It’s a very competitive market where brands are always trying to keep customers. Because finding a new customer costs 5–25 times more than keeping an old one. But how can you build a program that builds relationships and keeps clients returning? And what are the top Shopify loyalty program features for you to focus on optimization?

This blog covers the 6 important Shopify loyalty program features and more. By putting these features at the top of your list, you can make a program that keeps customers interested and helps your Shopify store grow.

The Importance Of Loyalty Programs For E-commerce Businesses on Shopify

Online shops that do well depend on customers who buy from them again and again. The Shopify loyalty program benefits of incentive schemes are huge, even if they get pricey. 

Driving Brand Advocacy:

Well-designed programs may encourage consumers to refer friends and family. As Howard Schultz, former CEO of Starbucks, stated, “Customers talk about great experiences. Word of mouth is the very best marketing.” 

That means when reward programs work well, they can help build a network of brand fans. Customers will tell their friends and family about the business when they are happy. That’s why emotional brand enthusiasts recommend the brand 71% more.

Boosting Sales and Retention:

As we said, loyalty programs affect buying behavior. Research shows that most US consumers (79%) favor loyalty programs. Researchers also found that program members spend more, increasing the average order value.

Nearly 60% of U.S. shoppers value loyalty program discounts. The coordinated incentives in these systems encourage repeat purchases and client retention. 

Also, discounts through loyalty programs are important to almost 60% of U.S. buyers. The coordinated rewards in these schemes drive repeat purchases and increase customer loyalty Shopify.

Customer preferences and corporate goals vary with each reward program. Businesses that use e-commerce platforms like Shopify can get customers to buy from them again and again by trying out different types of programs (points-based, paid membership, etc.).

Next, we’ll discuss the most important parts of fantastic Shopify loyalty program features that could make your business.

Key Features Of An Effective Shopify Loyalty Program

So, you’re convinced of the power of loyalty programs and ready to create one for your Shopify store. But how do you start? This part goes into more depth about the key Shopify loyalty program features that make it work.

Earning System

How users get points or prizes is based on the earning method, which is at the heart of every reward program. We’ll look at two Shopify loyalty program types: points and spending limits.

Points-based Systems

These are the most popular and easy. Customers may earn points by purchasing, leaving reviews, or engaging on social media. Points may be used for prizes such as discounts or free products.

For instance, Starbucks Rewards members get “Stars” for every dollar they spend, which they can use for free drinks, food, or brand-name items.

Pros:

• Simple and user-friendly.
• Flexibility: Rewards may be customized to different point values to please customers.
• Encourages repeat purchases: Customers are encouraged to buy more to earn points for awards.

Cons:

• Complexity for businesses: Managing several point-earning activities is difficult.
• Perceived lack of personality: Some consumers may find points impersonal and lack an emotional connection to the program.

As you can see, Shopify points program provide a straightforward approach to consumer involvement and reward. While there are some difficulties, such as maintain various income streams, the total benefits may be significant. 

In the next section, we’ll go over the interesting methods by which your consumers may earn points via your program.

Earning Actions And Points

The actions below are a list of all the suggested acts that earn points:

• Create an account.
• Subscribe to the newsletter.
• Complete your profile.
• Happy Birthday.
• Leave a review.
• Follow on social media.
• Share on social media,
• Complete a purchase.

We suggest reading the dedicated article: Overview of the Earn Points tab for a complete overview of how users may earn points on loyalty programs.

Value-based systems

This system pays customers after they achieve a certain buy quantity. 

For example, Sephora Beauty Insider is a program with levels based on yearly expenditure. Customers who spend $1,000 or more each year become ROUGE members. They’ll receive the highest advantages, such as unique discounts, early access to deals, and complimentary birthday presents.

Pros:

• Simple for companies and customers.
• Encourages more excellent purchases.

Cons:

• Lack of engagement: Points-based systems better motivate smaller, regular purchases.
• Less customization: Rewards are related to buy quantities, unlike points.

Basically, no loyalty program is complete without an earning structure, but a good one goes beyond points and spending limits. The following section will discuss the Shopify loyalty program features flexible earning rules, tiered rewards, and easy redemption.

Customizable Earning Rules

A good loyalty program goes beyond points and awards. It lets you customize the earning experience to encourage business-related client actions. This strong type helps you create a client-resonant application.

1. Reward Structure

The rewards system in every loyalty program decides how engaged and likely customers are to return. It is important to offer a range of motivational choices that can fit the needs and budgets of different clients. Incentives often come in the form of the following:

Discounts:

• Amount Discount: Consumers seeking speedy discounts would like this prize, which provides them a dollar off their buy.
• Percentage Discount: This reduces the purchasing price, making it ideal for high-value buyers.

