{"id":7267,"date":"2020-06-15T15:35:47","date_gmt":"2020-06-15T15:35:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stratlx.com\/?p=7267"},"modified":"2023-07-11T18:35:10","modified_gmt":"2023-07-11T18:35:10","slug":"how-much-does-a-loyalty-program-cost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stratlx.com\/en\/2020\/06\/how-much-does-a-loyalty-program-cost\/","title":{"rendered":"How Much Does a Loyalty Program Cost?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Successful <strong>loyalty programs<\/strong> increase frequency and average spend, improve profit margins, and reduce acquisition costs. Although these all spell great news for a brand, setting up and <strong>managing a loyalty program<\/strong> isn\u2019t free.<\/p>\n<h2>How Much Does a Loyalty Program Cost?<\/h2>\n<p>Companies looking to build customer loyalty often launch loyalty programs. These programs offer exclusive rewards and benefits for customers who accumulate points. Loyalty programs are therefore a great way for companies to reward their customers, retain their customers, and increase their sales. However, they come at a cost.<\/p>\n<p>Rewards, promotions, and technology costs are all part of the process. With this in mind, how much should companies be paying to create and manage their own loyalty program?<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s no simple answer. It really depends on the individual company\u2019s situation and loyalty program structure. However, here\u2019s a quick guide to help you evaluate how much you\u2019ll need to invest in order to create and manage your own <strong>loyalty program<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Planning a Customer Loyalty Project and the Cost of a Loyalty Program<\/h2>\n<p>You are ready to offer a loyalty program to your objectives. Whether it\u2019s a program that will work on points, punch card, or cashback, before you start looking at technology solutions, begin by planning your project. A solid plan is a good foundation that will help you save on costs in the long run.<\/p>\n<h3>Loyalty Program Structure<\/h3>\n<p>First, start by determining what kind of program best suits your company. You can do this by analyzing your customer behaviour, strategy, positioning, and competition. This <a href=\"https:\/\/stratlx.com\/en\/2019\/05\/3-tips-for-building-your-loyalty-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">design phase<\/a> can be done internally or with the help of a loyalty specialist. Either way, this step comes with costs that you need to take into consideration.<\/p>\n<p>At this stage in your planning, keep in mind the following when determining your budget:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Launch strategy and promotions<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/stratlx.com\/en\/2019\/07\/loyalty-how-and-why-you-should-document-your-business-rules\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Defining and documenting your business rules<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Documenting your business and technical requirements<\/li>\n<li>Project management<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Rewards<\/h3>\n<p>You\u2019ve defined your program, rewards, and customer experience. Now you need to make sure your loyalty program is profitable. It\u2019s time to calculate the program\u2019s return on investment\u2014or ROI. \u00a0Remember to include all costs linked to soft and hard benefits, including points, welcome gift, birthday gift, VIP services, and more. Every reward has a price. Remember there are also costs associated with managing rewards, like delivery fees.<\/p>\n<p>During the pre-launch phase, your calculations will be based on your initial estimates. Remember to regularly go back and re-look at these in order to adjust your budget as your program evolves. At launch phase, you\u2019ll be onboarding more members than in subsequent years, but your program will gain traction over the first few years. Make sure you\u2019ve budgeted your rewards accordingly.<\/p>\n<h2>Loyalty Program Implementation<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Loyalty program implantation and management<\/strong> require an investment in technology and human resources. These elements represent a significant part of the cost of a loyalty program.<\/p>\n<h3>Loyalty Management Platform<\/h3>\n<p>From a technology standpoint, you will need a loyalty management platform. There are plenty of <a href=\"https:\/\/stratlx.com\/en\/2019\/08\/loyalty-how-to-select-the-right-technology-partner\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">loyalty suppliers<\/a> to fit your needs and budget. Some suppliers offer pricing based on the number of members or locations, and others charge on a fixed-fee basis. You can choose between a turnkey service or an \u00e0 la carte one. Every choice will influence your total operating costs, so be sure you understand exactly what you need.<\/p>\n<p>Your loyalty platform must work seamlessly with the other systems you have in place, from your point of sale system to your website, e-commerce, mobile app, CRM, or automated email tool. On top of costs associated with the loyalty-management platform, you need to set aside a budget for how these systems interact.