Strengthening customer loyalty is one of the most important methods for increasing sales in the world of e-commerce. What started in retail with loyalty cards or stamp cards are now loyalty programs in e-commerce that can be controlled via special apps. A study by Accenture, for example, found that customers who participate in loyalty programs spend 57% more than non-participants.
A loyalty program therefore offers you considerable advantages when it comes to keeping your customers loyal to your Shopify store and encouraging repeat purchases. The smile.io Shopify app helps you to achieve this: with this app, you can reward customers for their loyalty and offer them a first-class shopping experience at the same time. In this article, you will learn about the benefits of smile.io for your loyalty program, the costs involved and the alternatives.
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What is smile.io?
The smile.io Shopify app is a well-known solution for creating loyalty and rewards programs that helps Shopify merchants turn first-time customers into repeat customers. With the smile.io app, you can set up a loyalty program in a short time and without programming knowledge. The app supports loyalty, referral and VIP programs that increase sales, encourage repeat purchases, reduce acquisition costs and strengthen brand loyalty.
Key features include:
Points-based reward systems: this feature allows you to reward your clientele for each order and other actions (e.g. creating a customer account). These points can be exchanged for discounts, free shipping or gifts.
VIP programs: Create exclusive VIP tiers where customers are rewarded for their loyalty. The attractiveness of the rewards increases with the level.
Referral programs: To encourage customers to refer friends, you can reward them with points or vouchers using the smile.io app to expand your customer base.
Easy integration: smile.io integrates effortlessly with your favorite tools such as Klaviyo, Gorgias and over 25 other apps to optimize your marketing, customer service and review management.
Customizable design: You can customize the rewards system, panel and all associated emails to best match your branding.
Multilingual: Your entire loyalty program can be automatically translated into one of six pre-set languages to appeal to an international customer base.
What are the benefits of loyalty programs?
The benefits of online loyalty programs are numerous: as an effective tool for building customer relationships, they make a significant contribution to increasing sales in online stores. Particularly in the e-commerce sector, where competition is constantly increasing, it is often more expensive to acquire new customers. It is therefore often more worthwhile to retain and keep existing customers.
But what exactly makes loyalty programs so valuable for online retailers?
Strengthening brand loyalty: A loyalty program gives your customers the feeling that they are valued for their loyalty, which significantly strengthens the bond with your brand.
Reading tip: You can find more tips on brand building in this article.
Reduction in acquisition costs: By retaining existing customers, you reduce the costs of acquiring new customers. As already mentioned, it is significantly cheaper to encourage an existing customer to buy again than to acquire a new customer. A well-designed loyalty program therefore not only increases sales, but also reduces your acquisition costs.
Encourage repeat purchases: Related to the previous point, loyalty programs motivate customers to purchase from your store again and again. By rewarding customers for each purchase - for example through a points system - you create an incentive for repeat transactions.
Improve customer lifetime value (CLV): The longer customers remain loyal to your store, the higher their customer lifetime value (customer life cycle). With a loyalty program, you increase the likelihood that customers will not only buy once, but again and again over a longer period of time. This maximizes the value of each individual customer for your company and increases overall sales in the long term.
Competitive advantage through exclusive offers: Loyalty programs offer an excellent opportunity to stand out from the competition. Through exclusive offers, VIP levels or special rewards for particularly loyal customers, you can create incentives that make your brand unique. This type of personalized shopping experience creates a stronger bond and increases customer satisfaction.
Reading tip: Loyalty points in online stores can be a real secret weapon. Read everything you need to know here.
How can I integrate the smile.io app into my Shopify store?
The integration of the smile.io app into your Shopify store is uncomplicated and can be completed in just a few steps. You must follow these steps for the integration:
Step: Go to the Shopify App Store, search for “smile.io” and click on “Install now”. The app will be integrated directly into your Shopify dashboard.
Step: Open the app and configure your loyalty program by setting the type of program (e.g. points, VIP levels) and the rewards.
Step: Customize the design of the loyalty program to match your brand identity, including colors and logos.
Step 2: Connect smile.io with other tools such as Klaviyo or Gorgias for a seamless marketing and customer service experience.
Step: Test the program thoroughly before going live and make adjustments as needed.
With these steps, you can quickly and effectively set up and launch the smile.io app in your Shopify store.
Reading tip: You can further strengthen customer loyalty with a CRM system. You can find out how this works here.
What does the smile.io app cost?
The Shopify Loyalty Program app offers different pricing models to suit the needs of different businesses. There are four main plans, ranging from a free entry-level package to comprehensive premium solutions:
Free: Free installation. This plan is ideal for smaller stores (up to 200 orders per month); includes a basic points and referral program, simple branding, and an overview of analytics and data exports.
Starter: 49 USD per month. The Starter plan is suitable for stores with up to 500 orders per month. In addition to the features of the free plan, this plan offers advanced branding options, customizable emails, on-site reminders (nudges), 2 integrations and 5 specialized reports.
Growth: $199 per month (includes up to 2,500 orders; $20 per additional 100 orders thereafter). This plan is ideal for growing stores with extensive requirements. It includes points bonus events, SEO-friendly loyalty pages, the ability to embed Smile into your store, free product rewards, VIP options and points expiration, and unlimited integrations.
Plus: $999 per month (includes up to 7,500 orders; $5 per additional 100 orders thereafter). The Plus plan is suitable for large stores with high order volumes; includes a special introductory plan, over 25 specialized reports, API access, prioritized support; preferred pricing for multiple stores and special pricing for high volumes are also available.
For all plans, you can view the features in a free basic plan (Free plan) before deciding on a paid plan.
What alternatives are there to the smile.io Shopify app?
You can find other smile.io alternatives in the Shopify App Store that also offer comprehensive functions for loyalty programs and customer retention. In this section, we present three loyalty program apps for Shopify.
LoyaltyLion
LoyaltyLion is a powerful app that offers similar features to smile.io. It allows you to create customized loyalty programs based on points, discounts and VIP levels. The app offers extensive integrations, including Klaviyo and Gorgias, as well as detailed reporting and analytics.
Reading tip: You can find detailed information about LoyaltyLion in our blog post.
Yotpo Loyalty & Rewards
Yotpo Loyalty & Rewards is a comprehensive loyalty program solution that integrates seamlessly with Shopify. The app offers points-based rewards, referral programs and VIP tiers that allow customers to be rewarded for various interactions. Additionally, Yotpo offers extensive customer review collection and management capabilities, providing a holistic customer loyalty solution.
BON: Loyalty Program & Rewards
BON Loyalty is a powerful and customizable loyalty program app that integrates seamlessly with Shopify. It offers a variety of features, including a points and rewards program, VIP tiers, referral programs and a dedicated loyalty landing page.
Reading tip: We present the best Shopify apps in this article.
Conclusion
An effective loyalty program can make a significant difference to your Shopify store by boosting customer loyalty and increasing sales. The smile.io app offers a user-friendly and powerful solution to reward customers for their loyalty and encourage repeat purchases. With features such as points systems, VIP tiers and easy integrations, smile.io can be a valuable addition for many online retailers.
However, it is important to also look at alternatives to find the best solution for your specific needs. Other apps also offer extensive features and customization options. Whether you choose smile.io or one of the alternatives mentioned, a well-designed loyalty program can help you build long-term customer loyalty and successfully grow your Shopify store.
If you need help with implementation or have further questions, please contact us. As Shopify experts, we are here to help and advise you.
