Building a coupon site on WordPress is a fantastic way to help users save money, attract visitors to your website, and generate affiliate income.
Coupon sites are highly sought after by users searching for discounts and special offers, making them an essential resource.
At CanadaCreate, we have extensive experience in this area, negotiating and providing a variety of exclusive WordPress coupons and deals for hosting services, premium plugins, and themes.
In this guide, we will demonstrate how to effortlessly create a coupon website on WordPress, even if you have no technical skills.
We will discuss everything from selecting the ideal theme and plugins to adding your first coupons and promoting your website effectively.
What Is a Coupon Site?
A coupon site is an affiliate marketing platform that assists customers in discovering coupons and deals. This business model has gained immense popularity as online shopping continues to rise.
These websites generate revenue through affiliate marketing and partnerships, earning a commission whenever a user makes a purchase using their coupon code or clicking on their affiliate link.
For instance, CanadaCreate features its own deals section, where we collaborate with leading WordPress companies to provide our users with exclusive coupons and offers.
For a comprehensive understanding of how partnerships and affiliate programs work, check out our detailed affiliate marketing guide designed for beginners.
Now, let’s explore the straightforward process of creating a coupon website using WordPress and how to effectively grow it.
Getting Started with Your Coupon Website
To create a coupon website, you’ll need to register a domain name and set up a web hosting account.
A domain name is the address users enter in their browsers to access your site (for example, CanadaCreate.com). A web hosting account is where all your website’s files are stored. For more information, refer to our guide explaining the differences between a domain name and web hosting.
Domain names usually cost around $16.99 per year, while web hosting plans start at $7.99 per month. This can be a bit pricey for a small business just starting out.
Fortunately, Bluehost is offering an exclusive discount for CanadaCreate users, which includes a free domain name and an SSL certificate.
You can begin your journey for just $2.99 per month.
Bluehost is among the largest hosting companies globally and is officially recommended as a WordPress hosting provider.
After signing up for hosting, Bluehost will automatically install WordPress for you, allowing you to log in directly from your account dashboard.
Searching for an alternative to Bluehost? We suggest Hostinger, which also provides a free domain name along with a significant discount on hosting for CanadaCreate users.
If you require assistance, check out our comprehensive WordPress installation tutorial for more detailed guidance.
How to Set Up a Coupon Site on WordPress
The first step is to install and activate the WP Coupons plugin. For detailed instructions, refer to our step-by-step guide on installing a WordPress plugin.
After activation, navigate to Coupons » Add New to create your first coupon.
Simply enter a title for your coupon and provide a detailed description in the content area.
Below the editor, you will find a ‘WP Coupons Details’ box.
Here, you can enter your coupon code, affiliate URL, call to action, expiration date, and additional details.
Lastly, make sure to set a featured image for your coupon.
We recommend using consistently sized images for all your coupon featured images to ensure that your coupon grid layout appears visually appealing.
Once you have completed these steps, you can either save your changes or publish your coupon.
Once you have added several coupons, you can access the coupons archive to see all your coupons. WP Coupons will automatically generate a coupon page on your WordPress site.
Typically, this can be found at a URL similar to:https://example.com/coupons/
You can also click on the title of any coupon.
This action will take you to a detailed view of the individual coupon page with an extended description.
Showcasing Coupons on Your WordPress Site
By default, WP Coupons provides a coupon archive template to display all your coupons simultaneously.
However, the default template may not be compatible with your WordPress theme, or you might prefer to showcase your coupons on a different page.
To turn off the default coupon archive page, simply navigate toSettings » WP Coupons. In the Coupon Archive tab, deactivate the ‘Enable Custom Template’ option.
Now, you can utilize the[wp_coupons]shortcode anywhere on your WordPress site to display all your coupons.
Just edit the blog post or page where you want to show your coupon grid. In the post edit screen, click the (+) add block button and select the shortcode block for your content area.
Now, copy and paste the[wp_coupons]Insert the shortcode in the block settings. Remember to update or publish your changes.
