The loyalty program is a powerful tool to attract, engage, and retain customers. However, just launching a program is no guarantee of success. How do you know if it's really working? The answer lies in data, indicators, and strategy—and, of course, the right technology to keep track of it all.
Below, you will find a practical checklist to evaluate the efficiency of your loyalty program. In the end, see how Smartbis can completely transform your results.
1. Are your customers joining the program?
The first point is simple: are people signing up? If the adhesion rate is low, it may be that the program is poorly publicized, unattractive, or difficult to understand. Evaluate:
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Number of monthly registrations: Are they increasing, decreasing, or stagnant?
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Conversion rate between customers and program participants
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Ease of registration (online, at the counter, via QR code?): When customers start registration, do they find it easy or give up halfway?
If few customers are joining the program, it is possible that the promotion is inefficient, the benefits are unattractive or difficult to understand, or the registration process is complicated. In these cases, reinforce communication at the point of sale and on social media, use team training so that everyone knows how to promote and register customers easily, simplify registration with QR code, tablet at reception, or sales system integration and offer welcome bonuses to encourage the first registration. With Smartbis, you can create automatic campaigns to increase adhesion, as well as monitor which channels are bringing more registrations.
2. Are customers returning more often?
A good loyalty program should stimulate the customer's return to your business. Check:
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Increase in purchasing frequency
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Reduction in time between purchases
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Comparison with customers not participating in the program
If customers are not returning more often, it is very likely that the loyalty program is not being relevant to the audience, rewards take too long to be achieved, or there is no incentive for return. In these cases, create return campaigns, such as: "return in 7 days and earn double points." Reduce the number of points needed to achieve something small (immediate reinforcement) and make the program more fun and present in the customer's routine (e.g., "Weekly Mission"). With Smartbis, you can schedule specific campaigns by inactivity time, encouraging the customer to return when they begin to disappear.
3. Has the average ticket value increased?
Besides buying more frequently, a loyal customer tends to spend more per visit. Is your average ticket increasing? You can measure:
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Average ticket per loyal vs. non-loyal customer
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Most purchased products by program customers
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Impact of exclusive club promotions
If the average ticket has not increased, possibly the rewards do not encourage the consumption of more expensive products and there is no differentiation in benefits for those who spend more. To resolve this, create scaled rewards: the higher the spend, the greater the benefits. Encourage buying combos or products with higher margins with extra points and don't forget to use personalized recommendations based on the customer's history. With the data from Smartbis, you can see exactly which products are most purchased by loyal customers—and which campaigns really increase the average ticket.
4. Are points being redeemed?
One of the clearest signs of engagement is the redemption of points or rewards. A program that accumulates points but does not encourage their use is failing in its purpose. Ask yourself:
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What is the redemption rate?
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Are the offered rewards relevant?
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Is the redemption process simple?
If points are not being redeemed, it's likely the rewards are not interesting, the redemption process may be bureaucratic or confusing, or the client forgets they have accumulated points. In this case, offer simple and easily accessible rewards (like a small gift or discount), send automatic notifications reminding the customer they have points to use, and make redemption easy: digital, in-app, or directly at the checkout. With Smartbis, you can schedule automatic alerts, highlight popular rewards, and facilitate redemption directly via mobile.
5. Do you know your customers' habits and preferences?
The loyalty program should generate valuable data to personalize your campaigns and business decisions. Evaluate:
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Do you know which customers purchase most frequently?
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Do you have access to favorite products by age group, region, or time?
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Do you use this information to create targeted promotions?
If you don't have clear data about your customers, it is likely that you don't have a manual control or use a system that doesn't generate intelligent reports, not integrating the program with sales, and not segmenting the audience. In this case, use a platform like Smartbis, which centralizes data and displays real-time reports. Segment customers (by frequency, spending, favorite product) for more precise actions and evaluate the data monthly, adjusting your campaigns based on real behavior. The intelligence of Smartbis transforms the data into clear and ready-to-use insights—you can see who your best customers are and how to activate those who are inactive.
How does Smartbis fit into this?
If you have identified failures or uncertainties in any of the points above, it's time to rethink your loyalty management tool. Smartbis is a robust and intuitive platform, With Smartbis, you not only launch a loyalty program—you build a continuous relationship with the customer. A loyalty program is only effective if it generates adhesion, engagement, and financial results. Use this checklist periodically to evaluate your strategy. And if you need a comprehensive partner in loyalty, count on Smartbis to transform your data into real results.