Does your Business App Need a Loyalty Programme?

All businesses know the importance of customer loyalty. Not only does it cost five times as much to acquire a new customer as it does to retain an existing one, but loyal customers are also statistically most likely to spend the greatest amounts. So what’s the best way to boost customer loyalty? Through a loyalty programme. Research suggests that almost all customers feel more devoted to a brand if they offer a rewards scheme.
The big question is… Should businesses keep their loyalty programme exclusively as a physical or online benefit, or should they extend the scheme into their business app?

What Customers Want

To answer that question, we need to look at how successful loyalty programmes really are. The truth is that, while some are thriving, others are not. The Code Broker Loyalty Research Report shows that only 18% of shoppers actively engage with all of the loyalty schemes they’ve signed up for. The majority engage with less than half. What’s the problem? The report concludes that loyalty programmes aren’t meeting customer needs, with three quarters stating they would be much more inclined to participate in loyalty schemes if they were able to access their rewards through their smartphones.

Going Mobile

What this tells us is that expanding loyalty schemes to mobile is essential, but is it better for businesses to incorporate a programme into a responsive website, or into their app?
While access through responsive websites is important, access via mobile apps is perhaps a more vital consideration. With 85% of total time spent on smartphones being used for apps, it makes sense for businesses to take their loyalty scheme to where their customers are. If your customers are in your app, make sure your loyalty scheme is, too.

Benefits of Loyalty Schemes in Apps

There are many benefits to incorporating your loyalty programme into your app:

• If you have a programme, taking it mobile boosts cross-channel consistency
• Adding more content to your app helps to build a stronger mobile presence
• You can connect with and reward your loyal customers wherever they are
• It’s a way to incentivise your customers to download and use your app

If you already have a loyalty scheme, extending it into your app is the way to deliver a seamless experience. If you don’t yet offer such a programme, it’s time to consider building one.

Thinking about setting up a business app? Why not check out our Apps Page and pop us an email to discuss your requirements.