Gift cards are a $118 billion market that remains largely ignored by independent merchants, according to the Entrepreneur.com article “Gift Cards Are an Untapped Opportunity for Local Business.” Think about the gift card displays you see at drugstores and groceries – they’re full of cards for national brands. But while big brands dominate the gift card market, it is a market that’s on the rise, as compared to daily deal sites that are falling off sharply. Consider these ideas to help your local business get a piece of the gift card pie:

Cost. There are providers that offer minimal upfront setup costs for a simple gift card program that works with major credit cards. Giftcards.com is one option, allowing you to offer gift cards online for those searching for options in your area.

Design. Choose a service that allows you to customize the look of your card. In your store, an attractive, tailored card with will be a far more visually appealing than any card you can make yourself. And when people order your cards online from services like GiftCards.com, they can even customize them themselves.

Marketing. When your cards are available online via a site like GiftCards.com, people from out of town can find cards for your business and order them for their friends and family in your area. Also, apply this principle at the local level: Don’t just offer cards in your store – work out deals with other local merchants to sell your cards around town. This is an excellent marketing tactic as well as providing direct sales.

Click here to read the Entrepreneur.com article.