By Emily Ford
eford@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY ó The Salisbury Post has launched a local version of popular national deal-of-the-day websites like Groupon and LivingSocial.
RoCoDeals offers deals for 50 percent to 90 percent off regular prices at local restaurants, spas, businesses and events. When subscribers sign up at www.RoCoDeals.com they receive a special savings offer via email twice a week ó Mondays and Thursdays ó from a Rowan or Cabarrus county business.
So far, deals have included food, cake, coffee, oil change and tire rotation. Deals run for three days, and buyers have at least six months to use the voucher.
Since the launch Nov. 3, thousands of people have joined the website, exceeding expectations, said Rebecca Alexander, Internet director for the Salisbury Post.
ěIíve been shocked,î Alexander said. ěBranding it has been easier than I expected.î
The most popular deal has been $20 worth of food at Mambo Grill for $10.
Ninety-six people bought that deal, including Cliff Sorel. He also bought the deal at Chef Santos ó $60 of food for $30 on a weeknight.
ěIím all about deals,î Sorel said. ěI clip coupons. Iím a deal guy.î
Businesses may restrict the days when consumers can cash in their deals, which makes sense for a restaurant trying to bring in traffic during a slower part of the week, Sorel said.
Using www.RoCoDeals.com has been easy, he said.
ěThe interface is really smooth. Itís very secure,î Sorel said. ěThey really did their homework on getting the infrastructure set up.î
The number of subscribers continues to grow every day, as well as businesses interested in making a deal, Alexander said. Businesses have signed up through February.
RoCoDeals is different from national sites because businesses pay nothing up front, she said. The business and Post share in the proceeds of each deal sold.
The power of the Salisbury Post, which has a daily readership of 50,600, and www.salisburypost.com with 30,000 average daily impressions, helps drive people to purchase the deals, Alexander said.
Even if a particular deal doesnít sell well, the business receives extensive free advertising, she said.
A clock at www.RocoDeals.com ticks down the time left until the deal expires. The Chef Santos deal went viral in its last 24 hours, nearly doubling sales after subscribers posted the deal to their Facebook page and Twitter account and emailed the link to friends.
If someone clicks on a RoCoDeal posted on a social media site or in an email and buys the deal, the subscriber who sent the link receives $10 in Deal Bucks. The credit is good toward a future deal purchase.
The day after subscribers buy a deal, they receive an email and print out a voucher, which they present to the business. Upcoming deals include computer service, travel, ice cream, symphony tickets, massages, linens, photography and more.
Contact reporter Emily Ford at 704-797-4264.