A Direct Marketing Agency - Helping Brands Acquire and Retain Customers

Depending on whose research you believe 35-55% of all internet searches are local. The big question is, do these searches translate into more face-to-face contacts.

Some see online couponing as a key driver to generate sales – especially at a local level. It’s nothing new, after all Coupons.com and CouponSurfer have been around for a while, but they focus largely on consumer packaged goods.

Enter the newly launched Zixxo, a company specializing in Internet couponing for small to-mid-sized local business with some distinct advantages. Merchants can design the coupons themselves online, and Zixxo will syndicate them to Web sites in its ad network and to subscribers within those local markets via RSS feeds. Distribution costs are kept low enough for small businesses to affording couponing.

The niche may be there, only time will tell. But savvy local businesses can perform similar one-to-one marketing on their own by simply giving visitors to their site added incentive to visit the store personally. “Print out this page and bring it in to our store and receive $5 off any order of $25 or more.” A simple line of text or graphic treatment added to your site and you’ve begun to drive sales and build a brand relationship with local customers.