Making a sale and getting a new customer is an amazing feeling, but retaining and creating loyal recurring customers is what truly drives your growth. So if you really want to create loyal return customers, why don’t you have a loyalty program?
We all know that keeping an existing customer is a lot less expensive than going after brand new ones all the time, so right away we can understand the monetary benefits of a loyalty program. Your goal may be to simply provide your customers with discounts, and that’s ok. The hidden strength of loyalty programs is that you can create a desire to purchase your brand by fostering a sense of belonging to a community. A community that rewards its customers with things like discounts, free shipping, exclusive sales, events, or a basic points program.
Some may argue that you should be spending more time attracting new customers, but bringing new customers in for a one time purchase may not actually be the most cost effective thing you can do. Loyalty programs are designed to retain existing customers, while giving them a reason to keep buying, but they’re also designed to attract new customers and to show them that a purchase with your company comes with all of these amazing loyalty aspects. So loyalty programs act as a double edged sword, keeping your customers and bringing new ones through the door.
With programs like Smile.io, you can create dynamic, scalable loyalty points, referral, and VIP programs on your Shopify store, all in a matter of minutes – and it’s free to get started. You can also customize, create, and reward your customers in a way that suits your business needs. Companies like Topps let you accumulate points for purchases, social media shares, and referrals, showing that earning points can take various forms. Pizza Hut provides customers with loyalty points for ordering through their mobile app, showing that loyalty programs can also aide in technology adoption. Buffalo Wild Wings let you redeem points for various menu items and have partnered with other brands to let customers use these points there as well.
With new products and businesses coming online everyday, your customers have a tremendous amount of choice when it comes to purchasing. At the end of the day, if you offer them a program that rewards loyal purchasing and gives a reason to keep buying, you will create lasting value for your customers. Value in your customers hearts means more dollars in your online carts!