Although it’s been dubbed “the Amazon of Japan,” delivering products, digital content, and communications services worldwide, Rakuten is best known in the U.S. as a site that allows shoppers to earn cash back, as well as find coupons and promo codes, for their favorite online stores.
In the U.S, Rakuten partnered with Ebates to deliver shopping rewards through affiliate network links on their website. If you’re wondering “is affiliate marketing worth it?” — or, more specifically, whether coupon and cash-back sites and plug-ins are a good fit for your brand — you may be surprised how much you can earn when you sell on Rakuten as part of your digital marketing channel mix.
Benefits of Selling on Rakuten
Rakuten connects shoppers with coupon codes, cash back, and discounts for well-known brands as well as smaller eCommerce names. A listing on Rakuten can put your brand in front of consumers alongside other brands they already love and trust.
Plus, you gain the benefits of Rakuten’s search engine optimization. It could take months and lots of money to gain the same search engine visibility that Rakuten has already developed. Plus, Rakuten’s customer referral program, where consumers get cash back for referring their friends, means you gain the benefits of word-of-mouth marketing.
Customers Prefer Coupons
U.S. eCommerce shoppers love their coupons and discount codes. Consider these statistics from Rakuten’s 2021 Loyalty & Coupon Publisher Value report:
- 69% of shoppers consider only one or two brands when shopping, but 42% of coupon shoppers say they consider three or more brands before making a purchase.
- 66% of shoppers are more willing to consider a new brand if they have a coupon or discount.
- 47% will consider a new brand if they can earn rewards from their purchase.
- Overall, 66% say incentives are important when choosing a new brand.
When you sell on Rakuten, it’s easy for your customers to earn discounts and rewards immediately. People visit Rakuten looking for a deal. In fact, 32% of consumers visit coupon or loyalty sites on the web weekly.
They Also Love Cash Back
For many consumers, the only thing better than coupons up-front is cash-back rewards post- purchase. In a recent survey, 83% of consumers say they feel rewarded when they receive cash back. Those polled said they prefer cash back over annual birthday gifts, instant coupons, free samples, and many other perks and benefits.
It’s simple: show customers the money and they’ll be back.
Multiple Methods to Promote and Sell on Rakuten
Rakuten offers you many different ways to sell. You can list your products directly or list your brand and drive traffic to your own website through Rakuten’s portal. Shoppers will earn loyalty rewards and cash back when they purchase on your site after discovering your brand through Rakuten.
Rakuten makes it easy to set up an account and list your products. You’ll pay a monthly fee, listing fees, and commissions on your sales, based on the types of products you sell. The added visibility you receive from listing your products on Rakuten and the additional sales can cover the expense of your account very quickly.
What You Need
Ready to sell on Rakuten? You’ll first need to set up an account and provide your company name and a W-9 form with your tax ID number to show that you own a business. Then submit a list of your products with UPCs, EANs, JANs, or ISBNs.
Once Rakuten approves your application, you can get started by listing your products via the RMS web tool, in batches through an FTP feed, or through Rakuten’s open API for third-party integration. If you feel you could be doing more for your eCommerce sales, listing on Rakuten could be the solution.
Leverage Promotional Opportunities on Rakuten for More Sales
Whether you’re listing products to sell on Rakuten or taking advantage of the affiliate program to link your website to Rakuten and offer your customers cash-back rewards when they visit your site, you can improve sales through strategic marketing and promotions.
You can generate coupons in Rakuten for visitors to your site to use and even send your current customers to Rakuten to build loyalty and reward them with cash back and special deals. You don’t have to spend time or money managing the rewards program, because Rakuten handles all of that. The app includes artificial intelligence (AI)-based targeting solutions to help you reach your market amidst Rakuten’s 15 million members.
Partner with a Firm that Understands Affiliate Marketing
Still wondering whether affiliate marketing is right for you? Partnering with Rakuten can streamline your pathway to profits with added visibility and multiple ways to build customer loyalty. But you can make it even easier by working with an agency like Hawke Media that understands affiliate marketing to develop your strategy and guide the process. By partnering with an agency to optimize your affiliate marketing program, you’ll gain access to some of the best strategies for introducing your products to key publishers and influencers in the space, and get agency discounts on top affiliate network fees, increasing your overall ROI.