If you are an eCommerce business owner, then your goal is to make sales. One of the best ways to increase sales is by offering customer loyalty programs. These programs can be in many different forms, but one thing remains true: they need to offer customers a reason to come back and purchase again!
In this blog post, we will discuss how an effective customer loyalty program can help you generate more revenue for your business – so read on and learn more!
Customers who use your eCommerce platform are more likely to make repeat purchases. Without a doubt, customer loyalty programs boost the number of returning clients and, as a result, sales for your online store.
Learn how to choose the best program for your business and how to execute it effectively.
There is a huge difference between a satisfied customer and a loyal customer.
Customers who like your eCommerce firm’s goods may not remain customers for long, and someone else might offer a lower price or faster delivery alternatives. So how do you protect your hard-won consumers and prevent them from leaving to the competition?
Customer loyalty programs are the answer.
Businesses use loyalty programs to reward customers for making them their choice. The programs should make the customer want to shop there and not at your competitors’. Yes, even when it is easier to shop elsewhere.
Businesses may benefit a lot from loyalty programs. Here are a few examples:
- They increase customer’s identification with your brand
- Promote brand advocacy
- Recover lost customers to shop with you again
- Increase sales
It’s difficult to turn a client into a loyal one, and the competition is especially fierce for eCommerce firms. A successful loyalty program can assist you in succeeding in the internet sales market.
Why Customer Loyalty Matters
If you have a mentality like, “It’s no big deal; let them shop with the other guy. I’ll just keep bringing in new consumers.”, then you can expect to start losing business rather than gaining. It’s costly to attract new clients. Businesses may quantify the CAC (costs of client acquisition).
On the other hand, the LTV (lifetime value of a customer) is a more sophisticated calculation. That is because many firms are unable to compute the value of repeat customers since they don’t have access to sophisticated analytics.
That being said, one thing is clear: it’s much more important to retain existing customers. Businesses that focus exclusively on acquiring new clients risk losing excellent consumers, and this is a common theme in business analysis.
Customers who have already bought from you are more valuable than new ones since they are more likely to spend more money, be easier to sell to, and become brand advocates. The numbers speak for themselves:
- In general, it’s five times more expensive to acquire a new customer than to keep an existing one.
- According to one study, customers who have purchased from you in the past are 60-70 percent more likely to buy from you again than new clients.
- Returning customers generate 23 percent more income and profits than new clients.
Simply put, returning customers are the eCommerce industry’s bread and butter. On the other hand, loyalty programs are an important tool in maintaining brand loyalty, and you’re telling them you value their business by rewarding them for returning.
What Kind of Rewards Should I Offer?
There are many different types of loyalty programs out there, but they all share the same principle: customers receive incentives to shop with you again.
Here are a few examples of common rewards offered by eCommerce businesses:
- Discounts on future purchases
- Free shipping or handling for online orders over a certain amount
- Credit towards another purchase after their returned item is received
- Free products after a certain number of purchases
The sky’s the limit. It’s more important to understand your consumers’ preferences and cater to them via your loyalty program.
How to Plan A Winning Customer Loyalty Program
Read this if you do not know how to set up your loyalty program. You can learn what top brands do to keep their customers coming back. You can also find out which kind of system would be good for your business and see some examples of customer loyalty programs.
The Points System
The points system is a popular kind of customer loyalty program. Customers earn points for each transaction. Many consumers like this approach since it is straightforward to comprehend.
The goal is for you to earn more points the more money you spend. Customers are encouraged to continue buying with your company in order to accumulate more points.
This kind is ideal for companies that cater to frequent, low-cost item purchases. It provides a feeling of immediate gratification – a dollar spent is a point earned. Top hint: offering free delivery to customers who use their points is an excellent approach to boost loyalty.
The Tiered System
In addition to simply exchanging points for items, the tiered system provides additional incentives. Bigger discounts, access to new products before everyone else, invites to shows and events, and other perks are among them.
This sort of loyalty program is fantastic for encouraging customers to keep coming back. You may continue earning and spending points with the point system. On the other hand, a tiered approach necessitates a longer commitment before seeing results can be seen.
A tiered system and a points system can sometimes be used in conjunction by businesses. The combination of immediate gratification of the points with the long-term commitment of the tiered structure. Customers get to enjoy the best of both worlds while you profit from a customer who is committed for the long term.