<\/p>\n<p>Keep the following in mind when budgeting technology:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Implementation and configuration fees<\/li>\n<li>Integration with existing solutions such as POS, CRM and e-commerce.<\/li>\n<li>Loyalty platform licensing fees<\/li>\n<li>Support and maintenance<\/li>\n<li>Front-end development for your website and mobile app.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Human Resources<\/h3>\n<p>Selecting or creating a solution and implementing it requires human resources. Depending on how large and complex your project is, you will need to employ at least a project and program manager. You will also require resources from your marketing, IT, and operations departments, as well as people to train your employees. To ensure your loyalty solutions function seamlessly with the other technology you have in place, you will also have to set aside resources from various IT suppliers.<\/p>\n<p>As with every other phase, this step is made easier and smoother with the help of a loyalty expert\u2014which is a smart investment to help you take advantage of best practices and save time in the long run.<\/p>\n<h2>Loyalty Program Management<\/h2>\n<p>Once all technology is in place and your program is launched, you need to think about managing your program. It\u2019s one thing to offer a loyalty program to customers, and quite another to ensure it\u2019s successful.<\/p>\n<p>We highly recommend that you appoint someone to be in charge of the program\u2019s activities, growth, and budget.<\/p>\n<p>The successful management of your program includes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Customer service: Program members are your best clients as well as ambassadors. Make sure you provide them with impeccable service.<\/li>\n<li>Finances: Loyalty program currency is still currency. You have to treat it as such.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/stratlx.com\/en\/2019\/04\/loyalty-program-remember-your-employees-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ongoing employee training<\/a>: This is important when it comes to program tools as well as the message you wish to promote.<\/li>\n<li>Innovation: Don\u2019t get stuck in a rut. Keep surprising and delighting members!<\/li>\n<li>Data analysis: Follow and understand <a href=\"https:\/\/stratlx.com\/en\/2019\/05\/key-indicators-to-measure-customer-loyalty\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">how your loyalty strategy is performing.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Promotion of your program.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Promoting Your Customer Loyalty Strategy<\/h3>\n<p>The design and promotion of a loyalty program are directly linked to its success. That\u2019s why your promotional budget must also be carefully planned.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Creative assets.<\/li>\n<li>Multi-channel communication with members.<\/li>\n<li>Costs related to advertising, contests, and VIP events.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In short, the costs associated with <strong>implementing and managing a loyalty program<\/strong> can be high. However, the rewards for companies that succeed in retaining their customers are considerable. Loyalty programs offer a great way for businesses to reward their customers, increase sales, and improve revenue.<\/p>\n<p>Every loyalty strategy is unique, and so are all costs related to it. This guide is a tool to get you started as you plan your loyalty program. If you\u2019d like the help of an expert to plan your launch and manage your program, we\u2019re here to provide our support!<\/p>\n<p>Now that you have a better idea of the costs associated with a loyalty program, the question becomes: Is <em>not<\/em> having a loyalty strategy actually costing you more?<\/p>\n<p>Contact <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/stratlx\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stratLX<\/a> if you would like to learn more about this.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\r\n<script><\/script>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Successful loyalty programs increase frequency and average spend, improve profit margins, and reduce acquisition costs&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7262,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"acf":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stratlx.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7267"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stratlx.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stratlx.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stratlx.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stratlx.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7267"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/stratlx.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7267\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10989,"href":"https:\/\/stratlx.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7267\/revisions\/10989"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stratlx.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7262"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stratlx.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stratlx.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stratlx.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}