6 Features of Effective Loyalty Programs

Are you getting the most from your retail loyalty program? Or are you considering implementing a loyalty program and wondering if it’s worthwhile? A study by Accenture polled more than 25,000 consumers and unearthed some insights about what loyalty programs actually work and how to make yours more effective.

First, loyalty programs are ubiquitous — in fact, the average U.S. household has memberships in 29 loyalty programs. Second, they work: Overall, members of loyalty programs generate 12 to 18 percent more incremental revenue growth per year than non-members, the study found.

But with millions of loyalty points going unused, loyalty programs could be a lot better and deliver more value for businesses. Some 77 percent of U.S. consumers say they’re more fickle with their loyalty than ever before, making it even more of a challenge to keep them satisfied. In fact, “satisfaction” and factors such as reliability and low prices aren’t as effective as they used to be at generating loyalty. Today, you need to go above and beyond.

Key Features of Effective Loyalty Programs

What features of loyalty programs are most effective with customers?

Offers

Fifty-nine percent of U.S. consumers are loyal to brands that give them discounts, gift cards and special offers to reward their loyalty. You probably already do this; just make sure you’re tracking which offers get the best results and generate the most profits.

Personalization

Forty-one percent of U.S. consumers are loyal to brands that allow them to personalize products. Offer loyalty program members free customization, such as engraving a product or special ordering custom-color sneakers.

Innovation

Forty-one percent of U.S. consumers are loyal to brands that present them with new experiences, products or services, while 51 percent are loyal to businesses that consistently have the “latest” products available. Create special experiences for your loyalty program members, such as a VIP sale, early access to sales or early access to new products.

Celebrities

About one-fourth of U.S. consumers are loyal to businesses that partner with celebrities or “social influencers” such as popular bloggers or YouTube personalities. Try a partnership with a social media “star” your customers care about.

Family and Friends

Forty-two percent of U.S. consumers are loyal to brands their families and friends do business with. Offer loyalty program members a reward for getting friends or family to sign up, too.

Participation

Forty-four percent of U.S. consumers are loyal to businesses that involve them in designing or creating new products or services. Enlist your “VIP” customers to help choose which new products your store will carry.

Beyond the Features of Effective Loyalty Programs

Accenture offers the following tips for getting the most from your loyalty program:

• Monitor ROI. Review the cost of current loyalty programs and make sure the ROI justifies the investment. Perhaps you can eliminate some aspects of programs or change the rewards to either cost less or generate more sales. For instance, instead of giving away free gifts or gift cards, create a value-added service instead, like free personal shopping services, free gift wrapping or a year-long return window instead of 30 days.
• Think beyond dollars. Don’t just focus on getting loyal customers to spend more. Loyal customers have additional value beyond sales: They’re also a good source of new customers. Focus on retaining the happiest customers and getting them to share their opinions with new customers. More than half of the most loyal customers in the study actively recommend brands to others; 14 percent express their loyalty by publicly endorsing or defending the company on social media.
• Understand what Millennials want. When it comes to loyalty programs, Millennials care more than other age groups about interacting with businesses through multiple channels, celebrity partnerships, exclusive offers and personalized loyalty rewards.

Loyalty Customer Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "6 Features of Effective Loyalty Programs" was first published on Small Business Trends