How to Choose a Loyalty Program Software
Make Sure That Your Loyalty Platform Provider Gives You End-to-End Support
When choosing a loyalty platform provider, it’s crucial to find one that offers complete end-to-end support. This means they should assist you throughout the entire loyalty journey, not just part of it.
Many software providers offer only basic support resources like videos, blog posts, and a ticketing system.
However, they often fall short when helping with member recruitment, segmentation, boosting customer lifetime value, or providing in-depth consultations. In these cases, you might find yourself on your own.
At KlikNGo, we understand how frustrating this can be. That’s why we offer a comprehensive end-to-end solution, ensuring you receive the support you need to achieve real, measurable results.
Every KlikNGo user gets their own dedicated account manager for personalized assistance!
Ensure That It Can Be Integrated to Your Existing Software
Many industries require specialized software—like restaurants using POS systems or retail stores managing inventory.
It’s essential for your loyalty program to automatically transfer data and sync in real time.
However, many basic loyalty programs operate as standalone systems, meaning data often needs to be input manually into other software. While some loyalty programs offer integration, it’s usually not as seamless as with specialized software.
Most loyalty program software relies on similar APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), which can make integration challenging.
If you’re unfamiliar, APIs allow different software systems to communicate and share data, but compatibility issues can arise.
Our proprietary loyalty program, KlikNGo, is custom-built by our team to ensure it can integrate with virtually any basic or specialized software you need. Whether it’s Xero, FreshBooks, or various POS systems, we can accommodate the requirements of any industry!
Look for Omnichannel Integration
Another important aspect to consider is omnichannel integration, which is increasingly vital for larger companies and brands today.
Omnichannel integration refers to creating a seamless customer experience across multiple channels, allowing customers to interact with a brand or company in various ways—whether online, in-store, or through mobile apps.
Here are a few examples of how omnichannel integration works:
- Cafés: Customers can place orders through their loyalty app online and pick up their coffee in-store.
- Supermarkets: Shoppers can sign up at in-store kiosks or counters, and their profiles will be accessible when they log in with their phone numbers on the loyalty app.
- Clothing Stores: Customers can return items and receive money or loyalty points directly in their app.
Having omnichannel integration creates a seamless experience for users, which can foster long-term loyalty. For example, our clients like Pacific Coffee and Omusubi have benefited greatly from this approach.
By implementing omnichannel integration strategies, we’ve helped these businesses increase member growth and boost the average spending per customer!
Prioritize Intuitive Data Collection Methods
Before choosing a loyalty program provider, ensure their software can collect various types of data intuitively. Many programs ask for too much information upfront, which can be off-putting to new members.
For a successful loyalty program, it’s better to start with minimal data collection and gradually build customer profiles over time. You can gather valuable insights through both online and offline interactions.
For example, if you run a pharmacy and notice that certain customers frequently buy baby formula, you can deduce that they might be new parents. This allows you to tailor personalized rewards or discounts to keep them engaged and loyal.
Offline data collection can be trickier, often requiring specialized technology or manual input from staff.
For instance, at an event, you could use a digital kiosk where attendees enter their phone numbers to claim gifts. This helps track their participation and engagement, indicating their level of loyalty.
Oftentimes many other loyalty program platforms are just the software, and there are limited data collection and profile-building capabilities.
The best part? The examples that we’ve given earlier are exactly what we did for our clients here at KlikNGo!
Flexibility to Customize & Types of Loyalty Options to Choose From
If you’re new to loyalty programs, there are several types to consider, like tiered programs, point-based programs, and attendance-based programs.
Most platforms offer a choice among these options, but they often don’t allow for much flexibility in combining different types. However, certain industries or unique situations might benefit from a blend of loyalty program types.
For instance, a grocery chain might find value in combining a subscription-based loyalty program with a tiered program.
This approach can encourage customers to spend more and take advantage of the sunk-cost fallacy (where people continue investing in something because they’ve already invested a lot, even if it’s not the best choice).
Additionally, this strategy provides you with predictable revenue and improved customer loyalty.
It’s similar to Costco’s membership model, but with enhanced features to boost customer engagement and retention.
Make Sure the Loyalty Vendor Provides Industry-Specific Consultation
Many loyalty program providers just offer the software without understanding the specific needs of different industries.
This lack of insight can be a major reason why some loyalty programs fail. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution; different industries require tailored approaches to succeed.
For example, take Omusubi, a popular Japanese restaurant in Hong Kong. They wanted to boost membership sign-ups, so we stepped in to help.
Through our research, we discovered that Omusubi’s customers typically dine in groups, with an average of four people per table.
Based on this, we devised a loyalty strategy that involved earning points through fun sushi-eating challenges shared with friends and family – leveraging word-of-mouth to boost ROI.
This approach not only increased membership sign-ups but also boosted the value of each table by up to 125%!
Check out our full case study on Omusubi!
User-Friendly Platform for Both You & Your Customers
User-friendliness is crucial in any loyalty program software. It should be easy to navigate, so you don’t need extensive training or complicated tutorials.
Both you and your customers should be able to use it intuitively without any hassle.
Our software is designed with simplicity in mind. You can easily segment, tag, and send promotions without any complicated steps. We’ve built our backend to be user-friendly for everyone, making sure it does what you need without extra effort.
Additionally, we offer plenty of customization options to help you tailor the software to your needs.
This flexibility lets you improve and test different strategies, such as increasing purchase rates or other key actions, all with ease.
Why Choosing the Right Loyalty Program Solution is Important
Choosing the right loyalty program solution is crucial because it directly impacts both your long-term costs and your potential for success.
A poorly chosen program can lead to higher costs over time if it fails to engage customers or meet your needs, so investing in well-suited solutions is essential for maximizing your return on investment.
The right provider will offer tailored advice and consultations based on your specific industry and situation, helping you design a program that works effectively for your business.
If you need a loyalty program provider that gives you the best chance of success, check out our loyalty program solution to take your first step! Still need convincing? Why not check out our competitive edge versus other loyalty solutions like Smile.io?