by Eugene Teslya

Created on: December 13, 2010   Last Updated: December 14, 2010

Groupon has changed the way business is done. With almost a million dollars saved and the total count of coupons bought in eight-digit numbers and counting – Groupon already made a permanent mark in business history. The “Deal of the Day” was a huge success, but Groupon did not stop there and introduced a new feature - Self-service Merchant Center. This new option allows businesses to instantly create a promotional campaign and run it, literally, the “next day”. And while Merchant Center is meant for businesses, it is great news for consumers as well - since the ease of creating a

Groupon coupon will definitely translate into more good deals, thus reliving the Groupon’s “win-win” motto.

The following step-by-step “how to use Groupon’s Self-service Merchant Center” guide will help business owners, who are new to Groupon, to get started and create their first deal from scratch.
 
First, use the following URL to access Groupon Merchant Center: http://www.groupon.com/merchants/welcome  The Groupon’s navigation is simple and straightforward – in just a few minutes you will create your first Groupon promotional campaign. Here is where to begin.

1.    Create a storefront account.
The first step is pretty easy - specify your business name, location and a phone number. Groupon will contact you to verify your business information. The verification process is very important and meant to prevent unauthorized persons or competitors to create discounts on “your behalf”.
You will need a picture of your store - uploading the image is a mandatory step.
 
2.    Create a Deal
The second step is to specify the parameters of your deal. If you are new to Groupon – it is very important that you do your homework first – go on the Internet and learn what other businesses, similar to yours, are saying about their experience with Groupon. There are situations when promotions led to least favorable outcomes – better learn on somebody else’s experience. Use features like “limit how many a person can buy” and “number of Groupons redeemable at a time...” to make it work for you.

Decide if you wish Groupon to promote your deal through their email database. Groupon will take a bigger cut of your profit – but the magnitude of exposure is the main reason why most businesses decide to use Groupon in the first place.

3.    Schedule a Deal
The last step - select when you want your deal to start and its duration.

 
Congratulations on the creation of your first Groupon deal! It is a great opportunity to get exposure for your business and provide a value to your customers. Groupon is a win-win deal indeed.

Learn more about this author, Eugene Teslya.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.