When merchant changes special offer, online ad is automatically updated
Published in the November 25 – December 8, 2015 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Staff Report
Sunil Joshi, CEO of NetIncent
Morgan Hill Life readers can now discover a new online marketing system on this newspaper’s website that features “live” ads that let the consumer click on an app and receive an electronic coupon (eCoupon) to use with participating local merchants.
Morgan Hill Life is teaming with San Jose-based online marketing firm Netincent to pioneer a new type of smart phone application that makes it fast, free and fun for small businesses to create these coupons and other special online discounts with the results of attracting more customers to their stores and businesses.
Netincent’s software development team designed the “See You Soon Coupon” app to be easy for merchants to create a free account within two to three minutes and provide consumers with an eCoupon that’s easy to use. Merchants also have the opportunity to get real-time data to see how well their incentive coupon is working, and they can easily change it to better target consumers.
Local businesses GVA Cafe, BookSmart and Morgan Hill Cellars are test-piloting the coupons, and Morgan Hill Life is putting a webpage link on its website so that consumers can quickly discover what local coupons are available.
“What we are doing here is a completely revolutionary idea to bring online newspaper sites alive,” said Sunil Joshi, Netincent founder and CEO. “As soon as the merchant makes an offer change through our mobile phone app, the online version of the newspaper is automatically updated. We have the core technology for making that happen through the combination of cloud and mobile apps. With the partnership we have with Morgan Hill Life, we are giving merchants the technology they need to embed the eCoupon or discount app in the news media’s website pages so that they can leverage the pieces here.”
The See You Soon Coupon app benefits local merchants by empowering them to dynamically connect with consumers looking to find special offers and who love to shop local in their neighborhoods.
For example, a local cafe might provide an online coupon in which a customer might receive a free biscotti cookie if they buy a premium coffee.
The merchants does not have to print special coupons, thus saving them money. Consumers keep their online coupons on their mobile phone. The coupons expire after a certain time period determined by the merchant.
“The app that we’re giving the merchants is one of the simplest apps you can imagine,” Joshi said. “From start to finish, it takes three minutes for the merchant to set up their app on their phone and go live. They then just have one short line to fill to tell customers what special offer is presented.”
The merchants also gain the benefit of providing that coupon or discount incentive with the consumer directly through our community newspaper’s website, said Marty Cheek, publisher of Morgan Hill Life.
The benefit to the merchant is he or she can immediately change special offers instantly to take advantage of changing marketing opportunities, he said. What Netincent has created is essentially real-time updating of market advertising information targeted at potential customers.
“Consumers have become more and more online savvy and they expect that they will be able to search on their phones to figure out where the best deals are,” he said. “The big franchises and box stores have figured out how to create mobile apps to give that information to consumers. Now Netincent gives smaller businesses the same level of targeted marketing ability — and Morgan Hill Life is proud to be a part of this innovative way to connect consumers and small- to medium-sized business. Consumers will far more likely shop with their local merchants in Morgan Hill who take advantage of this exciting new eCoupon system that empowers them react to the most recent information at any point in time.”
To see a demonstration of this system or to learn more about how to get involved, call (408) 410-4782 or visit www.morganhilllife.com.
