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Matt Alderton

Guide to Launching a Loyalty Program

Retain business with a plan for rewarding your best customers

By Matt Alderton, Writer, Editor and Media Consultant, Logolepsy Custom Content and Communications

Small businesses rely on word of mouth to bring customers through their doors. But once the word has reached their ears, it's keeping them listening that truly counts. Raise the volume of your voice with a customer loyalty program. Launching one will help you:
  1. Reward good customers.
  2. Track shoppers' purchase history.
  3. Increase foot traffic during slow periods.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done


Identify your best customers

Before launching a rewards program for loyal customers, you should collect information - via a database that tracks visits and spending - to help you assess who those customers are. Analyze customer data to find out who your most profitable shoppers are, and market your program especially to them.
I recommend: Use Microsoft Outlook with Business Contact Manager Update to manage customers' information, track their purchases and forecast sales opportunities among them. For a more sophisticated approach, point-of-sale systems capture extensive buyer data as your employees ring the cash register.

Choose a rewards system

Popular rewards programs include frequent buyer clubs and loyalty cards that reward advance purchases, repeat visits or expensive buys with discounts, cash back, store credit, gifts and prizes, free merchandise or special upgrades.
I recommend: Order custom loyalty cards for your customers — and comprehensive loyalty programs to match — from Arthur Blank & Company or Duracard or purchase lower-cost punch cards from Business Card Source.

Market your program

Invite your best customers to join your loyalty program via direct mail, such as a postcard, or online, via e-mail. Mention it in your regular advertisements and PR efforts, as well.
I recommend: Notify customers who enroll in your loyalty program of special offers and discounts available to them via email; use an e-mail marketing service, such as that from Constant Contact or EmailLabs, to send emails that are both attractive and effective.

Measure results

Set goals for your loyalty program and monitor progress regularly to determine how it is impacting sales. Measure increases in revenue and track the number of sales made to registered customers.
I recommend: Learn to build your own loyalty profit-and-loss statement by reading "Measuring the Results of Your Loyalty Program Investment" from LoyaltyWorks, or take advantage of a fully-integrated loyalty platform, such as that offered by Parago, which includes ongoing loyalty analytics and monthly program management.

Revisit and revise

Monitor enrollment in your program over time and take regular surveys of your customers to find out what is driving their purchases. As customers evolve, your program should, too.
I recommend: Sample customer satisfaction surveys from Polaris Marketing Research and QuestionPro will help you develop your own questionnaire with which to evaluate the continued success of your loyalty program.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

  • Reward customers who enroll in your program immediately with bonus points or extra discounts; the promise of instant rewards will encourage more customers to sign up.
  • Use your loyalty program to drive purchases during slow seasons.
  • Encourage high and frequent spending when you offer rewards for purchases that exceed certain dollar amounts.
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Recommended Solution Providers

Incentive Logic: Corporate Incentive Programs
Incentive reward program for building customer loyalty.

LoyaltyWorks: Customer Loyalty Programs
Designs and implements customer loyalty programs.

Polaris: Marketing Research
Features a customer satisfaction survey to choose several customer survey sample questions.

Parago: Retain Customers
Provides in-depth analysis and recommend strategies aimed at evolving a program.

CustomerSat: Customer Loyalty Surveys
Creates and deploys surveys to determine customer satisfaction and increase customer loyalty.

Best Sites to Learn More

Saferpak: Customer Loyalty
Collection of articles about how to build customer loyalty and keep you customers happy.

About: Small Business Marketing & Sales
This About's general guide to small business marketing and sales resources, including tips on customer loyalty programs, advertising, competitive intelligence, best practices, public relations, pricing, and market research.

The Wise Marketer: Customer Loyalty Articles
Collection of articles about how to increase customer loyalty.



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