Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Zimini - General Info

How was Zimini founded?

Zimini's founders have nearly 40 years of combined experience working for some the best known and loved brands (including Ford Motor Company, Target Corporation, Intel Corporation, AT&T Corporation, GTE Corporation and McDonald's Corporation) in the retail, consumer, service and technology industries. These experiences, and their insights working with both large and small companies, led them to believe that there was a better, more powerful way for merchants and marketers to connect with consumers. Zimini is the tool they developed to fulfill this vision.

What is Zimini?

Zimini is computer software.

For consumers, Zimini is a like a free virtual coupon organizer that finds great coupons, promotions and special offers that match your unique interests. It automatically organizes your coupons and special offers; and makes it easy for you to save money and learn about new and exciting products tied to your interests.

For merchants and marketers, Zimini is a powerful promotion platform that allows you to quickly and easily create digital coupons, promotions and special offers. It combines many of the best features of a newspaper advertisement or coupon, a direct mail promotion, and search engine marketing in an easy-to-use, free software package.

Did we mention that Zimini is free software for both merchants and consumers?

What has the industry and press said about Zimini?

Zimini has been covered in both print and on-line media. Here are a few selected quotes and their sources:

“If you're an online or brick-and-mortar retailer who wants to offer a product coupon, a product like Zimini could be the answer. “
Mitch Bettis
Contributing Editor
Practical eCommerce Magazine

“Marketers want to reach their customers. Customers want to control their in-boxes. Zimini satisfies both needs with a platform that helps marketers reach customers “
Chris Shipley
Executive Director
DEMO Conference

“Clip and save just got easier”
Chicago Sun Times

Zimini.com users get coupons that fit their preferences right on their desktop without needing to search through a site filled with irrelevant coupon offers.
ABCNews.com

“Good for consumers. Good for merchants. The more information a merchant knows about a consumer the better they can cater their offers to match their needs and desires.“
What Counts BLOG

“Application was straightforward to use & sensitive to privacy concerns“
Jesssica Vascellaro
Contributing Editor
The Wall Street Journal

“Its appealing to consumers because their participation won’t result in them getting 10,000 emails from other companies”
Lisa Bradner
Senior Analyst
Forrester Research

“As a merchant, you get a distributive network with which to gain new customers and advertise your product.“
Mashable BLOG

"This site is simple and seems to be one of those rare applications that serves both the customer and the business equally and fairly."
KillerStartups.com

Can we set up a demo of Zimini for my company, organization or team?

Sure. Just drop us a note at support@zimini.com and we'll contact to to get a demo set up. We can do both on-site and virtual demos.

I have a technical question or require technical help.

Please contact us at support@zimini.com

Zimini Mobile BETA

What is the Zimini Mobile BETA?

Zimini has introduce a mobile version of its software for consumers that allows them to access their personalize coupons, promotions and special offers via a web-enable phone. The mobile website page is located here.

Why would consumers want a mobile version of Zimini?

The value for consumers is that they can now carry all of their Zimini coupons and promotions wherever they go, accessible right from their cell phone. Let's say you're hanging out with family or friends and want to grab something to eat - with Zimini Mobile you can quickly go to http://www.Zimini.com/mob from your web enabled mobile phone, and see dining coupons, promotions and special offers based on your location and preferences.

What is the value for merchants?

Merchants now have the ability to create and launch a mobile ad, coupon or promotion quickly, easily and inexpensively. Merchants can create a mobile coupon or promotion in less than 5 minutes for the same cost as a Zimini ad, coupon or promotion. (That's right....merchants get both a Zimini digital coupon and a Zimini mobile coupon for the same cost.) If fact, Zimini is the only marketing platform that allows merchants to create mobile coupons on-the-fly.

Advantages of mobile promotions and coupons include:

• Ability to drive traffic to stores, events, attractions and services
• Available over any web-enabled phone
• Ability to use time & place targeting
• Available to consumers when they are most engaged, interested.
• Easier for consumers to use - no clipping, printing, carrying.
• Less expensive to create and deliver
• Enviromentally friendly

What are the requirements to use Zimini Mobile BETA?

Merchants only need to download the FREE Zimini software and create a promotion, coupon or special offer; their promotion is automatically available to consumer via Zimini Mobile.

