Which is better Groupon or LivingSocial?
Who offers the best daily deals online? Well here’s the deal… these days you can’t swing a dead cat on the internet without hitting a daily deals website, they are popping up like bunnies at the pet store. In their simplest form daily deals websites work like this, the daily deals company strikes up an agreement with a local retailer and offers them a surge in customers if the retailer will offer these customers a deal they can’t refuse. In return the daily deal company (such as Groupon or Living Social) takes a cut of the sales. That business model has proven to be wildly successful as both Groupon and LivingSocial are valued in the billions of dollars. In fact it wasn’t that long ago that Google tried to buy Groupon for a ridiculous amount of money but Groupon said “no thanks”. Which is why Google is starting their own Daily Deals project called Google Offers. Internet monster Facebook is also jumping into the mix with a little thing called Facebook Deals.
How do you use Groupon or LivingSocial?
Simple, you review the daily deals on the Groupon/LivingSocial website or check your email for deals. If a deal looks like something you want… you buy it! Generally you get 50% off (or more) for whatever it is that they are selling. For instance you might get $50 in premium cigars at the posh cigar lounge for $25. You then print out your coupon and take it to the retailer to redeem it. Groupon and LivingSocial both have iPhone apps you can also choose to use for buying and redeeming coupons.
Which Daily Deals site is the best?
Groupon's website is well designed and easy to use.
Since Google Offers and Facebook Deals are newcomers lets focus on Groupon and LivingSocial. Right off the bat I give the marketing and branding edge to Groupon. Groupon is a catchy name and it tells me exactly what I’m getting i.e., a coupon that is super great because I’m joining a large group purchase. Conversely LivingSocial doesn’t paint a mental picture of a group-coupon site, instead it sounds like a dating site or a Twitter clone. Groupon.com also has the advantage in website design since it’s easy to use and screams online deals, while with LivingSocial I still get the feeling that I’m on a website that isn’t coupon related.
Who’s deals are better, Groupon or LivingSocial?
LivingSocials daily deals are diverse and require no minimum.
The answer to that question is highly subjective but since LivingSocial gives a larger cut (60%) of the sale to the retailer, in the long run it’s likely LivingSocial may be able to offer the best deals and the widest range of online deals and coupons. Another nice thing about LivingSocial is that their deals have no minimum, and better yet, if three of your friends buy the deal on your recommendation you get the deal free! Groupon on the other hand requires that a certain number of customers buy the deal before the daily deal actually becomes valid. (If the deal doesn’t go “live” your money is refunded)
There is room for both daily deals giants
LivingSocial is the original daily deals website but Groupon is it’s slicker younger brother who has grabbed the lion’s share of the daily deals online market. However, I think there is room for both of these companies to thrive yet I’m not sure if there is room for two more so we will have to wait and see how the market shakes out after Facebook and Google jump in with full force. Personally, I’m a Groupon kinda guy, I like their deals and I understand and follow their branding and user tools. My wife however prefers LivingSocial so I guess there are no clear cut winners as of yet but this market is changing by the minute and could look dramatically different in a year from now.
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Online daily deals are everywhere these days with daily discounts of up to 90%. Finding the best deals online is always exciting.