Customer loyalty....one of the
most important things for any small business owner. If you're the owner of a small business, you NEED to make sure your clients are coming back time and time again, since there's a good chance that you don't have an infinite number of potential clients like multinationals do. If you lose a client, there isn't always someone waiting to replace them.
One way to increase customer loyalty is by creating a...wait for it...loyalty program. Creating a loyalty program for your dog daycare customers can bring many benefits for both your business and your clients. Here are six reasons why you should consider implementing a loyalty program at your dog daycare.
1. Increased Customer Retention
A loyalty program encourages repeat business by offering incentives for repeat visits. By offering rewards for repeat visits, you are encouraging customers to stick with your dog daycare and form a long-lasting relationship. There are
numerous ways you can organize your loyalty program. Perhaps it's a free day of daycare for every 10 days they pay for, or something similar. If you use something like redeemable passes at your daycare, you can sell them 10 days of daycare and add two extra "Free Day of Daycare" passes to their account. It's really up to you.
2. Increased Revenue
By keeping your customers coming back, you are able to increase your overall revenue. The longer a customer stays with your dog daycare, the more money they are likely to spend over time. If you haven't ran the numbers yet, it's not a bad idea to look into the
lifetime value of a client. Trying to figure out how much one client is worth, over the course of their lifetime at your business, can help you figure out just how much of a discount you should be giving in your loyalty program. If one client is worth A LOT of money, you better be doing everything in your power to keep them around.
3. Improved Customer Satisfaction
Loyalty programs show customers that you value their business and appreciate their repeat visits. This improved customer satisfaction can lead to positive word-of-mouth marketing and an overall positive reputation for your dog daycare. As a small business owner, you really need to show your customers
how much you appreciate them. You don't have monopolistic power over them; they are free to choose where they take their pets. That said, showing appreciation with a loyalty program is a great idea.
4. Better Customer Insights
By tracking customer behavior through a loyalty program, you can
gain valuable insights into what your customers want and need from your dog daycare. This information can be used to improve your offerings and overall customer experience. By analyzing your loyalty program data, you might be able to find out which clients are your best referrers and then set up a private relationship with them to get them to refer even more clients. You also might realize some clients are taking advantage of your loyalty program and that you need to have a talk with them or change the redemption rules for how long someone can wait to redeem their free loyalty perk.
5. Increased Brand Awareness
A loyalty program can be a great way to promote your brand and build awareness. By offering unique rewards and incentives, you can attract new customers and retain existing ones, ultimately growing your business. Try coming up with a cute name for your loyalty rewards. Maybe you call them "Puppy Points" or something like that. You could even create some nice marketing materials around this name and then use them on your social media. You can post
"Kelly Jones just got 50 PuppyPoints for referring us a new client! Thanks Kelly. Just 50 more points and you have 3 nights of boarding on us!"
6. Increased Customer Loyalty
By offering exclusive rewards and benefits to loyal customers, you can increase their overall loyalty to your dog daycare. This can lead to repeat business and positive word-of-mouth marketing, which can help your dog daycare grow and succeed over time. It goes without saying that a loyalty program is going to make your clients more loyal. However, it's nice to reiterate this fact. By offering your most loyal customers a way to gain points or perks from your business, they're going to become
even MORE loyal to your business. It just keeps getting better!