How to Create a Successful Store and Cigar Lounge Loyalty Program

As a business owner, if you’re not already taking advantage of a loyalty program, you should be! Creating a successful store and cigar lounge loyalty program can help you retain your existing customers and attract new ones.

With bLoyal, the possibilities are endless…

4 Simple Steps to Make Your Store and Cigar Lounge Profitable

1. Make Sign-up Easy

Did you know? Loyalty programs succeed when they are:

• 53% easy to use.
• 37% easy to understand.
• 39% offer great rewards.

Following these 3 tips can make the sign-up process easier for users and encourage more people to create accounts.

a) QR code sign-up at the register.

This process is becoming increasingly popular in retail stores, restaurants, and other businesses. It offers a convenient way for customers to sign up for loyalty programs, memberships, or promotional offers without the need to fill out paper forms or provide personal information to the sales associate.

Customers can use their smartphone camera to scan a QR code displayed at the register to sign up for a loyalty program, membership program, or other promotional offer initiative.

The QR code contains information that redirects the user to a specific webpage or application, where they can enter their contact information, personal details, and other relevant information to sign up for the program. This can provide businesses with a quick and efficient way to collect customer data which they can use to improve their marketing strategies, enhance customer experiences, and build stronger customer relationships.

b) Create mobile responsive sign-up pages.

Keep it simple: Mobile screens are smaller than desktop screens, so keep your sign-up page as simple as possible. Only focus on essential information and fields necessary for the sign-up process.

Make it user-friendly: Make sure your sign-up page is easy to navigate and use on a mobile device. Small or decorative fonts can be challenging to read on mobile screens. Use large, clear fonts and labels for fields and buttons for easy navigation.

Use a responsive design: Make sure your sign-up page is designed to be responsive, meaning that it adjusts to the size of the user’s screen. Consider using a single-column layout for your sign-up page, as this is easier to read on a small screen. You can also use vertical scrolling instead of horizontal scrolling, which is more natural for mobile users.

Use mobile-friendly forms: Use forms designed for mobile devices, with large, easy-to-tap buttons and fields optimized for touch input. Use auto-complete and predictive text to make it easier for users to fill out forms on their mobile devices.

Test on multiple devices: Finally, test your sign-up page on various devices to ensure it looks good and works well on different screen sizes and operating systems. This will help you identify and resolve any issues before your customers encounter them.

c) Offer an incentive for providing their contact information.

Exclusive content: Offer access to exclusive content such as cigar catalogs, e-books, reports, whitepapers, or webinars that are relevant and valuable to your target audience.

Discounts or coupons: Offer discounts or coupons on your products or services as a reward for providing contact information.

Early access: Provide early access to new products, such as cigar introductory offers, services, or features, before they are released to the public.

Giveaways or contests: Run a giveaway or contest where the participants must provide their contact information to enter. This can be a great way to generate leads and engage with your target audience.

Remember that the incentive should be relevant and valuable to your target audience, and you should clarify what they will receive in exchange for their contact information.Tobacconists and stores must also have a clear and transparent privacy policy to protect their customers’ privacy and build trust. Customers should be able to access and understand the policy easily and have the opportunity to opt out of any data collection or sharing practices.

2. Offer Personalized Benefits

It’s important to note that the promotion of tobacco products is subject to regulations, so it’s essential to ensure that any discounts or promotions you offer comply with all relevant laws and regulations.

a) Provide discounts on customers’ favorite cigars/products.

Volume discounts: Offer discounts on cigars when customers purchase a certain quantity or value of products. For example, buy a cigar bundle and get 1 free or a 10% discount when purchasing $100 worth.

Loyalty programs: Create a loyalty program where customers can earn points or rewards for their purchases. These rewards can be redeemed for discounts on future cigar purchases.

Seasonal sales: Offer discounts during specific seasons or events, such as Father’s Day, Fourth of July, or Black Friday.

Email subscriptions: Encourage customers to subscribe to your email list by offering discounts on their first purchase. You can also periodically send exclusive discounts or promotions to your email subscribers.

Social media promotions: Promote discounts, such as “cigar deals of the day,” on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. These promotions can be exclusive to your social media followers and help increase engagement with your brand.

b) Bigger benefits for bigger spenders.

This concept is often referred to as “rewarding loyalty” or “tiered rewards.” The idea is that customers who spend more money should be rewarded with additional benefits and perks.

Often, this approach can make sense for both the business and the customer. For the business, it encourages higher spending and loyalty among its most valuable customers, which can lead to increased revenue and profitability. For the customer, it can be a way to get more value for their money and feel appreciated by the business they frequent.

However, there are some potential downsides to this approach as well. For one, it can create a sense of inequality among customers, with some feeling left out if they don’t qualify for the higher tiers of benefits. Additionally, if the benefits are not perceived as valuable enough, customers may not feel justified spending more to reach the next tier.