Free Products: Customers may redeem points or awards for free stuff, which motivates them to try new things.

Free delivery: 66% of Americans expect internet access to be free shipping. It removes a typical buying barrier and may motivate online customers.

But, the key part is to understand your target audience to develop an effective incentive system. To do it, you need to analyze consumer data and preferences to find the most tempting rewards.

For example, The Body Shop Love Your Body Club provides discounts, free items, and charity contributions.

Why it’s great? It meets several client demands. Value-conscious shoppers love discounts and may redeem points for freebies. Donating points to charity matches the brand’s ethics and attracts mindful consumers.

2. VIP Tiered Program

Customers are more likely to stick with a program that rewards them for how they behave or how much money they spend. This method has many advantages, such as:

• Increased engagement: Customers are driven to progress by earning rewards and unlocking perks. This boosts self-esteem and program engagement.
• Personalization: 80% of customers are more likely to buy. These systems enable you to design incentives for specific client categories. VIP levels provide more unique and significant benefits for your most loyal consumers.

VIP tiers go beyond standard program rewards, offering traditional rewards by providing exclusive access to sales events, early product launches, or limited-edition items. This personalizes the experience and fosters a sense of exclusivity for loyal customers.

Shopify loyalty program features offer a tiered program. It is to create clear criteria for progressing through the tiers.

• History of Purchases: Customers who spend more can be made VIPs. This encourages more spending and a higher customer term value.
• Activity: Non-purchase engagement may be rewarded. VIP status may result from social media activity, product evaluations, or recommendations, boosting brand engagement.

For instance, VIP benefits are available to premium members of Nike+ Membership, who also get invites to member-only events, tailored exercise suggestions, early access to new product releases, and unique content.

Why is it significant? They served fitness lovers who appreciate cutting-edge goods, individualized instruction, and community.

3. User-Friendly Redemption Process

Imagine that a customer with points or money has trouble redeeming it. This frustration might harm program participation and trust. As a result, consumers are more likely to spend their points when they have a simple and easy experience.

Luckily, Shopify provides flexibility in building your redemption process, catering to online and in-store (POS):

• Online Redemption: An easy-to-use interface should show awards and redemption values and have a straightforward checkout procedure. Customers who love online purchasing would like this.
• In-Store (POS) Redemption: Give your staff POS award redemption tools. To simplify, integrate the loyalty program with Shopify POS. Customers may quickly redeem incentives in-store, improving the purchasing experience.

Sephora Beauty Insiders is a good example. Members may use their reward program card at Sephora checkout or redeem points online, attracting online and in-store shoppers.

By making your Shopify loyalty program redemption procedure easy. You enable consumers to receive the advantages of their program membership, boosting happiness and brand engagement.

4. Referral Program

Customers who tell their friends and family about your store can get points, savings, and other perks.

M.A.C. Lover is an excellent example because it gives points or savings to people who get other people to use the app. This method brings in new customers and makes the business more well-known.

Pro tips: Add referral pop-ups to your program to get the most out of it. When these timely messages show up on your website, they make happy customers more likely to share their referral code or link.

Simply said, this organic customer acquisition technique generates brand loyalty and long-term success.

5. Clear Communication through Email & Reward Landing Page 

A successful loyalty program relies on clear information and always interest. Make sure they understand everything about your program. They should learn how to earn awards, measure progress, and redeem well-deserved bonuses. 

You should share this information via emails, social media, and a reward landing page on your website.. Keep them informed to encourage participation and optimize incentives.

Email Marketing

You can use email marketing to promote the program and highlight new features or special deals. Here are 8 recommended email types for a loyalty program:

Email Type	Description
New VIP Tier unlocked email	Congratulations to a client who earned a loyalty programme VIP tier.
Welcome email	Sent to welcome new members to the loyalty program.
Happy birthday email	Wishing consumers a happy birthday and maybe offering a reward.
Point expiry notice email	Sent to remind customers that their points are about to expire.
Point expiry reminder email	Customers get a supplementary reminder that their points are expiring (presumably closer to the expiration date than the first email).
Earn points email	Sent to inform customers about ways they can earn points in the loyalty program.
Redeem points email	Sent to advise clients about point redemption for incentives.
For referrer email	Thanking a consumer for introducing a friend to the loyalty programme.
For referred friend email	Sent to welcome a friend who has been referred to the loyalty program.

