Charlotte SEO | Charlotte Marketing and SEO – Hat Tip to the 1 Cent Tradition

Charlotte Marketing and SEO – Hat Tip to the 1 Cent Tradition

Posted on July 20, 2010
Filed Under Copywriting, How to Increase Profits, Web Marketing, carolina seo | Leave a Comment

Penny Lane ( Kate Hudson)

Just 99 cents!

When I start to think my Charlotte Marketing and SEO – search engine optimization -can get complex, I am reminded of the year 1876-

Melville Stone wanted to sell a Chicago Newspaper for a penny. This would compete with the nickel papers that were top dog.

Pennies were scarce so Stone talked shop owners into lowering prices to both create change and raise a bargain spotters eyebrow.

It worked—folks had change in their pockets and the penny paper sold.

Oops…

A shortage of pennies soon developed so Stone went to the Mint and got barrels of them to keep the flow and the paper going.

So today we still have items all over the world priced at a major savings of 99 cents.

4.99, 5.99, 99.99.

It works even today

Play with a person’s perception—blatantly—and they will go for the lower price—even for a penny.

Oh, but we leave pennies all over the sidewalk and in that jar on the shelf .

I would think that in the year 2010, shoppers would be more savvy, and maybe they are.

Seven is the New Nine

If items were priced at a rounded off number maybe consumers would be just fine with that.

But testing sets the bar and prices remain at $.99.

Except, of course, on the Internet where it is $.97 , or $97 or $1,997 — you get the idea –

Red tag sale-

While we’re on the subject, what about a 20% off sale? Would 21% off catch your eye quicker?

Of course it would. So why do merchants stick with rounded off percentages? Tradition.

Same reason we set prices at 99cents. Tradition.

Moral of the Story

Value perception really is everything.

People drive way out of their way to save three cents on a gallon of gas and step over that much on the sidewalk daily.

As for me, I buy generic baking soda. Works great and look what I found– it’s not 6o cents, it’s just 59 cents. Lucky me. On sale. :)

And so an idea evolves. From a marketing idea to a Charlotte SEO blog.  A wink back in time long before search engine optimization was or any such nonsense.

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