Before you start: loyalty means giving a reason to come back
Customers return for three reasons: they liked it, they remember you and itβs worth it. The strategies below target one or more of those reasons. You donβt need to do them all: pick three or four and do them well.
Reward repeat visits
1. A simple loyalty programme
Stamps, points or credit. What matters is that itβs understood in two seconds and the reward comes soon. If you donβt know which to choose, start with the guide to types of loyalty programme.
2. Give the first stamp
Starting at 1 of 10 instead of 0 of 10 creates a sense of progress and gets more people to the end.
3. A halfway reward
A small treat halfway stops customers losing heart while the big reward is still far off.
4. Tiers for your best customers
A membersβ club with tiers makes your best customers feel recognised without giving everyone the same.
Key moments
5. A welcome gift
A coupon at sign-up for the second visit. The second visit is the hardest to get: from there, the habit starts.
6. Celebrate birthdays
A message with a small treat on their birthday is one of the most appreciated gestures and drives lots of visits.
7. Win back those who stop coming
If a regular hasnβt come for weeks, a message with a reason to return works far better than waiting. Ideas in how to win back lapsed customers.
8. Tell them when theyβre close
Β«One more stamp for your free coffeeΒ» is the message that brings in the most visits. With a card on their phone, it goes out automatically.
Experience
9. Call customers by their name
It sounds small, but itβs what sets a local business apart from a big chain.
10. Listen and reply
Ask how it went, reply to reviews (good and bad) and change what people keep telling you.
11. Surprise now and then
An unexpected treat (a biscuit with the coffee, an extra minute of massage) is remembered more than an expected discount.
Get recommended
12. Ask for reviews at the right moment
Right after a good experience, when the customer collects their reward. We explain it in detail here: how to get Google reviews.
13. Bring a friend
A reward for the referrer and another for the friend who comes. Itβs the cheapest way to win new customers who also stay. More in referral programmes.
14. Gift cards
A loyal customer who gives your business as a gift brings you a new customer whoβs already convinced. See how to sell gift cards.
Get paid upfront
15. Prepaid passes and memberships
Someone who has paid for ten sessions wonβt switch to a competitor halfway. Hereβs the guide to prepaid session passes.
How to know if itβs working
Measure a few things, but every month: how many customers sign up, how many return within 30 days, how many redeem and how much they spend. We cover the metrics in how to measure customer loyalty.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most effective loyalty strategy?
For a local business, a simple rewards programme combined with well-timed messages (welcome, birthday, Β«youβre nearly thereΒ» and Β«we miss youΒ»).
How can I build loyalty without spending money?
Personal service, replying to reviews, asking for feedback and rewarding referrals. A digital card costs little and pays for itself with very few extra visits.
How often should I send offers?
Better few and useful: two or three a month at most, and always with the customerβs consent.