But do not end there! Not all customers are the same, so step further by segmenting your email list based on purchasing behavior, demographics, and engagement level. This allows you to tailor your emails to suit different types of customers. For instance, you could send targeted emails with exclusive offers to your most loyal customers or re-engagement emails to those who haven’t shopped in a while.

Reward Landing Page 

If you have a loyalty program, you may have a rewards landing page on your website. This is the place where everything about your loyalty program lives. 

It gives customers a place to learn about the benefits of the program, how to earn points, and what incentives are available. Ultimately, it encourages them to join or get more involved with the program.

Here’s a breakdown of the typical sections you’ll find on a reward landing page:

• Program Overview.
• How to Earn Points.
• Reward Options.
• Enrollment Call to Action.
• Tiered Benefits (Optional).
• FAQs.

Check out Belle Poque’s reward landing page as an example. The main parts of their loyalty page are as follows:

Program Overview: 

A welcoming header explains the program as “Vintage Lovers” with the tagline “Join the Vintage Lovers Points Program and Earn Points & Exclusive Rewards Every Time You Shop.”

Start Earning Points: Signup, purchases, subscribe, and happy birthday involvement earn points.

Redeem Points to Coupons: Rewards include savings, free delivery, discounts, and early access to new goods.

By making a reward landing page that looks good and has useful information, you can get many more people to join your loyalty programme. 

So, take ideas from examples that have worked make your own home page that clearly explains your program’sme offers and encourages people to join the fun.

6. Unified Customer Profiles And Tracking

Imagine being able to see everything a customer has done with your brand. This isn’t about sales. It’s about keeping track of their whole trip through all your interactions with them. Unified customer profiles let you understand your consumers better.

You can get a lot of information about your customers by keeping track of their website visits and reward program activities. With this big-picture view, you can see past customer deals and understand what they like and how they act.

You can also adjust marketing, product ideas, and reward program offers with just one customer profile. This makes customers more interested in your brand and more loyal to it.

Loyalty programs aren’t static. You should use analytics tools to track how customers use the program. This data helps you check and improve the application.

For instance, you may find that some awards are less appealing than others or that certain groups of customers need to take part actively. Using data to your advantage, you can keep improving your program to stay exciting and useful for all your customers.

Additional Shopify Loyalty Program Features to Consider When Setting Up 

Rewards and integrations are important, but a good loyalty program extends beyond them. Here are some extra considerations to guarantee that your Shopify loyalty program supports long-term client engagement and generates company success.

Integration With Other Marketing Tools On Shopify: Theme, Subscription App, Review App, Email Marketing

It is very important to ensure that the reward program app you choose for Shopify can work with your current marketing setup. Here are several important integrations to focus on:

• Shopify Theme: This ensures the user experience is the same in both your online store and the reward program. For a consistent look and feel, look for apps that let you change the way they look to match your brand.
• Subscription Apps: This lets you thank customers for buying from you again and again, which encourages them to stay loyal. For instance, you could give extra points or savings to people who sign up for longer amounts of time.
• Review Apps: You could give people points or rewards for reviewing your products. This would build useful social proof and get people to talk about your brand.
• Email Marketing: Find a reward program app that works with the email marketing tool you want to use. This lets you send focused email campaigns with personalized deals and offers.

By making sure that these marketing tools work well together, you can build a complete, data-driven customer loyalty program that builds stronger relationships with customers.

User-Friendly Interface For Customer Enrollment And Reward Management

The sign-up procedure should be straightforward, brief, and mobile-friendly. It should be quick and easy for customers to sign up, with no extra steps or problems.

Once signed up, shoppers need an easy-to-use interface to track their progress, view available rewards, and redeem them. It should be easy to find this screen in your online shop and on a mobile app for your award program if it has one.

Prioritizing an easy-to-use interface can give your customers a smooth and enjoyable experience. This will increase their interest and make the program more effective.

Legal Compliance And Data Security Considerations

Watch out for privacy rules like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that the prize program app must follow. This protects customer data and lowers the chance of being sued.

Beside, the way that customers’ data is gathered, used, and kept should be easy for them to understand. They should also be able to choose how they want to receive info and messages through the app.

You can show your users that you care about responsible data practices and earn their trust by putting legal compliance and data security at the top of your priorities.

Final Thoughts

Your Shopify business can get new customers with a good award program and the right features. Always remember that it takes time to build trust.

Want to improve your Shopify loyalty program? Look no further than BON Loyalty, the best Shopify loyalty program app with all the vital features mentioned above. This top Shopify loyalty program features offers personalized pop-ups with news, discounts, and reward displays.

Visit our blog to learn more about Shopify rewards program features and get your free trial started right now.