CHICAGO — When Groupon launched its new Deal Builder program in February, they had businesses like carwashes in mind, said Amit Koren, senior director local product management. The idea behind the program is simple: To allow local and small businesses the chance to build their own Groupon deals to reach their target audience.

Exclusive audio interview about Groupon Deal Builder

“Deal Builder is available from Grouponworks.com, and [helps businesses] to create deals for promotion in Groupon’s marketplace,” said Koren. What makes Deal Builder different, he said, is that it’s open to all merchants in the U.S., instead of mainly focused in major markets.

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While traditional marketing platforms work with many consumers, Groupon is a great tool for wash owners to target the “younger, more tech savvy and largely female customer base,” Koren said. Women have historically frequented carwashes less often than men, and he said 73 percent of Groupon customers are women, which creates a great opportunity for wash owners to attract new business.

With more than 80 million downloads of Groupon’s mobile application worldwide, Koren said Groupon offers a way to connect with digital consumers that traditional marketing services cannot. “The easiest way for small business to compete in the mobile advertising marketplace is to be part of the apps that people are already using.”

Over half of Groupon’s purchases already occur through mobile devices, and as this method of purchasing becomes more prevalent, this is one market carwashes will increasingly compete in, said Koren.

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Groupon actively works with business owners to ensure that the package that is designed will best fit their needs, Koren said. To get the most out of a Groupon promotion, he recommends a deal with multiple carwashes, which allows the customer a better chance to get acclimated to your carwash and creates a habit of them frequenting it.

Groupon recommends a deal choice when a customer begins creating a promotion; however, the owner makes the final decision on what package they select.

Wash owners know better than Groupon about what will work specifically at their business, he said, but the Deal Builder service is there to guide them along. “The beautiful thing about Deal Builder,” said Koren, is that “the power is completely in the hands of the business owner.”

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