Every successful retailer, whether operating a single physical store or a chain of stores with an online presence, eventually reaches a point where they ask themselves: How can I integrate my stores with the website and create loyal customers?
This is where the idea of implementing a Loyalty Program with personalized Customer Cards, or so-called omnichannel marketing, comes into play. The goal of this type of marketing is to offer incentives (various bonuses, rewards, points accumulation for orders made or reaching a certain amount) to encourage customers to shop more and more with the retailer, rather than with their competitors.
What is a Loyalty Program with a personalized Customer Card, and how can it be applied simultaneously in stores and on the website? You will learn from the following lines.
(For the purposes of this article, the included images are based on the project we implemented for our partners Douglas & Beauty|Zone, Lilly Drogerie, and Telestar.)
What does the Loyalty Program and Customer Card represent?
How can a customer join the Loyalty Program?
Where can a customer find information about the Loyalty Program on the online store?
First step - creating a profile in the online store
Second step - filling out the request form for the Customer Card
The customer now has a physical card - digitizing the Loyalty Card
Option for requesting a customer card during the order process for guest users
Requesting a customer card in a physical store - how does it work?
Let the point accumulation begin now!
How can a user use the accumulated points and personalized promotions both offline and online?
What does the Loyalty Program and Customer Card represent?
The personalized customer card, issued to a user with their personal information, allows them to participate in the Loyalty Program provided by the retailer according to its established rules - for example, accumulating points that can later be monetized and used in the form of discounts, free products, or other types of bonuses and rewards that the customer can receive. Each retailer sets its individual rules for participation in the loyalty program, and there are no limitations on the form in which they will be applied (point-based or other types of systems).
How can a customer join the Loyalty Program?
Every customer has the opportunity to join the Loyalty Program in two ways - either in-store or online through the retailer's website. In both cases, a Customer Card is issued, which can be used for purchases both in physical stores and online, and the bonuses from all purchases are accumulated in one place, regardless of where the sale was made. This way, the retailer unifies its channels, facilitates, and encourages the customer to become a loyal client.
Trends show that more and more retailers prefer to issue only a digital Customer Card, and the physical card is gradually becoming a thing of the past. However, some retailers still prefer to issue a physical card, which does not change the process described below in the article. The only difference is that the barcode of the digital Customer Card needs to be associated with a physical card (plastic), which will be provided to the customer either in person at the store or sent via courier.
Where can a customer find information about the Loyalty Program on the online store?
For the convenience of the customer, the top navigation of the online store may include a button labeled "Loyalty Program" (in the example from the screenshot for our client Douglas, this button is called "Beauty Card"), which highlights essential information about the registration and digitization process of the loyalty program. When hovering the mouse cursor over the button, a dropdown window can display highlights of important information about joining the Loyalty Program online, as well as quick buttons with links to the next steps.
When clicking on the "Loyalty Program" button, the user will be redirected to a separate page with complete information about the program.
The full information with detailed registration instructions for the program, as well as video tutorials, can be found in the detailed footer menu of the website, similar to the example provided:
Upon reaching any of these links, the ultimate destination is the same, and the only thing the user needs to do is follow the steps to join the loyalty program.
First step - creating a profile in the online store
The first step is to create an account on the online store so that the customer can join the loyalty program. Whether the customer already has an issued card or wishes to request one, neither action can occur without first creating their profile on the merchant's website.
After the customer completes the registration on the website, a popup window appears, reminding them once again about the loyalty program and helping the user stay on track. The popup window contains quick links to the two main directions: digitizing an existing card or, if the customer doesn't have one, requesting a new card.
Second step - filling out the request form for the Customer Card
For those who do not have a card and wish to request one, they need to fill out a form to request the card. However, it is essential to have already created a profile on the online store. The link to this online request form can be accessed from the popup window or the general page with information about the program, as well as from the dropdown menu of the main button in the navigation, which we showed earlier in the scenario for card digitization. The request form looks like this, and the system has automatically filled in some of the data it has from the customer profile:
After the user submits the card request, they have the option to choose how to confirm their registration - via email, SMS, or Viber message. They should select the most convenient method for them, receive the confirmation message, and voilà - their card is now active, and they can start earning points from their next order! Additionally, the user's profile is now part of the "Loyal Customers" group of the retailer.
