Loyalty Blogs

We know Christmas is near and everyone is excited about the holidays. Yes, the most wonderful time of the year is almost here! Snow covered the ground, pine trees covered in lights, stockings hung by the chimney, and all the glitters. There’s a lot to be excited about in holidays and that goes double for eCommerce brands.

For eCommerce retailers, it’s not enough to just get excited for the holidays, brands must get the website ready. Yes, the selling season between Black Friday and Christmas indeed results in 50 to 100% more revenue than the rest of the year! Competition is quite intense during the holiday time, as more than 60% of customers prefer to shop online. In this blog, we will discuss how a well-planned Christmas Loyalty Program can help your brand stand out in the festive rush.

Tips to Use Rewards Program for Short-Term Wins During Holiday Season

The eCommerce world is full of competition, especially during the festive season with attractive sales. When it comes to building a successful rewards program, it’s crucial to understand the goals and challenges that might come the way. To make sure that your customers think of you first, make use of the best business loyalty programs that can help your brand cut through the Christmas clutter by offering something relevant for the 3 types of holiday shoppers.

Here are the 3 types of holiday shoppers every brand must be aware of-

· Discounter

One thing that excites shoppers during the holiday is money-saving deals, which has made Black Friday and Cyber Monday the two best eCommerce biggest days extended by a full week of savings. There are reality shows like Extreme Couponing that have pushed deal-hungry shopping behaviors as the main focus attracting a huge number of shoppers that are looking for the best deals.

That is where rewards programs play the main role in attracting holiday shoppers who are looking for the best deals to save money. These customers are the easiest targets with a rewards program. Brands are making use of Best Business Loyalty Programs to engage buyers with a potentially low budget. Offering them exclusive holiday discounts, free shipping, coupons, etc. can help to value your brand. This means transactional rewards are the best way to reward holiday shoppers and build long-lasting customer relationships.

· Procrastinator

Some shoppers make their plans for Christmas shopping a long time ago but they never really make their purchase on time. Around 90% of people have reported doing last-minute gift shopping and for this, customers need to make quick purchase decisions. Shoppers have little time with the desire to find the perfect gift, procrastinators are looking for all the help they can get, and rewards program act as a great way to be that help.

For procrastinators, effective rewards marketing is the best place. Brands can make use of easy-to-find and navigate explainer pages that help inform customers about loyalty programs and get them excited to join. After registration, brands can use behavioral email marketing to remind customers to earn, redeem and engage by buying gifts for everyone. Make use of gift card rewards as gift cards are the ultimate last-minute gift option giving shoppers a chance to give their friends the gift of choice.

· ‘Little Something Extra’ Gifter

The last type of shopper is the one who is always looking for a perfect little addition to a gift, for instance, it can be a bookmark for a book lover or a coffee mug for coffee lovers, etc. The little something extra gifter always looks for the perfect finishing touches.

In this scenario, making use of a bonus points campaign can be a great way to build interest for such shoppers. You can start by creating a buzz about offering extra points on certain days or products encouraging them to spend more with every transaction. Giving free/bonus reward products can be a great way to attract customers that are members of your program for a long time or have made a big purchase over a certain amount.

How a Rewards Program can help Achieve Long-Term Success During Holiday Season?

After going through the short-term benefits, we are now here to discuss long-term success through a well-planned rewards program. Holiday shopping is the strong base that helps your reward program to succeed for the rest of the year. Using the momentum built by Black Friday and Christmas shoppers, you get a chance to make your program a success by ensuring that your customers come back to your store again and again.

Here are the top ways that show how your program can gain long-term success for your brand-

Account Creation Rewards Boost Commitment

Though welcome rewards seem to be quite an old way to reward, rewarding customers just for opening an account on your loyalty program is a great way to build connections. This not only encourages them to join & reward in return for their time and interest, building a greater chance for them to explore your brand in its entirety.

Another best thing about creating an account is that you need your customers to make a real commitment. If your brand can give relevant and right rewards during account creation, you give them a reason to spend time with your brand both now and in the future.

When customers take time to create an account, they are opening up a channel for your brand, which means you get the opportunity to keep in touch with them for a long time. This is where you can use exciting program promotions such as bonus campaigns, new updates & features, keeping your rewards top of mind and an ongoing priority.

Future Redemption Rewards for Better Engagement

Loyalty rewards that can’t be redeemed until future purchases can be a great way for brands to create a strong reason for customers to come back to your store again. However, it is crucial to ensure that the reward is worth their while, eg. Give 15% off instead of just 5%.

Offering substantial value shows the generosity of both your brand & rewards program, helping customers build trust in your store. Also, you can remind customers of when their rewards are going to expire, giving your brand the perfect opportunity to share a friendly reminder to customers that returning to your brand would benefit them. Future redemption rewards help to re-engage customers as these are the gift that keeps on giving (to you as well as your customers).

Post Purchase Referrals & Social Sharing For Higher Marketing Potential

There is nothing more important in a brand than a happy customer. Customers that have trust in your brand are less likely to return your products. This gives your brand a chance to empower your existing customers and join your marketing efforts with post-purchase referrals.

Adding a referral program to your rewards program and offering rewards for sharing information about your products on social media are becoming the most powerful way to leverage your current customer’s experiences and create new ones. This helps to make your rewards program a win-win situation for both you and your customers.

Closing Statement

Hopefully, after going through the blog, you know that a robust rewards program can be the best way to boost your customer experience and help prepare your brand for the holiday season. Though Christmas might be a long way off, the best thing is to start working on a rewards program now as it takes time to ramp up to be the most effective. To make your customers actively engage even after the holidays, you must give them enough time to explore and understand its benefits.

Novus, being a renowned Loyalty Rewards Program Software holds the potential to build customized loyalty solutions that are focused on the areas that appeal to holiday shoppers bringing better results in the new year. Book a demo with our experts to see how Novus can build a rewards program not just for holidays but even after that with maximum revenue.