See how you can refresh your customer loyalty program for 2023. 

Are you playing the Shopify customer loyalty program game, but not winning? Is your program stuck in a rut? Do you need to shake things up?

eCommerce has evolved owing to the changing times, consumer behavior, and technological advancements.

So why does your loyalty program remain the same?

Loyalty programs can be very expensive to run and difficult to manage. They also require a lot of ongoing customer engagement and investment if you want them to drive meaningful results for your business.

The good news is that there are ways you can refresh your loyalty program in order to engage more customers and drive more sales. Here are our top tips to refresh or upgrade your loyalty program and prepare for 2023.

Customer loyalty program trends 2023 to keep an eye on

1. Gamification

Did you know that an average customer belongs to almost 15 loyalty programs but is only active in 7? Nevertheless, 53% of customers are more likely to engage with brands that offer gamified loyalty programs.

Gamification involves using game-like elements in non-game contexts. Gamification can take many forms — from simple leaderboards or point systems to more complex levels, missions and challenges.

The idea behind gamification is simple — use game elements in your Shopify loyalty program to engage customers and get them excited about coming back again and again. This can be done through virtual points or rewards that can be used towards discounts or free products.

Read more: 10 Gamification Loyalty Program Examples and What You Can Learn From Them

2. Partnerships

Partnerships are a great way to leverage your existing customer base and expand it using your partners’ networks. If you’re running a loyalty program, then you should be looking at ways to partner with other companies that share similar interests, including retailers, service providers, and distributors.

For example, if you run an online store selling beauty products, you could partner with stores that sell beauty products in physical locations where your customers could redeem their store credits. This will help you build up your network while providing value to your customers by offering more opportunities for earning points toward purchases and discounts.

3. Native mobile application

The rise of native mobile apps is one of the most significant changes in consumer behavior over the past decade. This has also contributed to the boom of m-commerce.

Source: Statista

As a result, brands are shifting their focus from desktop/web-based applications to native mobile applications.

Today, a native mobile app has grown to become a must-have for any business looking to start a loyalty program. This option allows users to easily redeem points and track their progress without having to log in or out of different websites and apps. In addition, a native mobile app can also help increase sales by offering exclusive offers or discounts only available through the app itself!

4. Offer more benefits

Loyalty programs are successful because they’re designed to reward customers for their continued patronage and encourage them to return again and again.

To do this, you need to offer perks that appeal to all kinds of customers, from those who shop frequently to those who buy only once or twice a year.

The rewards that people get from their loyalty programs are often limited to discounts or freebies. But you can offer much more than that.

The number one way to refresh your loyalty program is to offer premium programs with better perks. The more exclusive the perks are, the more likely people will want them. You can do this by creating different tiers of rewards based on how much members spend each year or by offering special events and activities only available to those who have reached a certain level in their membership.

Offer personalized discounts based on the customer’s purchase history and preferences from their Shopify customer account page — this way they feel like they’re getting something special from your company when they shop there again!

Also, when someone is enrolled in your loyalty program, make sure that they receive regular updates about new perks. You can also incentivize customers with exclusive offers and special deals when they check in on social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter.

5. More flexibility in redemption options

Offer more ways for customers to use their rewards points in case they don’t want the same thing as everyone else — and at the same time avoid creating confusion over which option is best suited for their needs or preferences.

For example, some people may prefer gift cards while others want merchandise credits and others would rather have cash back.

6. Omnichannel approach

Loyalty programs aren’t just about earning rewards; they’re also about building relationships with customers over time. One of the best ways to do this is through personalized interactions.

Leverage intelligent technologies to gauge your loyal customer’s interests.

For example, if a customer searches for running shoes on Instagram, suggest running shoes from your store when they log on to your rewards program.

By combining data from all your TouchPoints (website, mobile app, brick-and-mortar store), you can create more relevant offers for customers. This approach helps customers connect with your brand in new ways and makes them feel special when they receive personalized offers that match their interests and purchase history.

Increase omnichannel engagement by linking loyalty programs across channels. If you have an online store, mobile app, and/or physical store presence, make sure that each channel works together so that customers don’t have to re-enter information or start over if they switch devices while shopping with you.

For example, if they add items to their cart on the website but then decide not to buy them right away and move on to the mobile app later in their journey, those items should be still available in their cart when they return to the mobile device.

7. The quicker, the better

If a customer makes a purchase and earns a reward point, why not make it available immediately?

It might seem counterintuitive, but many customers want to earn rewards right away. They don’t want to wait until their next purchase — they’d rather have their points now. Offering instant accrual helps boost engagement with the program while also driving higher sales volume through increased spend by loyal customers who see value in earning rewards on every dollar spent with you.

Make it easier for customers to redeem their points without having to wait for an expiration date or use a certain number of points in one transaction.

This approach helps keep customers engaged with your brand because they don’t have to do anything extra; they just come into the store, buy something, and get rewarded for doing so!

8. Tiered programs

A tiered rewards system is one of the most popular types of loyalty programs. It works by offering different levels of rewards based on how much customers spend with you.

This type of system has been around for a long time, but it still remains popular because it allows businesses to recognize their most valuable customers while also encouraging others who may not be as frequent shoppers to increase their spending with you.

For example, if a customer spends $100 per month at one store they may receive 10% off every purchase while if they spend $200 per month at another store they might receive 15% off every purchase.

Keep evolving your Shopify customer loyalty program with Flits

The tips we’ve provided above are just some of the ways you can refresh your loyalty program in order to get your customers engaged. If you’re able to put these tips into action, you should see a lot more engagement with your loyalty program among your customers. And that can only mean good things for your bottom line!

And building a loyalty program inside your Shopify customer account page ensures higher participation.

Enter Flits! Your next-gen customer rewards program with Shopify store credits.

You can now easily increase repeat purchases, turn customers into loyal brand advocates and keep them motivated to buy more with Shopify loyalty programs and store credits.

Install Flits today!