Thank-you swag keeps online store top of mind

Small promotional gifts drive repeat business

By Stephanie Lamie

Repeat customers are critical to many businesses—and e-commerce stores are no exception. On average, about 35% of an online store’s revenue opens in new window comes from the top 5% of its customers. That’s why Traeder’s TNT Golf Car & Motorsports opens in new window—a small business that sells Yamaha^® golf cars, ATVs, other vehicles, parts and accessories— works hard to bring customers back round after round.

Matthew Vigor, marketing manager for the company, based in Quincy, Illinois, runs the online store that sells parts and accessories for its vehicles. When the company overhauled its website in 2022, Vigor began adding small promotional gifts to every order. Branded items like pens, stickers, keychains and golf tees are given to show appreciation and remind customers where they shopped. Many items are chosen specifically for golfers and golf cart owners.

“Each item has our website address on it, and hopefully when they need to buy more parts, they think, ‘Where’d I get them from last time?’ And then they look at a sticker or their keychain,” Vigor said.

Close attention is paid to individual customers. For example, if somebody makes multiple purchases in a year, Vigor makes sure they receive a different promotional item each time. Some repeat customers, or those making notably large purchases, earn slightly more substantial gifts, like golf towels or tape measures. It’s clear word gets around: Vigor recently had an order from a first-time buyer, and in the customer notes field, they wrote, “Send stickers.”

“Each item has our website address on it, and hopefully when they need to buy more parts, they think, ‘Where’d I get them from last time?’,” Matthew Vigor said.

The work has made a difference, as the online store continues to make revenue gains. From 2023 to 2024, sales increased 118%. Some months saw year-over-year increases of more than 150%. And that’s even more impressive when considering online sales before the 2022 website relaunch. “We’re doing 15 to 20 times the business every month now compared to the old site,” Vigor said.

Along with renewed focus on search engine optimization for the new site, some credit for the success goes to the thank-you swag for keeping the brand in front of customers. “Anytime we have a repeat customer, I’m sure the promotional items must be why,” Vigor said.

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