Back to All Posts
Loyalty Technology

Eight Must-Have Reasons Why You Should Create Your Own Loyalty Card App for Your Business

Written by 
Michaela Ward
 - 
August 2, 2018

If you want a larger portion of your customers' wallets, then you need to create your own loyalty card app for your business. Through a loyalty program, such as a punch card app for business, you ultimately encourage your customers to continue doing business with you. Outside of your phenomenal products and customer service, they have a reason to keep coming back--for those points, rewards, or whatever it may be. Your customers know that they have an incentive to loyally patronise your business because they will reap specific and easy-to-claim benefits. Why should they spend their money elsewhere with nothing in return? Besides, loyalty programs are proven to increase sales and improve business. In addition, accumulating points for "prizes" is actually quite fun. Here are the eight must-have reasons why you should create your own loyalty app for your business:

Want to launch a loyalty program but need a bit of help? Check out our free Digital Loyalty Program Launch Checklist!

1. Improve the overall customer experience

Many customers will head over to your competitors if they have a poor customer experience. Don't believe us? Just check out this statistic. Customer experience is more than just about customer service, it's how you show your appreciation. As a result, when you create your own loyalty card app, you provide the perfect vehicle to make your customers feel valued. It boils down to psychology. When customers see they can collect something in exchange for their purchases, they feel like they've received something extra--it's like the icing on the cake. Or, it's like they can have their cake and eat it too--especially if they already like your products and services. Then, this positive experience gives them the motivation to return the favor, so to speak. They will want to purchase from you again based on the social construct of reciprocity. You're also delivering something valuable in exchange for their time, customer data, and loyalty. Your customers come back for more. In a sense, it's like a love affair of sorts. And, it is a meaningful relationship that benefits both parties. You can't be all things to all people, but you can design your loyalty card to offer the types of rewards that are most relevant to your target customer base. So, you can now create the best customer experience.

2. You receive crucial customer data

With a loyalty card app for business, you can improve customer loyalty while learning more about their shopping habits and purchase history. Which of your products are the most popular with specific demographics? What's the busiest shopping day of the week? What do many of your customers have in common? What do your biggest-spending customers have in common? In order to market and customize your products and services to sell, you must understand your target audience--including their motivations and pain points. One way to do that is through your loyalty program. You can use it to track their purchases, and collect demographic data such as age, location, job role, and more.  You might even offer specific rewards for certain types of surveys.You might also experience some trial and error, but you'll then start to see patterns in terms of what rewards elicit the best results and what types of incentives are the most profitable. You can then focus more on the most appreciated rewards.

3. Convey that it's worth it to make return trips to your business

Customers inherently want the best bang for their buck. No one wants to brag that they paid too much for anything. On the other hand, people love sharing about saving money. Everyone loves a good bargain. No one wants to pay full price for anything; it doesn't matter how wealthy a customer is, they want the best deal. When you create your own loyalty card app, you give customers a good reason to come back. In fact, 76% of consumers want perks added to their shopping experience. They don't only want to buy things, they also want to play a role in your community. Give them the opportunity to collect points, or punches in their cards so that they are entertained.

4. It keeps customers happy

There isn't any question that you want to keep your customers happy. If they aren't, they will move on. When you implement a loyalty program, you set your company apart from others in your industry. Your competition may sell similar goods and services, but they don't have a loyalty card app. What does this mean for you? Well, you're sending a message to your customers that you're not just interested in the contents of their wallets. That, instead, you can be their partner--offering rewards that are mutually beneficial. Sure, the sales of your goods and services are what keeps the lights on. Still, you also offer benefits that are solely intended for your customers. It's truly an act of goodwill that will have lasting and positive repercussions for your business.

5. You get more referrals

Who doesn't love a customer referral? It's new business that didn't even require additional time, marketing, or prospecting. Referrals are like free presents that any business would appreciate--especially if they come from loyal customers. Moreover, you don't have to work as hard to earn their business. Customers feel more comfortable if they receive a recommendation from another customer. So, they come to your business with built-in credibility and trust. As a result, they are less price sensitive. Someone else has done the job of convincing them that your business is worth their time and money. And, referrals are like snowballs speeding down a hill, collecting more snow. When a referral has a positive customer experience with your business, they are likely to refer other consumers. They're like unofficial salespeople without the expensive salary.

5. Optimize customer engagement

You can change a customer's perception of your brand based on how you engage with them. When you offer your customers an option for increased engagement, such as a loyalty program, they become more invested in your business. Not only are you offering rewards for loyalty, but you provide a better overall experience. So, the customer feels more comfortable with your business and it builds trust. When they're ready to make a purchase, they will choose the brand that offered the most consistency in terms of positive experiences.

6. It attracts new customers

For all the reasons above, and more, a loyalty program can also attract new customers and turn them into repeat patrons. If your company has little brand awareness, a loyalty program can change that. When looking for a new business, if everything looks the same on the surface, customers will look for something that stands out such as a loyalty program. Having a loyalty card app for business can mean the difference between a new customer shopping with your competitor or heading directly to your site.

7. It's easy to maintain

It may take some effort to set up a loyalty program--you need to think of what type of system you want and what rewards to offer. And, you want to ensure it is relevant for your target audience while boosting your sales numbers. Yet, after that, your loyalty program becomes self-sustaining. It is cyclical in nature--the more a customer purchases, they more rewards they receive. And, the customer is motivated to continue shopping. The rewards keep your clients coming back for more. If needed, you can always update the rewards to keep your patrons engaged. Nonetheless, it is a profitable program that is easy to maintain.

Final thought...

Stop leaving sales, and profits, to chance. Improve your customer retention, reputation, and experience with a punch loyalty card app for business now!

Email Course: 7 Days of Customer Loyalty

Sign up for our free, 7-day email course and become a customer loyalty expert!

We’ll also send you loyalty tips, trends and resources from time to time (which you can opt out of whenever you like).

Thanks! We've sent the course straight to your email!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.