How to Create a WooCommerce BOGO (Buy One Get One) Offer?

A buy-one-get-one-free (BOGO) offer is a type of promotion where customers get two products for the price of one. It can be a powerful tool for driving sales and increasing your average order value. 

While many stores and businesses can benefit from BOGO promotions, ironically, WooCommerce’s default coupon code and pricing system doesn’t allow such deals. 

However, this limitation can easily be addressed with the use of plugins, such as the Dynamic Pricing and Discount Rules.

This tutorial aims to guide you on how to use this plugin to not only add WooCommerce BOGO deals to the cart page but also to optimize these deals for success.

Let’s start! 

What is Buy One Get One Free (or BOGO)?

Buy One Get One Free deal, commonly known as BOGO, is a popular promotional sales strategy businesses use to encourage customers to purchase more products. When a customer buys a specific item, they’ll receive an additional one for free or at a heavily discounted price.

The purpose of the BOGO deal can vary, ranging from increasing sales volume, moving outdated or overstocked inventory, promoting a new product, or simply rewarding loyal customers. This impactful marketing strategy strongly appeals to consumers, as they perceive significant value in obtaining an extra free product or for less.

It’s important to note that while BOGO typically stands for ‘buy one, get one free,’ businesses can adjust the specifics to their needs. 

For instance, some choose to run ‘buy one, get one half off’ or ‘buy two, get one free’ promotion — both of which are considered BOGO deals — to suit their sales objectives and inventory conditions better.

How to Create BOGO (buy-one-get-one-free) Deals in WooCommerce

Although one could technically create a BOGO offer by directly editing the site’s code, this process can be tedious and risky. 

Any small error in the code can result in unexpected behavior at best, and potentially break your site at worst. Instead, we recommend using the Dynamic Pricing and Discount Rules plugin. 

This plugin by Dotstore cuts the stress, saves time, and allows creating BOGO offers confidently without risking any damage to your site.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating BOGO Offer

Before we walk you through the steps to create a WooCommerce BOGO deals offer, ensure you have installed this plugin in your store.

We also have a recorded step-by-step video of how you can create the BOGO offer, watch it here.

• Download, install, and activate the Dynamic Pricing and Discount Rules plugin: You can find this plugin in your WordPress dashboard under the “DotStore Plugins” section on the left-hand menu.

• Select “Add New”: This opens a new page where you can create your discount. Provide a suitable title for your discount.

• Choose discount type “BOGO (Buy 1 Get 1 free)”: This sets the condition for your deal.

• Set qualifying products: Here, you define the products that qualify for the “buy” and “get” parts of your deal. These could be the same product (like “buy 1 t-shirt, get 1 free”) or different items (like “Buy a t-shirt, get a free hat”).
• Set quantity conditions: Specify the minimum or maximum number of items required to trigger the deal. Also, set the offer quantity to create offers such as “Buy x, get y free”. For example, you can create deals like “Buy 2 get 1 free”, “Buy 3 get 2 free”, etc.
• Utilize advanced settings: Here, you can:
  • Set start and end date/time for the offer
  • Specify the days of the week the offer appears
  • Restrict the offer to a user’s first order or to logged-in users
  • Include or exclude sale items from the offer

• Create and enable a discount message: This alerts customers to your deal. You can set this message to only appear on certain products.
• Save your settings: Always remember to save your settings so any changes you make are applied.
• Test your BOGO deal: Check how your deal works from the customer’s perspective to ensure everything is working as expected.

Using a plugin is undoubtedly the easiest way to configure BOGO offers in WooCommerce. 

This method not only allows you to create BOGO deals but also empowers you to put together an array of other appealing discounts (fixed or percentage discount) as well as advanced coupons.

To BOGO or not to BOGO: Pros and Cons

While BOGO offers can be highly beneficial for some businesses, there are also potential drawbacks to implementing this type of promotion. 

To help you thoroughly evaluate whether BOGO deals are the right choice for your WooCommerce store, we’ve created a chart outlining the main pros and cons of this sales strategy:

Pros	Cons
Helps clear out inventory: BOGO deals can be used strategically to liquidate overstocked or slow-moving items.	Can lead to price erosion: Customers may become accustomed to discounted prices, making it difficult to sell items at full price in the future.
Boosts sales: Encourage customers to buy more products by offering additional items for free.	Decreased profit margins: Reduced revenue for the discounted products (and even for some products sold alongside BOGO items) may negatively impact overall profits.
Entices new customers: Attractive BOGO deals can draw in new customers who are always on the lookout for the best offers.	Can damage brand perception: If done too frequently or without proper marketing, BOGO offers can cheapen the perceived value of your brand.
Improves brand loyalty: Customers will appreciate the great value and may be more inclined to shop from your store.

Optimizing your BOGO Offer for Success

When used effectively, BOGO offers can be an incredible tool for generating interest in your online store, moving target inventory, and ultimately boosting your revenue. 

Ensuring the success of your BOGO deal heavily depends on selecting the right products, planning your sale strategy, and effectively marketing your promotion. 