The customer now has a physical card - digitizing the Loyalty Card
For those users who already have a physical Customer Card, they should select the "Digitize Your Physical Card" option from the pop-up window or the general information page about the program, similar to the example shown:
Selecting this menu opens a page with a field to enter the number of an existing card.
After entering the card number in the provided field, the user needs to verify their email and phone number. They will receive an email confirmation for their email address and an SMS or Viber message for their phone number. This ensures that the user has provided valid personal information for participation in the Loyalty program and will receive promotional messages and announcements from the retailer at the provided email and phone number.
Once the card is activated in the customer profile, it will be displayed as follows:
Having their card in their profile, it can now be used for online orders or displayed as a barcode image for scanning at the checkout, or the card number can be quoted for the consultant to enter into the cash register system.
In the customer profile, under the card image, the information about the total accumulated points by the user is displayed:
For maximum convenience during their next login to the website, the user will always find a button labeled "Loyalty Program" ("Beauty Card" in the example) in their profile menu. This button will lead them to the page with information about the program and their personal Customer Card, so they won't have to search extensively for this data.
Option for requesting a customer card during the order process for guest users
For guest users who are placing an order, the system provides an option to request a Customer Card ("Beauty Card" in the example) in the shopping cart before completing the order. The user needs to finish their order first, and then they will be redirected to a form to apply for the card.
If the user selects the card request option in the shopping cart, a message will be displayed during checkout:
The goal is once again for the user not to get lost in the entire process, not to wander around the website, but to be guided throughout the whole time, so that they can easily and seamlessly reach their ultimate goal.
If the user has not selected the card request option in the shopping cart, no more reminder messages are displayed during checkout to avoid distracting them from finalizing their order.
After completing the order as a guest, the system redirects the user to the profile registration page. Once they create their profile on the online store, the system redirects them to the card request page with some of the information already filled in, which the website has from the profile they just created. The current order is already associated with that profile, and the customer receives a discount voucher for their first order. From the next order made through the profile, loyalty points start accumulating on the Customer Card.
Here, we could give an example of how it was implemented in two other of our projects. In the Lilly Drogerie online store, a notification message appears automatically in the shopping cart, informing the user of the number of points (loyalty points) they would receive if they reach a certain order amount and become part of the program.
In Telestar, on the other hand, in the shopping cart, there is a banner placed below the "Complete Order" button that says "Join the Loyalty Program", and upon clicking it, the Customer Card is directly added to the shopping cart.
Requesting a customer card in a physical store - how does it work?
When requesting a card in-store, it is recommended to leave paper forms in the past. Trained consultants should encourage and assist the customer in filling out the online application on their phone or using devices provided in the store. In case the customer encounters difficulties, the sales consultant can help input the data into the system on behalf of the customer, with the customer dictating the necessary information.
Once the application is completed and all steps are successfully passed, the card is activated and ready for use. The customer can immediately make their first purchase in the store, show the card at the checkout from their profile, and the consultant will scan it to initiate point accumulation. All of this can be done entirely digitally, without the need for a physical card, paying fees for plastic, or waiting for additional time to receive the personalized plastic card.
Let the point accumulation begin now!
This is all the user needs to do to obtain a Customer Card for the Loyalty Program of the retailer. From here on, the user only needs to be logged into their profile while shopping, and the point accumulation will happen automatically! Happy shopping!
How can a user use the accumulated points and personalized promotions both offline and online?
In the specific case (as exemplified by Douglas), the accumulated points can be used only for products participating in the loyalty program. The retailer provides its customers with access to a separate product catalog containing only items from the program, which can be purchased using the accumulated points. These points can only be used for products available in the special catalog within a one-year period.
More from our customers who digitized their loyalty programs:
Contact us to explore the possibilities for your online store
At Stenik, we specialize in the development and maintenance of large-scale online stores, and increasingly, we digitize a significant portion of merchants' processes. If you need consultation on how to integrate and digitize a Loyalty Program for your online store, don't hesitate to reach out to us!