Customer Loyalty programs can be very beneficial in increasing traffic to your business, whether online or in your store. Marketing professionals have said that repeat customers create on average up to 15% more revenue than first time customers or customers who only purchase once. That is a great motivation for utilizing customer reward programs.

The important thing about customer loyalty programs, is to understand how and why they work, and giving your consumers relevant benefits that will encourage return visits. Below is a list of 8 ways to make your customer loyalty program effective.

1. Customer loyalty programs aren’t always about selling.

   It’s an odd thought for a business not to try to sell something. If you try a hard sell method with your customer loyalty program, it is likely your consumers will start to loose the value of your program and disengage.

2. Offer something they can’t get anywhere else.

   It’s important you try to position your customer loyalty cards as something that gives your customers an opportunity that they can’t get anywhere else. Offer these via email, newsletters, or mail them updates on a timed schedule that makes sense for your campaign. Remember, always create the exclusivity.

3. Understand how and why customer loyalty programs work.

   Customer loyalty programs work because consumers want to be included in an exclusive network. They basic mechanics of this is a basic fundamental in psychology 101. So make sure your loyalty program creates a prestigious or elite atmosphere where your consumers brand loyalty can grow.

4. Create a contest to influence joining.

   In order to encourage joining, create a game that encourages your consumers to make purchases and gain points. Set a deadline for the most points that will create urgency for your consumers to become members.

5. Keep it new.

   If you don’t change up your offers, your consumers will lose interest and lose the value in your customer loyalty program.  Once they lose interest it will be hard to get their attention again. 

6. Train your staff to respond.

   If you have a storefront, your employees are a great asset to you. Train them how to respond to opportunities without making sales pitches. It might be a good idea to let them become members and offer rewards to them as well. This would let them experience the system so they have a better understanding of how it would benefit your customers. Then it’s not a sales pitch, it’s one informed customer teaching another and it seems more authentic.

7. Set a metric to measure effectiveness.

   Any marketing professional will tell you to always measure the effectiveness; because if it’s not working, you might have to make some tweaks to your loyalty program. Set a goal for new members or members cashing in reward points and compare those numbers from month to month to see what is and isn’t working . With the right adjustments you can make it successful. Be patient with it and keep brainstorming new ideas to make it fun and engaging for your consumers. Keep setting goals so you can keep your loyalty program fresh.

8. Create high-quality custom plastic membership cards.

   This might seem like a no brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people omit this step. Customer reward cards are a great way to create the elite community by making your customer feel special. It’s also a good way to create the desire from other consumers who see them.

   These don’t have to be plastic cards like credit cards, although they can be, they can also be plastic key tags that are carried on the keychain. This is minimal clutter for your consumers and makes it readily accessible in store. Create a nice presentation for your reward cards. Customers will feel like they are more valuable, and that is exactly what you want. If you're looking for more ideas, check our gallery of templates to help you get an idea. Be unique, be creative, and have fun with it. If you have fun with your reward cards, your consumers will too.