Overview
A loyalty program is often at the center of most brands’ engagement strategies. A loyalty program relaunch (or revamp) involves updating or improving the current rewards program offered to increase customer engagement, retention, and satisfaction. This can include changes to the program's structure, rewards offerings, redemption options, and communication strategy. The objective of a revamp is usually to make the program more appealing and relevant to customers, while also aligning with the company's business goals.
This article takes you through an overview of the steps to complete a loyalty program relaunch with Paytronix.
Before You Start
You need to be a current Paytronix customer with an existing loyalty program. The program revamp process usually carries a one-time fee for the configuration and re-deployment of the program with the new program functionality. Revamping a program usually does not impact the recurring support fee. The program components that will need modification, the project schedule and the one-time fee are determined based on the scope of the changes requested.
However, if you do choose to add a new Paytronix product as part of the revamp process, this will change the recurring support fees. Examples of this could be adding gift or messaging functionality to your loyalty program, or the Strategy and Analytics team as an advisory resource. If you are considering adding a new product as part of the revamp or starting a new loyalty program altogether, reach out to Paytronix support with an inquiry about adding the product(s) you are interested in and you will be put in touch with a sales representative or an account manager to discuss this request in detail.
Please contact Paytronix if you have additional questions about the Program Revamp process by submitting a case or emailing [email protected]
Determining if your Program Needs a Revamp
There are several signs that indicate your loyalty program may need a revamp:
Low participation rates – the percentage of active members out of the total membership is lower than expected.
Outdated rewards - the rewards being offered are no longer relevant or appealing to customers, it may be time to revamp the program to include more current and desirable options.
Inefficient processes - the process of enrolling, earning, and redeeming rewards is cumbersome or difficult for members, it may lead to frustration and decreased participation in the program.
Lack of differentiation: If your program is similar to those offered by competitors, it may not be seen as unique or valuable to customers.
By identifying these issues, you can determine whether a revamp is necessary to revitalize your loyalty program and improve customer engagement and loyalty.
Paytronix has many additional resources that dig into this topic:
Choosing a program that is right for you
Revamping your loyalty program
When is the right time to revamp your loyalty program
Program revamp case studies
Designing your New Program
Follow these steps to design your new program:
Define your goals - Determine what you want to achieve with your loyalty program changes, such as increasing customer engagement, retention, or sales.
Identify your target audience - Know whom your program is designed for and what motivates them to participate.
Research and analyze - Study your competitors' loyalty programs and industry trends to gather ideas and insights.
Determine your program structure – Use this information to decide how your members will earn and redeem rewards, and what types of rewards will be offered, and how.
Review your technology – Your technical stack will need to be able to support your new program structure. Review your customer-facing technology such as: brand website, POS, loyalty website, mobile app(s), online ordering, other 3rd party partners, etc. to evaluate what will need to change to support the new program structure.
Develop a communication strategy - Plan how you will communicate the program changes to customers, including how to promote enrollment and explain the rewards and redemption process. Review your recurring communications to understand which creative will need to be changed. You'll also need to prepare your operations team to ensure your staff is ready to effectively promote and explain the changes you are making to the program.
By following these steps, you can create a well-designed loyalty program that meets your business objectives and appeals to your target audience.
If you are a Paytronix Strategy & Analytics client, you can work with your Strategist to request a program design workshop. During this workshop, you will be guided through these steps by the Paytronix Strategy and Analytics team and provided with best practices and program design principles along with several program recommendations.
Assessing Technical Feasibility and Finalizing Requirements
The next step will be to connect with your Paytronix support team to review your desired program structure and communication strategy to assess the feasibility of implementing this within the Paytronix platform. You can submit your request via the Help Center or by emailing [email protected].
Providing as much information as possible in the request is the best way to expedite the process:
Summary of new program structure and communication strategy
Addition on new Paytronix products (if applicable)
Desired process for migration of balances between the current program and new program
Overview of the current technical stack
POS system(s)
Mobile App
Guest Website
Online Ordering
Any other technology partner that integrates to Paytronix and/or helps deliver current loyalty experience
Using this information, the Paytronix support team will review the current configuration and desired changes and schedule a meeting to review feasibility and alignment. Once completed, Paytronix will send over a finalized version of the requirements for your approval.