Consumers will also need to install the FREE Zimini software on their windows based personal computer and build their profile. Once they built their profile; coupons, promotions and special offers that match their location and unique interests will be available on Zimini Mobile BETA using a web-enabled cell phone.

Does Zimini Mobile use SMS or text messaging?

No. Zimini believes that marketing messages delivered via SMS or text messages are intrusive, and only provide the user with limited control over what they receive and when they receive it. This approach often requires the user to opt into mobile campaigns for every product or service they might find useful or interesting.

We believe a mobile web page that delivers coupons and promotions based on each user's unique profile provides the end user with greater control over when coupon and promotions are viewed, what type of ads and offers are delivered, do not interfere with the use of SMS or text messages, and do not require the user to respond to text message or clean out their SMS inbox. Additionally, because coupons and promotions are delivered in real-time, promotions and coupons are always up-to-date.

Does it cost anything to use Zimini Mobile?

No. Zimini's software is FREE for both merchants and consumers. Use of Zimini Mobile is also FREE for merchants and consumers. Consumers may incur costs through their cell phone carrier for accessing the internet via their phone.

Does Zimini Mobile work with every cell phone?

Zimini Mobile works with more than 300 models of phones. Phones accessing Zimini Mobile must be web-enabled.

What doe BETA mean?

BETA means that we are continuing to add features and services to the Zimini Mobile product. You may see changes as you use Zimini Mobile as we improve and adapt the product to meet merchants and consumers needs.

What does it cost to use Zimini Mobile?

Zimini Mobile is free for consumers. Consumers access Zimini Mobile via a web-enabled cell phone so carrier charges may apply. Consumers should check with the cell phone service provider to understand what carrier changes may apply when they access mobile websites.

Does Zimini Mobile require I install any software on my cell phone?

No. Zimini Mobile only requires that you have a web-enabled cell phone.

Installation

How do I get Zimini?

You can download Zimini from our website www.Zimini.com. Zimini is free for consumers, merchants and marketers. You'll also need to create a user name and password to run Zimini. To download the consumer version, go here. If you are a merchant or marketer and want to create and launch digital coupons, promotions and special offers, download the merchant version from here.

How long does it take to download Zimini?

That depends on the speed of your internet connection. Using a high-speed DSL or cable modem connection, download Zimini should take only a few minutes. If your connection is congested, it may take longer.

What are the system requirements for Zimini?

Zimini runs on Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista. Zimini requires the Microsoft .Net Framework 2.0, and Windows Installer 3.1. Your system should have these components if you have automatic updates turned on. (The can also be found here: .Net 2.0 Redistributable Package from Microsoft and the Windows Installer 3.1 from Microsoft)

How do I install Zimini?

When you download Zimini, you will have a file named ZiminiFull.exe. When you double-click on this file, the Zimini installation will start automatically. Installation takes about 10 minutes. During installation, Zimini will install a small database on your computer to store your profile and coupons, and then the Zimini software itself. If you have questions or problems , please contact us at support@zimini.com.

Is Zimini spyware or adware?

No. Zimini is not spyware or adware and does not track your internet surfing habits, or the websites you visit. Zimini does use the information in your profile to identify promotions, offers and coupons that would be interesting to you. Remember, Zimini does not ask for or need your name, email address or phone numbers to work for you.

How do I uninstall Zimini?

You can uninstall Zimini using Windows control panel and selecting Add/Remove Programs.

Updating Zimini

How do I know when a new version of Zimini is available?

Zimini automatically checks for updates to the Zimini software each time Zimini runs. If there is a newer version of the Zimini software, you will see a popup message with a link to the new version. Some Zimini software updates are "recommended", while other updates are "manadatory". In either case you can download the new software by visisting www.zimini.com and clicking on the link to get Zimini. Please remember to uninstall the current version of Zimini before you install and update.

How do I update the Zimini software on my PC?

Updating the Zimini software on your PC is very simple. Please follow the steps below if you need to update or reinstall the Zimini software.

1. Uninstall the current version. You can do this through the Windows Control Panel.
2. Download Zimini from Zimini.com You can download the most current version of Zimini from here.
3. Install Zimini. Install Zimini on your computer.

Once you have updated the Zimini software, you will want to rebuild your profile to ensure you receive coupons and promotions that match your interests.

Consumer - My Coupons

How do I check for new coupons, promotions and special offers?

As long as your computer is connected to the internet, Zimini automatically checks for new coupons, promotions and special offers throughout the day without any action from you. Just leave Zimini running in the background on your computer.

