How to Pick the Best Customer Loyalty Program for Your Small Business

Customer loyalty is critical for small businesses looking to build their brand. Getting new clients is more expensive than keeping old ones, and understanding what your consumers want from your company is crucial to scaling. Client loyalty programs for small businesses are a common technique to increase customer loyalty. Loyalty programs are now being integrated into point of sale systems and CRM software, making them more technologically advanced. As a result, they give a large amount of data to assist businesses in making important critical business decisions.

But how do businesses decide which customer loyalty program is best for them? Here are some excellent loyalty programs to consider:

Different loyalty programs available

A few questions should be considered by businesses. How will customers access the loyalty program? Will they carry the rewards everywhere they go? Will the data be accessible digitally? It is important to consider both the front and backend of the loyalty program. Businesses should know how the loyalty program will appear to their customers and how they will disburse their rewards.

Here is a list of options that businesses are willing to consider:

Punch cards

For a long time, it was common for retail businesses to punch a card every time a customer made a purchase. However, it is now an outdated method because no one wants to carry a punched card around with them. While Loyal-n-Save is used for enterprise businesses, it is also a loyalty program for local businesses. Every time a customer makes a purchase, it is virtually listed under their name, and reward tokens are earned. The reward tokens can be redeemed at any time by the customer.

Membership cards

The membership cards are valid for grocery stores, pharmacies, retail stores, and many others. With Loyal-n-Save, customers can carry their membership card, which can be scanned every time they purchase, and their reward tokens are added to their card.

Team rewards

Businesses can offer team rewards. The more people sign up under a customer’s name, the more rewards they receive. Every time a person uses a customer’s referral link or code to make a purchase, the customer also receives a percentage of the reward tokens. With every sign-up, the customer earns passive rewards.

Socialize

Companies can ask their customers to share their buying experience online, tag their friends, and in return, win rewards. The rewards work as an incentive for the customers to spread the word about the company.

Customized mobile app

A customized mobile app helps companies access their POS system, letting them collect and manage customer data on both sides, including purchase history and reward status. It helps in setting up a customized loyalty program for their customers.

• Points: It is about giving points to the customer as a reward for every purchase, motivating them to make many purchases.
• Tiers: If the business doesn’t want to reward every customer equally, they can go for a tiered system and offer rewards and benefits according to their spending.
• Fee-based: If a customer is ready to pay a specific fee, subscription fee, or membership fee to be a part of the program, companies have already got an engaged customer.

Usually, businesses choose point or tier-based loyalty programs that don’t have any kind of entry fee.

Attributes to consider when choosing the best customer loyalty program

With so many customer loyalty program solutions available, it is essential to select one that meets the needs of a business and grows with it.

Customizable rewards

There is no one-size-fits-all program that rewards every customer in the same way. Some programs allow customers to pick their rewards while others provide them independently.

Omnichannel experience

Loyalty software solutions should work across all channels, online and offline. Customers should be able to redeem their points both online and at a brick-and-mortar store.

Integration

You don’t need a program that cannot collect or deliver information to an existing POS and CRM system. It will make all the information siloed and useless. Integrating your business’s current POS and CRM systems with a customer loyalty program offers a seamless and exciting experience.

Segmentation

Loyalty management solutions help develop an emotional bond with customers by offering more than a specific discount on their next purchase. Whether customizing gifts on birthdays, offering proactive customer service, or offering updates on the items wanted by the customers, customer loyalty programs align businesses with their customers’ values. Businesses earn customers’ loyalty without lifting a finger.