Paid Membership System
Amazon Prime is the most well-known paid membership loyalty program. Prime members enjoy a long list of advantages, including fast and free delivery, music, movies, and streaming television shows for no extra cost. They may also get takeout food in certain areas.
The value you give a customer may be measured in dollars, sure, but it’s also about what you stand for. Paid VIP memberships are extremely effective at generating loyalty. If a client must pay to join the club, they will want to get the most out of their membership.
Amazon’s big spenders are its Prime members. According to a study by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, LLC, Amazon customers who do not belong to Prime spend $625 per year on average. Compare that to the $1,500 per year spent by Amazon Prime members.
Depending on the type of company you own, one or more of these systems are likely appropriate for you. Many businesses successfully use a variety of methods, and customer interaction and interest affect how your loyalty program is designed.
The Insider’s Tips
What else do you need to know about designing your finest loyalty program? Here are some insider hints from the best customer loyalty programs:
Brand It
You’ll want to brand your customer loyalty program, and this implies that the program’s visuals, language, and everything else should all seem and sound like your business.
For example, consider a loyalty program called “fashion experts” if you sell clothes. Or, if your inventory is high-end and exclusive, use that as the theme for your points system.
Personalize It
We live in the era of personalization. Technology has progressed to the point where we may get the most specific information about our customers’ preferences. We have access to their purchasing histories, geographic location, and likes and shares on social media.
Customers now provide the most value to businesses that demonstrate expertise in personalization.
So, how can you connect with your loyal customers in a unique way? Here are some things that must be done:
- Say it via text. Nothing is more personal than a customer’s smartphone. Many clients today like getting commercial texts from businesses. So make sure you give your consumers the discounts they want on the device of their choosing. It’s simple and handy for the consumer.
- Always refer to the client by name. A “Dear Mary” may seem kind, but a “Dear Valued Customer” might make you think of a used car dealer. You know their name, so use it.
- Make your offers relevant. Avoid wasting time by firing blanks. Target your consumers according to their preferences. You wouldn’t send a coupon for a free pint of ice cream to a client who purchases lactose-free items. Offering reductions on anti-aging goods to someone in her twenties would be equally as inappropriate. Based on their buying history, make sure the offer is something they could utilize.
- Talk to their demographic. Customize your emails to personalise based on where your customer is from, their age range, and their interests. A 50-year-old Londoner wouldn’t talk the same as a 17-year-old New Yorker. To make your brand “appear” more connected to its customers, speak their language rather than yours.
Give Them Experiences
You can also use your loyalty program to create a memorable experience for your clients.
For instance, the best way to reward customers is by giving them exclusive access and special deals that they won’t find anywhere else. If you own an eatery in downtown San Diego, give each of your members-only club cards a specific color, so it’s easy to spot them in the crowd. This will make your customers feel important and appreciated.
Make it easy for them to redeem their rewards. If you’re asking too much of your customers, they’ll be less likely to participate. Nobody wants to jump through hoops just for a few points or a small discount. So keep it simple: The easier it is for customers to redeem rewards, the more likely they are to do so.
Promote Social Awareness
A great loyalty program promotes social awareness. This means that your company is active in the community, and it gives back to causes you feel strongly about. If customers know what they’re buying is making a difference, even if just on a small scale, they’ll be more likely to buy from you again.
For instance, an eCommerce business that sells T-shirts can partner with a charity that supports cancer research. The company could then print the charity’s logo on their products and donate a percentage of all sales to the organization. This would create positive associations in the minds of customers, who would feel good about buying clothes from a business that cares about others.
Turn Your Customers into Brand Advocates
Some businesses provide incentives to loyal clients who want to become brand advocates. Customer loyalty is enhanced by referral programs that give rewards to users who bring their friends onto the network.
You need to tell your friends and family about your product. They will like it because they remember what it felt like when they used your product.
Conclusion
Customer loyalty is important to intelligent eCommerce firms, and they also understand the importance of customer loyalty rewards programs in boosting customer retention.
There’s something you should think about. You’ll need to conduct some research, beta test things, and figure out what works and what doesn’t. Those who have strong loyalty programs are known for their constant fine-tuning.
Have you already set up a loyalty program for your eCommerce company? What advice can you provide for setting it up successfully?