You can also force Zimini to check for new coupons and promotions by selecting File, then Check for New Coupons from the main menu. Whenever Zimini has a new coupon, promotion or special offer for you, you'll see a small pop-up message in the system tray that says "You've Got Promotions" for about 2 seconds then automatically disappears. Zimini organizes all your coupons and promotions in the My Coupons inbox in Zimini.

How do I see the coupons, promotions and special offers Zimini has found for me?

All of the coupons, promotions and special offers that match your interests can be found in your My Coupons inbox. Coupons are organized by categories so that you can quickly find the great deals and special offers. Zimini keeps your coupons, promotions and special offers up-to-date automatically, so you'll never have to worry about finding an expired coupon or promotion.

Zimini keeps your coupons and promotions organized by category and location - no more shuffling through a stack of paper coupons, or flipping through a coupon booklet or newspaper to find the deals that interest you.

How do I use the coupons, promotions and offers in Zimini?

That depends on the merchant. Some merchants ask that you print out the coupon and bring it into their establishment, while others may provide a code that you present to the merchant at the time of purchase. Online merchants may provide a link or code to redeem the coupon.

Can I receive coupons for different locations - like my home and office?

Zimini can find coupons, promotions and special offers for you in several locations. You can provide your home and office zip code on the Personal page of your profile. Zimini will look for coupons and promotions for merchants in and around these areas.

But, Zimini can do even more...You can enter an umlimited number of vacation and business travel zip codes on the Vacation Travel and Business Travel profile pages to have Zimini look for coupons, promotions and special offers in and around these areas. This is a great way to save money while traveling for pleasure or business. You'll need to enter your business and vacation travel zip codes just once and Zimini will keep looking for great coupons and promotions for you.

I'm getting some coupons, offers and promotions that I don't want. What can I do?

You can update your profile to include additional information about your interests, likes and dislikes. For example: if you don't like a certain type of food, check the Food tabs and ensure your profile reflects your likes and dislikes.

Some of my Zimini coupons disappeared, what happened?

Zimini manages offers, promotions and coupons for you. Zimini automatically deletes coupons that have expired. That way, you'll always have current, up-to-date promotions in My Coupons

Does Zimini need my email to find coupons and special offers for me?

Zimini does NOT need your email address, name, street address or phone number to find coupons and promotions for you. In fact, there's no place you can even enter this information in your Zimini profile. You can tell Zimini about your interests and likes. The things you probably share with your friends, neighbors and co-workers, like the types of food, movies, entertainment, books and hobbies that interest you. Zimini uses this to find coupons, promotions and special offers for you.

Can I force Zimini to check for new coupons & promotions?

Zimini automatically checks for coupons and promotions that match your interests in the background if you leave Zimini running on your computer, However, you can force Zimini to do an immediate check for new coupons, promotions and special offers using the "Check for New Coupons" menu item under the File menu.

How do I know Zimini has found new coupons or promotions for me?

Zimini automatically checks for coupons and promotions that match your unique interests if you leave Zimini running in the background on your computer. Whenever Zimini finds a new coupon, promotion or special offer that matches your interests, Zimini will notify you with a small "You've Got Promotions" message in the task bar. The message will by displayed for about 4 seconds, then automatically disappear. Zimini will automatically put the new coupon, promotion or special offer into your My Coupons inbox in Zimini.

Consumer - My Profile

What happens if I lose my profile password?

We suggest you write down your Zimini user name and password in a safe place. Because Zimini does not ask for your email or name; we are unable to provide you with your user name and password if you lose it. Zimini was designed to protect your privacy. If you lose your user name and password, you'll need to get a new user name and password from our website and recreate your profile.

Where is my profile stored?

Your personal profile is stored on your computer. It is encrypted based on your user name and password.

Do I need to fill out all of the information in My Profile?

No. You should fill out only the information you are comfortable sharing with Zimini. As your comfort level increases, you can add additional information to your profile. You can add new information to your profile when you want. Remember, the more information Zimini knows about your interests, the more likely you will receive offers, coupons and promotions that you will find useful.

Can Zimini have more than one profile?

Yes. Each person who uses Zimini should have their own profile. If you share a computer with several people, each person can have their own private profile based on their interests.

Merchant - General Questions

Is Zimini easy to use?

