Loyalty programs, mobile apps and coupons all have something in common: They help to ensure that customers are continually satisfied and reward customers for repeat business.
The most effective loyalty programs are the ones that work based on a customer’s behavior—issuing coupons for things they already buy, for instance, or an offer for first-time buyers. But beyond ensuring it’s useful for diners, there are a few other best practices for launching and maintaining an effective and engaging loyalty program, whether it’s hosted via an app or through a coupon.
Make it easy for customers to sign up
The sign-up process for any loyalty program should be quick and easy, with acceptance of membership coming down the pipeline quickly. Many users sign up for a rewards program or loyalty app specifically because there’s an offer for something they want, and if there’s a significant delay, they may opt out or forget to use it once it gets delivered.
Glean useful information about your customers
Programs designed to keep consumers engaged should be designed around why they visit a particular location. Beyond that, these programs can be beneficial to business owners who want to learn more about who their customers are. Loyalty programs and mobile apps can offer rewards for consumers who fill out surveys about their demographics and behavior, for instance.
Ensure it addresses customers’ needs
Once there’s a customer base using a mobile app, the app needs to cater to their needs, lest it face deletion if they (seemingly inevitably) run out of space on their device. According to Technomic’s 2017 Value & Pricingreport, about one-fifth (19%) of consumers say the reason they don’t participate in loyalty programs is because they don’t want to download an app—so, once they do, don’t give them reason to get rid of it.
It should be standard for the app to have a new offer of some sort run every few weeks—this gives enough time for consumers to participate in the offers as they come down, and since not every customer will use every offer, so businesses won’t be giving away too much.
In the same vein, consider allowing consumers to sign up for just the features they want—they may not want daily or weekly emails, but they may want notifications of new LTOs or special menu items.
Offer in-app exclusives
In-app exclusives are key for ensuring participation in the app. After all, if people can get the offers without having to download an app or sign up for a company’s loyalty program—why wouldn’t they? Be sure to include exclusive offers and perks for those customers do use your app or sign up for your loyalty program.
Deliver on promises
Finally, and perhaps this should go without saying, but loyalty programs and mobile apps need to deliver on what’s been promised. Nothing will sink customer loyalty more quickly than failing to deliver on the offers they were expecting to enjoy when downloading an app or signing up for a program. Not only will many consumers reconsider patronizing a business over something like this, but it can also even cause legal trouble in some cases. Be sure to plan ahead for the offers made available to ensure that the business can accommodate everyone who may use it.
Loyalty programs are a great way to get consumers more involved, and keeping them happy is simple—deliver on your end of the deal, and they will on theirs.
This post is sponsored by Comcast Business