Overall, while offering bigger benefits to bigger spenders can be a useful strategy for businesses, it is important to carefully consider the potential benefits and drawbacks and ensure that the rewards program is structured fairly and appealing to all customers.

3. Offer Multiple Membership Levels

Many cigar bars or stores offer memberships, often requiring a one-time or ongoing fee.

By offering multiple price points, businesses can cater to a broader range of customers with varying budgets and needs. This can help increase sales and customer satisfaction.

a) Multiple price points.

Basic: This is the lowest-priced option, which offers the minimum features and benefits of the product or service. It is usually the product or service’s most affordable and stripped-down version.

Standard: This mid-tier option provides more features and benefits than the basic package. It offers more value for the money and is often the most popular choice among consumers.

Premium: This is the highest-priced option with the most features and benefits. It is usually the most comprehensive package and offers the highest value for those willing to pay, i.e., cigar of the month club.

Custom: This option is tailored to the specific needs of the customer. It is usually the most expensive and offers unique features or benefits unavailable in the other packages.

Membership/subscription: This option allows customers to pay a recurring fee for access to the product or service. This may be offered at different price points based on the level of access or features provided.

Add-ons: These are additional features or services that can be purchased on top of the basic, standard, or premium package. They are usually priced separately and can be customized to fit your customer’s needs.

b) Multiple billing frequencies.

If you are a business that offers membership or subscription-based services or products, offering multiple billing frequencies can be a great way to cater to your customers’ budgets and payment preferences. Make sure to clearly communicate the pricing and benefits of each option to help customers make an informed decision. Here are some options you can consider:

• Monthly

Monthly billing: This is the most common billing frequency for subscription services. Customers can pay a fixed monthly amount to access your service or product.

Bi-monthly billing: This option allows customers to be billed every other month. It can be a good choice for customers who prefer a longer billing cycle.

Quarterly billing: This option allows customers to be billed every three months. It can be a good choice for customers who want to pay less frequently but still want to pay over time.

• Annually

Annual billing: This option allows customers to be billed once a year. It can be a good choice for customers who intend to save money on their subscription by committing to a longer term.Semi-annual billing: This option allows customers to be billed twice a year. It can be a good choice for customers who want to pay less frequently and don’t mind paying more each time.

4. Offer Referral Programs

Referral programs can be beneficial for a business in several ways. They can:

Increase customer acquisition: Referral programs can help businesses reach new customers who may not have heard of their products or services.

Build customer loyalty: By offering rewards to existing customers for referring new customers, businesses can strengthen their relationship with their customer base and increase customer loyalty.

Increase sales: Referral programs can drive more sales by encouraging existing customers to promote a business’s products or services to their friends, family, and social networks.

a) Offer discounts for bringing a friend.

Offer a percentage discount: Consider offering a percentage discount, such as 10% or 20%, to customers who refer a friend. Make sure to clearly communicate the terms and conditions of the offer, including any restrictions or limitations.

Set a time limit: Encourage customers to act quickly by setting a time limit on the offer. For example, you could offer a discount for one week or month.

Use referral codes: Create a unique referral code for each customer, which they can share with their friends. When the friend uses the code to purchase, the referrer and the friend can receive a discount.

Reward the referrer and the friend: Offer a discount to the referrer and the friend they refer. This can motivate both parties to participate in the promotion.

Promote the offer: Make sure to promote the offer through your website, social media channels, and email newsletters. Consider incentives, such as free shipping or gifts (boxes of cigars), to motivate customers to participate.

b) Offer a referral link on your website to expand your customer network.

Referral links are a way for businesses to incentivize their existing customers to refer new customers to them. Typically, a referral link will offer a discount or other incentive to the person who clicks the link and makes a purchase.

To use referral links to expand your customer network, you would first need to set up a referral program. This could involve creating unique referral links for each customer or providing a referral code that customers can share with their friends and family.

Once you have a referral program, you can promote it on your website and other marketing channels. This could involve creating a landing page that explains the program and provides instructions for how to share referral links. You could also include a pop-up or banner on your website that prompts visitors to join your referral program.

In addition to promoting your referral program on your channels, you could also consider reaching out to influencers or other partners interested in promoting your business to their followers. By offering them a commission or additional incentive for each new customer they refer, you can tap into their existing network and reach a wider audience.

Finally, use a tracking system to keep track of referrals and reward customers who refer new business to you.

Wrapping Up

bLoyal takes the guesswork out of managing promotions, customer loyalty programs, memberships, product marketing, business reporting, and more. Our all-in-one solution can easily keep track of all the promotions mentioned above, applying them to transactions automatically to save time at checkout.

Let us help you create sustainable growth! If you are eager to learn more about what bLoyal can do for your business, email us today at info@bloyal.com or request a demo.