Finalizing the Scope with the Statement of Work
Depending on your technical stack and requested changes, Paytronix may not be the only partner that will need to make changes to accommodate the program relaunch requirements. The statement of work will scope the changes Paytronix has direct control over, and specify the other changes that will be required on the other components of the technical stack to complete the project.
An example of this could be if a program relaunch requires new rewards to be created with images that help clarify the reward to the members. Paytronix will configure the reward within the platform, however, your IT support team will need to ensure the discount is made available at the POS for all your location, and your online ordering provider could also need to map the new reward in their platform. Your custom website provider would need to do development work to display the reward on the account balance page with the images that Paytronix is now hosting for the rewards.
Often, these changes need to be synced to ensure that the customer experience is consistent across all channels. For the channels Paytronix isn’t directly responsible for, it is your responsibility as the client to drive the discovery and scoping of these changes with those other teams and partners. Paytronix support will be available as a resource by providing the specific needs based on the requirements, and available to help answer questions.
The Statement of Work Paytronix provides calls out the requirements, migration process, cost and timing of Paytronix changes, as well as client and other partner responsibilities. The client and partner responsibilities will need to be scoped separately by your team to assign a complete cost and timeline to the relaunch project. Any requirements or responsibilities not explicitly included in the Statement of Work are outside of the scope of the relaunch project and would require additional time and cost to include. Likewise, if the scope of the project changes while being implemented you should expect these changes to lead to a scope adjustment and incur additional timing and cost.
The owner of the relaunch project on your team will need to identify an individual within your organization that has the authority to sign the SOW and authorize payment for the specified amount. Paytronix will send a digital SOW to that individual for signature via email, using DocuSign software.
Implementing your New Program
Once the SOW has been signed, your support team will identify a project lead for Paytronix's responsibilities in completing the revamp. This individual will be the point for all communication between Paytronix and your team and drive the project forward to meet your requirements based on best practices. As relaunches vary widely in scope, the implementation plan will also be different for each project. However, there are some common stages that will occur across all projects:
Configuration/Development - This is the stage where the actual work of creating the revamp takes place. This is generally done by Paytronix and other involved teams in a test environment to ensure stability in production while effectively preparing for the requested changes.
Testing - This stage involves verifying that the revamp meets the requirements, as well as the operational and member experience standards of your organization. This includes mandatory functional testing and user acceptance testing with written approval from your team.
Preparation – This stage involves preparing your operations, support, and members for the changes in the program. Having clear communication about the changes at all levels leads to the effective execution of the relaunch.
Deployment - This is the stage where the relaunch is deployed to production across all partners involved in the project and made available to your members.
Support – This is the stage post-deployment where the program is monitored across all tech channels and levels of your organization to ensure it meets the requirements and functions as expected. Any discovered issues or discrepancies are resolved at this stage.
Project Completion – This is the stage where the project is officially completed, and the final deliverables are approved by your team. The project is closed out for all parties involved, and the program is moved to a day-to-day maintenance state by your loyalty management team. Any additional program changes would require a new project to be created.
FAQ
How long does an average program relaunch take to complete?
Project timelines can vary from 3 weeks to more than a year depending on the scope of the changes, the complexity of the new program, and the resources available. A timeline will be provided for Paytronix specific responsibilities based on the requirements throughout the process outlined in this article.
What is the average cost of a program revamp?
The cost to revamp a loyalty program can vary depending on the technology that needs changes, the size of the program, and the resources needed to implement the changes. Projects generally range from a thousand dollars to several hundred thousand dollars or more.
How do I communicate the changes to my loyalty program to customers?
You can communicate the changes to your loyalty program by using a variety of channels, such as email, in-store print, social media, and your website. You should clearly explain the changes, the benefits of the new program, and how customers can join and participate.