Since almost every American with internet access has made an online purchase, it’s no surprise that customer incentives programs have gone digital too. As more and more people choose websites over brick and mortar stores, physical cards are quickly becoming an unnecessary second step (like that one coworker who still prints out his emails!).
Since your customers prefer online shopping, it makes sense to incentivize them with rewards that are optimized for the digital space.
Why do customers prefer online shopping to more traditional forms? According to a survey from Invesp, it’s all about time, money, and options. 73% of respondents said online shopping saves them time, 67% said it gives them more variety, and 59% said it was easier to compare prices. Put simply, they no longer have to drive from store to store looking for the right item at the right price. The online shopping experience is instantly gratifying.
Online shopping is all about giving the customer what they want, when they want it, how they want it. The same can be said for customer incentives. Long waits and limited choices are not as effective as flexible rewards that can be used right away.
4 Ecommerce Lessons for your Customer Incentives Program
1. Build a Seamless Experience Across all Channels
In 2018, people are shopping from their phones just as much as their computers. The best retailers make sure that shopping, and paying, is the same on every screen. Visa® Virtual Rewards work just like physical cards, but are actually faster and more secure.
2. Improve the Experience with Technology
Digital technology can be a tremendous asset when it comes to taking the customer experience to the next level. Optimized websites give customers more options throughout their journey, while digital reward cards let customers pay for items at any store in just a few, easy steps. Technology can help you strengthen your audience’s perception of your brand by limiting the lag time between receiving an incentive and actually using it.
3. Make it Personal
Consumers don’t want you to talk “at” them, they want you to talk “to” them. Online messaging should be tailored directly to the individual based on their relationship to the brand. This includes your reward programs. Customer incentives should feel personal and on-brand, as if they’re coming from a person—not a machine. Digital incentives make the personalization process easier and more efficient.
4. Provide Insanely Good Customer Service
“Insanely Good” is how former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz described the focus of his company. Why? Because great customer service humanizes the engagement between the customer and the brand. By behaving and responding like a human, you foster a passionate brand ambassador instead of just a casual customer.
Your customers are unique, so why not treat them that way? Virtual Incentives provides solutions that help businesses connect with their customers and partners in order to provide instant gratification in ways never before possible. Our prepaid platform is powered by a simple, customizable virtual solution that closes the gap between achievement and rewards in order to make customer incentives programs fast, fun, and easy–just like online shopping. To learn more about Visa® Virtual Rewards and other virtual solutions that can be customized for your brand, contact a rewards specialist today.