When choosing a loyalty program provider there are a number of factors to take into account before choosing “the one”. You need to sit down and see where your business is currently versus how you would like to see it grow and determine the best way to get there. However, coming up with a strong loyalty strategy is only one piece of the puzzle; if you don’t choose the right provider and platform then you might not see the results you are hoping for or expecting. Take a look at these 7 features to look for in a loyalty program provider to set yourself up for success.
The most important thing to keep at the top of mind during this process is making this as seamless as possible for the customers. The last thing you want is to launch this new program and confuse or frustrate your current members. You should make sure your loyalty platform is able to integrate with your existing technology and systems so you can transition your customer data you already have into the new platform to avoid any unnecessary confusion or hassle on the customer's side. Before implementing this new program be sure you send out communications to your members to explain any upcoming changes that are being made and emphasize how the new program will continue to reward and benefit them in the future. Be more detailed than you might think to ensure that they have all of the necessary information when logging into their account so they are not confused by the look and feel.
One of the best parts about having a loyalty program is that it allows you to collect first- and zero-party data from your customers. This will give you the opportunity to make detailed customer profiles that will increase your personalization and in return boost your engagement levels. However, customers are not always willing to give out their information so having a loyalty program allows you to incentivize them to share their information with you. It’s important that they don’t feel like they are going through the tedious process of giving out their information just to have their inbox filled with junk emails. The more opportunities you offer for incentives the more zero-party data you will collect which will allow you to build a stronger customer relationship.
Nobody wants to launch a program that looks like every other one on the market. You want to be able to separate yourself and stand out among your competitors. This is where flexibility and personalization comes into play. Your program should be as specific to your brand and its needs as possible so it shouldn’t be a ‘one size fits all’ program. Like we mentioned before, gathering customer data is key to personalizing their experience and you need a program that will allow you to effectively put that data to use. Consumers want to feel seen and appreciated and when they receive personalized communication whether it is for their birthday or anniversary then that makes your program stand out in their mind.
A tiered loyalty program offers several benefits and opportunities. Tiers allow you to easily identify and segment customers, drive key incremental behaviors or actions, and even help ensure the program stays financially sustainable. Loyalty program tiers are an especially powerful tool for driving customer loyalty because they help foster long-term devotion and deeper emotional connections among customers. Their easy-to-understand mechanisms and associated benefits motivate customers to keep participating in the program; as members advance through the tiers and achieve more valuable benefits, their commitment to the program and thus your brand grows. This naturally creates emotional bonds that help weaken the appeal of competitive forces and also reduces the likelihood of customer churn.
Measuring and tracking your members' engagement is key to a successful program. You can launch a program but without knowing how it is performing, you are making strategic and marketing decisions based on guesses. Having a program that will track and monitor your program data and analytics can help your team more accurately predict customers behavior, prevent customer churn, calculate customer lifetime value, and much more. With this information you are able to track your customer’s journey and get an inside look on how to better market your program in order to keep them engaged. Using your analytics to your advantage will allow for more personalized communications, customer engagement and overall program success.
When building your loyalty program you want it to fit both your brand's and your customers' needs. But it's likely both your needs will change over time, and your program must be able to adapt and grow in response to those changes. Having a program that is flexible and easy to scale is essential because it allows you to deploy new features or enhancements without needing extensive rebuilds each time. It’s important to keep your program fresh and engaging to ensure that your customers continue to stay invested. Modern day customers are always looking for brands who satisfy their wants and needs, and keeping your loyalty program up-to-date will help keep the relationship going.
Supporting your customers throughout all stages of their journey with your program is the icing on the cake to having a top-tier loyalty program. Communication tools and features are vital to the success of your loyalty program because ongoing communication keeps member connected and invested in the program, especially when it comes to customer service or issue resolution. There is nothing more frustrating than reaching out to support and not being able to resolve an issue no matter how big or small. Having someone to assist members at every point whether that is onboarding, points redemption, or their status is important to building strong customer loyalty. Being known for having strong customer service speaks volumes and is going to help you when it comes to the brand's overall reputation.
Any brand looking to launch a loyalty program should take the time to invest in a provider that understands your goals and strategy and can bring your program to life. Finding a provider that can offer these features is setting your program up for long term growth and success. These are just a few of the features that you should keep in mind when evaluating loyalty program options but remember to determine what is more important for your brand and customer base and prioritize those features.