Yes. Zimini is very easy to use. The software walks you through each step necessary to create a digital coupon, promotion or special offer. It will take less than 10 minutes to create and launch your first coupon or promotion. The major steps are determining the type of coupon or promotion you want to offer (to promote your local store or an on-line store), choosing a category for your coupon, selecting the geographic distribution of our promotion, selecting the demographic targeting criteria for your promotion, creating the headline and other details of your promotion (such as start date, end date, restrictions, etc) and finally, launching your promotion. And relaunching one of your successful coupons or promotions is even easier.

What kinds of merchants can use Zimini?

Zimini can be used by all types of merchants including local merchants that want drive consumers to their storefronts and on-line merchants that want to drive traffic to their websites. Zimini is a powerful promotion tool that works for a single store location all the way to thousands of locations (such as a franchisor).

What does it cost to use Zimini?

For merchants and marketers the Zimini software is free. Zimini charges merchants and marketers $49.99 only when they launch a coupon or promotion. This allows merchants and marketers to download and try our software without incurring any fees.

What does Zimini do for merchants?

Zimini is a quick and easy way to create and launch targeted digital coupons, promotions and special offers designed to help grow your business. You can create and launch a Zimini coupon or promotion in less than 10 minutes. If you've ever used a newspaper coupon or advertisement, a coupon book, or direct mail coupons or promotions you can use Zimini. If you're an on-line merchant or web store, and have used search engine links or banner ads; you can use Zimini to promote your website.

Can I use Zimini as both a merchant and consumer?

Yes. You'll need to create two screen names and passwords - register once as a merchant, then again as a consumer. You can register as a merchant here, and as a consumer here. You will only need to download and install the Zimini software one time.

My company is a franchisor or has multiple locations - will Zimini work for us?

Yes. Zimini can easily accomodate from 1 to millions of merchants, franchisees or store locations. Zimini has several powerful tools that can help you build a consistent brand across multiple locations, test market products and services in limited geographic areas, and allow your franchisees (or store locations) to customize targeting to their specific market(s). Call us to learn more.

Merchant - Coupon Questions

What are Zimini's coupon and promotion categories?

Zimini organizes coupons and promotions into categories so that consumers can find your coupon quickly. Currently there are 25 categories including: automotive, beauty, books & magazines, clothing, collectibles, computers & electronics, entertainment, finance & investing, fitness, food & dining, grocery, health & nutrition, hobbies, home & garden, infants & children, jewelry & watches, movies & television, music, personal services, pets, recreation & outdoor, shoes & accessories, sports, toys and travel.

What information can I put on my coupon, promotion or special offer?

You coupon or promotion can incorporate a headline and sub-headline, the specific promotion details and restrictions, promotions start- and end-dates, the address of your business, a business phone number, your website URL and a legal disclaimer.

We have provided both retail and manufacturing legal text for use on your coupon or promotion to help protect your business.

How do I create the text of my coupon or promotion?

Zimini has a built-in text editor (similar to a word processor or email program) that allows you to enter text, choose fonts, font sizes, font colors, and background colors for your promotion. There's also a built-in spell checker.

Merchant - Targeting Tools

How do I target my promotion or coupon?

Zimini has powerful targeting capabilities that allow merchants and marketers to target consumers most likely to be interested in their products or services.

The first of these is geographic targeting. Geographic targeting answers the question "What potential customers are near my business and how can I reach them?" Zimini plots your businesses location and a recommended distribution around your business using our powerful, patent-pending geographic targeting algorithm. You an adjust this recommendation based on your knowledge of your local market and products.

The second is demographic targeting. Demographic targeting allows you to choose those potential customers who are a good fit for your product or service. Is your ideal customer male or female? Young or mature? Do they have a family? Children? These are examples of the types of demographic targeting capabilities Zimini provides.

And finally, there is interest-based targeting. Interest-based targeting allows you to identify potential customers based on their interests. Do they attend concerts or movies? Do they read outdoor magazines, fashion magazines or sports magazines. Do they like certain types of music, or foods. Interest-based targeting answers these types of questions so that you target the best customers for your product or service.

Zimini has over 200 demographic and interest-based targeting criteria for you to choose from - and its all "point and click". You'll create your first coupon or promotion in less than 10 minutes!

How do I know how many consumers will get my coupon or promotion?