Let’s explore these crucial elements for optimizing your BOGO offer:

1. Choose the Right Products

Not every product is suitable for a BOGO deal. When selecting products, consider the following criteria:

• Inventory: Choose items that you have in abundant supply or need to clear out.
• Profit margin: Pick products with higher profit margins so that the reduced revenue from the BOGO offer won’t significantly impact your profits.
• Customer appeal: Opt for broad-appeal products that can attract new customers to your store.

2. Plan Your Sale Strategy

Strategically implementing your BOGO offer will help maximize its success. Follow these steps:

• Timing: Schedule your BOGO promotion around significant shopping seasons or holidays to capitalize on increased customer demand.
• Exclusivity: Limit the duration of your BOGO deal to create a sense of urgency among customers and entice them to shop before the offer ends.
• Variety: Consider offering different types of BOGO deals (e.g., “Buy 2, Get 1 Free”) to cater to various customer preferences and keep things interesting.

3. Market Your BOGO Offer

Promotion is essential for the success of any sale. These marketing tactics will help you get the word out about your BOGO deal:

• Email marketing: Inform existing customers of your BOGO offer through newsletter updates or targeted promotional emails.
• Social media: Leverage your business’s social media platforms to announce and promote your BOGO deal.
• In-store signage (for brick-and-mortar stores): Eye-catching displays and signage can draw attention to your BOGO promotion for in-person shoppers.
• Website banners: Display a prominent banner on your WooCommerce site to inform visitors of your BOGO offer.

By choosing the right products, planning your sale strategy, always pricing deals, and effectively marketing your BOGO deal, you’ll be on your way to optimizing your BOGO offer for maximum success in your WooCommerce store.

Best Products for a BOGO Discount

Choosing the right product for a BOGO deal is essential, as not all products are suitable for this type of promotion. To make sure your BOGO offer brings the desired results, consider the following tips when selecting a product:

1. Practicality: Look for items that make sense to own in multiples or need replenishment. These can include:
   • Pairs of socks, stationery, or smartphone accessories
   • Consumables like dish soap, toiletries, or food items
   • Products with an expiration or sell-by date. Ensure the date is far enough away so that customers can consume them before they expire.
2. Profit Margin: Ensure at least a 50% profit margin on the discounted item to make money on your sale. The higher the profit margin, the better.
3. Surplus Inventory: Use BOGO deals to drive sales of surplus items and keep inventory manageable.

Avoid promoting these products in BOGO deals:

• Items that having multiples of would be redundant
• Outerwear
• Kitchen utilities like mixers or toaster ovens
• High-value items, even if they have a relatively high-profit margin

Tip: Offering high-value items for free may undermine the original value claim for free products and affect your brand perception.

Advanced BOGO Deal Techniques

While the basic “buy 1, get 1” type of BOGO deal is quite popular, there are other creative approaches you can utilize for your WooCommerce store:

• Mix and Match Quantities: Offer various combinations of “Buy x, get y” deals such as “Buy 3, get 2 free” or “Buy 5, get 3 free.”
• User Role Exclusive Deals: Restrict BOGO discounts to certain user roles, such as logged-in users, to create exclusive deals.
• Free Samples: Instead of offering the same item for free, provide a list of themed sample packs for customers to choose from.
• Seasonal BOGO Offers: Drive sales during slow seasons or annual sales periods by offering timely BOGO deals.

Marketing Strategies for Your Buy-One-Get-One-Free Offer

Here are a few strategies you can use to promote your BOGO coupon offers.

1. Clear Messaging

Craft clear, concise, and appealing copy for your BOGO promotion, highlighting the value customers will get.

Make sure your copy aligns with your brand’s overall voice and tone.

2. Social Media Promotion

Leverage various social media platforms to spread the word about your BOGO deals. Tailor your posts to each platform’s specific requirements and audience preferences. 

For example, Instagram posts should have visually appealing images. Engage with your customers in the comments, answer questions, and build excitement around your promotion.

3. Email Marketing

Use email marketing to target specific audience segments with tailored BOGO promotions. Address timely concerns or preferences that your target audience may have.

4. Cross-Promote BOGO Offers

Maximize exposure for your BOGO deals by employing the following free deal and cross-promotion tactics:

• Blog posts: Write a blog post showcasing the benefits of your BOGO deal and how customers can take advantage of it.
• Related product listings: Display BOGO offers within related product listings to encourage customers to explore the deals.
• Website banners: Place eye-catching banners throughout your eCommerce site to inform visitors about the available BOGO deals.

Implementing these marketing strategies will ensure that your buy-one-get-one-free offer reaches a wide audience and generates the desired results for your WooCommerce store.

Launching Your-Buy-One-Get-One-Free WooCommerce Deal: Steps to Success

BOGO deals can be a fantastic promotional tool for your WooCommerce store if used correctly. They can help increase sales, reduce inventory, and attract new customers. However, executing them efficiently requires the right tools. 

The Dynamic Pricing and Discount Rules plugin is a user-friendly and robust tool that simplifies the process of creating and managing BOGO deals on your WooCommerce site.

Don’t wait any longer to leverage the power of BOGO deals. Download the Dynamic Pricing and Discount Rules plugintoday and start creating enticing offers that will drive traffic and sales to your WooCommerce store.