In today’s ultra-competitive retail industry, building a loyal customer base is more important than ever. To achieve this, many business owners are using point of sale software to create rewards programs targeted at their audience to earn repeat business.
Many large national retailers have recognized the benefits of rewards programs and the positive effect they have on fostering loyalty. With integrated business management software becoming more feasible for smaller, independent retailers, here are some reasons you should consider incorporating one as part of your overall marketing strategy.
1. They’re Easy to Maintain
Even with point of sale software, getting a rewards program off the ground is no easy feat. It requires careful research and planning to:
- Determine your target audience
- Understand their product preferences
- Develop a suitable program platform
However, once it’s up and running and you’re satisfied with the way it looks and functions, your rewards program will require minimal maintenance. If it has the right tools, your point of sale software will allow you to implement changes without having to overhaul the entire program.
Best of all, as your customer base grows, the program stays the same. There’s no increase to your workload.
2. It’s Worth the Investment
As mentioned, you’ll be required to invest time and resources to get a rewards program going, and to maintain it. However, if you administer it properly with business management software and you target it to the right customers, your return on investment should make it worthwhile.
3. Leverage the Online vs In-store Experience
The prevalence of online shopping has risen drastically over the last decade. It’s showing no signs of slowing down either. Consumers have become quite savvy when it comes to researching products online to determine:
- Lowest prices
- Product specifications
- Comparable products
- Competitor advantages
Yet, once they have this information, many consumers still prefer to shop in a brick-and-mortar store. Sometimes they feel it’s safer than shopping online. Other times, they want to save on shipping fees. Either way, you can use this as an opportunity to use your rewards program to engage customers by offering either in-store or online incentives.
4. Data Collection
As soon as your rewards program is going, you’ll be able to conduct market research to monitor:
- Customer spending habits
- Program effectiveness
- Changes in sales performance
With this information, you’ll be able to tweak your rewards program (and possibly other marketing campaigns) to maximize its effectiveness and provide the best shopping experience possible for your customers.
5. Customer Satisfaction
If your customers feel valued, they’ll be more inclined to support your business. Rewards programs are an easy mechanism for delivering a personalized shopping experience. Not only will they be more likely to buy your product, they’ll feel more inclined to recommend your store to people they know.
To further understand how point of sale software and customer satisfaction are linked, check out our post: How POS Software Keeps Your Customers Happy.
Looking for point of sale software to boost customer engagement and satisfaction. Contact Windward Software to talk with one of our knowledgeable consultants about our fully integrated business management software.
Share this article on