Zimini provides you with an estimated reach on the promotion summary page BEFORE you launch your coupon or promotion. You can then adjust your targeting criteria so that your coupon or promotion reaches fewer/more consumers. Keep in mind that adjusting your target criteria is as simple as checking a box, so it's quick and easy to make these adjustments until you are comfortable with your coupon or promotion.

Merchant - Trial Offers

How do merchant trial offers (e.g. "30 Day Free Trial") work?

On occasion, we offer select merchants a time-limited free trial so that they can try out Zimini's marketing software.

In order to use a free trial code, you will need to actually create a new coupon or promotion using the Zimini software. On the last screen in the Zimini software, the "Launch Promotion" screen you will see any promotions or special offers that apply to merchants using our service.

Any offers that apply to you will be shown in the green colored box in the screenshot below. Simply enter the code show in the green area into the coupon code box (shown in orange in the screenshot below).  This will automatically adjust the amount you will be billed.  The billed amount is shown where it says "Your payment amount is:" (shown in the purple box below).  You will then need to enter your payment information (name, address and credit card info). 

If your payment amount is zero, or shows as $0.00, you will still need to enter a valid billing name, address, email and credit card information - although you will not be billed. 

Agencies - General

Can we use Zimini to manage campaigns for our clients?

Zimini was designed to allow agencies to create and manage Zimini digital campaigns for their clients. And our licensing agreement allows agencies to manage all facets of your clients campaign using the free Zimini software provided that each client has a separate and unique "screen name" and "password". If you're an agency and would like more information about using Zimini with your clients, please send an email to us at agency@zimini.com.

Can you provide training for Zimini?

We would be happy to arrange on-site or virtual training for your team. Please drop us a note at agency@zimini.com

Franchisors - General Questions

Does Zimini work for franchisors/franchisees?

Yes! In fact, Zimini is a powerful promotional platform that allow franchisers & franchises to create and launch targeted digital coupons, promotions and special offers that support and enhance the franchiser's brand image while allowing the local franchisee to easily tailor promotions to the local market. Here are a few more examples of how Zimini can help franchisers/franchisees:

Ensuring a consistent brand image - Promotion/coupon templates allow franchisers to maintain a consistent brand image in terms of overall look and feel of promotions, promotional messages, fonts, colors and layout.

Flexible targeting based on local market conditions - Franchises can tailor the targeting of their promotion to the local market. This might include pricing, promotion start- and end-dates, geographic distribution around their business location, and demographic and interest-based targeting criteria.

Ability to customize promotional messages by geographic market and target customer - Zimini allows national promotions to be easily customized by the local markets/franchises so that promotional messages resonate for their market while other elements of the promotion remain consistent with the national offer.

These are just a few of the benefits that Zimini can provide for franshiser/franchisee organizations right out of the box with no customization or special setup.

Can we use Zimini to introduce new products or for test marketing?

Zimini is ideal for these types of marketing situations. Zimini's powerful geographic targeting allows franchisers to test market new products in well-defined geographic areas - such as a radius around a specific store location. This ensures that your promotional offer is only seen by those customers that can actually trial or purchase your product or service at a store near them. This type of targeting could include a single store location, multiple locations in an area (such as a region or district) or multiple stores across the US.

More importantly, Zimini allows marketers to test several varieties of promotion messages (such as cents off promotions, buy one get one offers and combo pricing) to determine which promotional messages resonate with customers.

These types of promotions can be implemented quickly and easily using Zimini, with no special set-up required by the marketer, franchiser or franchisee.

Can we use Zimini for new product roll-outs?

Zimini is a great tool for helping marketers manage product roll-outs. Zimini's geographic targeting allows marketers to roll out new products and services market-by-market. Consider a company that wants to introduce a new product one region (or market area) at at time. Zimini would allow targeted promotional offers to be launched as each store comes online with the new products. This eliminates the customer dissatisfaction that occurs when advertising tells consumers about a new product, but it is not yet available in their area.

In the case of a national product roll-out, Zimini allows marketers to more precisely hone their marketing message to the demographics of the target market. It is up to the marketer to determine which elements (price, demographics, or promotional messages) they need to adjust for each market.

Can franchises use Zimini standalone?

Yes. Zimini is a powerful and flexible marketing tool. Individual franchises can use Zimini to launch coupons, promotions and special offers for their market area. This minimizes the potential for individual franchisee promotions to impact other nearby franchisee locations.