Here’s how it appeared on our demonstration site:
Showcasing Individual Coupons in a Post or Page
WP Coupons simplifies the process of showcasing a single coupon within your WordPress posts and pages. This feature is particularly useful when creating content to promote a specific product or partner.
To showcase a single coupon, navigate to the Coupons » Coupons page and click the Edit link beneath the coupon you wish to add to your post or page.
In the Coupon edit screen, scroll down to the ‘WP Coupons Details’ box, where you’ll find a shortcode in the bottom right corner of that section.
Make sure to copy this shortcode.
Next, edit the post or page where you want to display the coupon.
On the post edit screen, click the (+) add block button and select the Shortcode block.
Paste the shortcode you copied earlier and save your post or page.
You can now preview your content to see the individual coupon shortcode in action.
Displaying Coupons in a Sidebar Widget
WP Coupons provides two methods for displaying coupons in WordPress sidebar widgets.
To showcase a random coupon in your WordPress sidebar, navigate to the Appearance » Widgets section and add the ‘WP Coupons Widget’ to your sidebar.
Click the ‘+’ icon at the top of the screen, enter ‘WP Coupons Widget’ in the search bar, and drag the widget into the sidebar area.
Next, provide a title for your widget and click the Save button to apply your changes.
You can now preview the widget on your website to see a random coupon displayed in the sidebar.
If you wish to display specific coupons in your WordPress sidebar, you can use the shortcode method.
Click the ‘+’ icon at the top of the screen, search for the ‘Shortcode’ widget, and drag it to the sidebar area. Then, insert the [coupon id="19"] shortcode in the text area.
Remember to replace the ID with the coupon ID you want to display. You can find a coupon shortcode by editing the coupon as demonstrated earlier in this guide.
To display multiple coupons in your sidebar, you can add several shortcodes with the respective coupon IDs. Here’s how it appeared on our test website.
Customizing Coupon Styles
WP Coupons offers limited options for selecting colors and styles for coupon grids and panels.
You can discover them by visiting the Settings » WP Coupons page and navigating to the Style Options tab.
Here, you can select colors and font sizes that align with your WordPress theme or design preferences.
After making your selections, be sure to click the Save Changes button to apply your settings.
Managing and Expanding Your Coupon Website
There are numerous affiliate marketing tools and plugins available to help you manage and expand your coupon site.
Here are some essential tools you’ll need.
1. Pretty Links Pro
Pretty Links Pro is a WordPress plugin designed for managing affiliate links, enabling you to convert lengthy, unattractive affiliate URLs into short, user-friendly links.
It also allows you to easily track, categorize, sort, and manage your affiliate links, saving you valuable time as an affiliate marketer.
For example, if you promote a partner across various sections of your site and they change their affiliate links, you can simply update the link in one place, and it will automatically update everywhere else.
Alternative: ThirstyAffiliates
2. MonsterInsights
MonsterInsights is the leading Google Analytics plugin for WordPress. It provides insights into your user demographics and their behavior on your website.
Additionally, it enables you to set up conversion tracking effortlessly, allowing you to make informed decisions to enhance your business growth.
For example, you can identify which coupons receive the most clicks and which ones are viewed but not clicked. This information can help you refine those coupon offers to increase their click-through rates.
3. OptinMonster
OptinMonster is the top-rated conversion optimization software available. It helps you transform website visitors into loyal subscribers and customers.
OptinMonster equips you with powerful tools to effectively promote coupons and deals throughout your website. It includes features like lightbox popups, countdown timers, header and footer banners, slide-in popups, spin-to-win popups, and more.
These tools are designed to enhance the visibility of your coupons and deals, enabling you to boost your conversion rates and increase your affiliate income.
We hope this article has guided you in easily setting up a coupon site in WordPress. You might also be interested in our tutorial on earning money through ethical affiliate marketing or our expert recommendations for the best coupon plugins for WordPress.
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