good promotion to get people through the door, with the aim of signing them up onto a membership scheme, so they got something like a months membership and two or three sessions with a personal trainer. He said that they ran the promo too low and it only just covered his costs (his mistake really). From what I gather, what happened was they had a load of people come in and use the gym for the month, use their personal trainer sessions and then leave. The large influx of people all at once took them a little by suprise as more people signed up for the deal than he expected, this ****** off his regular customers who had to wait longer for equiptment and gym sessions, but the new customers wouldn't accept a lesser service or longer waits, because they had paid for the useage and trainer sessions (allbeit at a lower price). Even though he had them in the gym, and could give them the 'hard sell' there and then, only a fraction actually signed up. Then there were his regulars, who were allready members who also got the deal, and came in demanding a refund of a months membership and the free sessions because they had the coupon.

Overall, I'd be very cautious about applying groupon to optics, simply because getting the ballance right between making enough on the dispense for the extra volume to be worth it short term, whilst still keeping it competetive enough for patients to bother. If you can manage that, and know that you probably won't be seeing them again, go for it. I wouldn't bother as a long term booster though.

[gunner05]

I am scheming doing a little kiosk deal at a mall and advertising the heck out of groupons and just nickel and diming my way through it. Seems like an easy way to make a quick buck.

[Audiyoda]

Ouch!

Why? They guarantee your ROI - so you'll at least break even. Breaking even with more people knowing about you is pretty cheap advertising IMO.