FAQ

Basics:
Cost:
Building a Database:
Sending Email Offers:
Broadcast Statistics:

1) What is Loyal Rewards?
Loyal Rewards is a one-of-a-kind, business-boosting customer appreciation program. It allows you to say, "Thank you for your business!" by sending your best customers super-appealing, money-saving Gift Certificate offers by email. By rewarding current customers for their business, you encourage them to visit more often and, therefore, buy your products and services more frequently. Plus, the goodwill it fosters motivates them to refer friends and family who could also become your customers!
Everyone wins!
 

2) How Does Loyal Rewards Work?
It's easy! Your customers provide their first name and email address on the handy, personalized Loyal Rewards Enrollment Tickets. (We give you a generous supply of 1,000 tickets when you join.) Once a week-or whenever convenient-simply mail us your completed tickets. We'll add the information to your confidential customer database. (Your customers can also sign-up online following the instructions on the back of each ticket.)

Then, whenever you want more business, simply pick the kind of Gift Certificate offer you'd like to send your customers by checking a few boxes on our 60-Second Promo Form… and we'll blast our powerful, eye-popping, virtually irresistible Gift Certificate emails to your entire customer database within minutes!

Sit back and enjoy the results! To redeem, your customers simply print and redeem by the deadline you establish. And depending on the deadline you set, you can see results almost immediately.

Imagine… a professional, ad-agency-quality direct marketing campaign-any time you want-fast, easy, low-cost, and risk-free!
 

3) What Do Loyal Rewards Gift Certificate Emails Look Like?
Our Gift Certificate emails are professionally designed for maximum impact and are the result of years of testing by advertising agency professionals. Click here to view a sample.

Loyal Rewards email promotions look like they came directly from your computer, because they show you—not us—as the sender, and feature your business name in the subject line. This means instant recognition and a dramatically higher open rate. And to ensure even greater response, if a customer's computer cannot view graphic-enriched emails (HTML), our system automatically detects this and sends them a simple text-formatted Gift Certificate instead… for no extra charge. Our #1 goal is to get you maximum response with every mailing.
 

4) Do we have to use your enrollment tickets to collect email addresses?
Nope. We accept business cards... bar napkins... scraps of paper... stone tablets. Well, you get the idea. Actually, all we need is a legible email address and, ideally, a first name.
 

5) Who writes the Loyal Rewards Gift Certificate Emails?
Loyal Rewards Gift Certificates are proven-effective, professionally written and designed emails that require only the addition of your specific offer. All you do is tell us your offer and we do the rest. Of course, you're always free to write your own Gift Certificates if you wish… but since our format is already proven effective, we suggest you simply relax and let us create the most powerful Gift Certificate offer for you!
 

6) How do I send an email offer and how long does it take?
It couldn’t be quicker... or easier! Many of our clients email us their offers... others call us toll free. Still others fax us our "60-Second Promo Form." Whichever you choose, it takes only 1-2 minutes to send us your offers.


For example, here’s an email our Loyal Rewards Promotion Manager Jenna received from a client:

Hi Jenna,

Here’s our offer:

“FREE! 2 Side Salads —OR— 2 Mini Key-Lime Pies with the purchase of an extra-large pizza for $16.99. Expires 9/16/08. Not valid with any other offer.”

Thanks!
Cindy

What could be easier? And phone calls are even quicker. Best of all, we send out your offer in just minutes, not days like ordinary programs. If you want, you can even send us several promos months in advance and we’ll email them according to the schedule you provide. With Loyal Rewards, you’re always in control.
 

7) How Long Before My Gift Certificates Expire?
Choose 1 hour… 24 hours… 2 days… 1 week… shorter… longer… ANY expiration time you'd like… it's entirely up to you! Contact us and we'll be happy to suggest an ideal expiration period for your particular offer
 

8) How often do we have to send an offer?
We recommend every 2-3 weeks. The secret is to promote often enough to stay on your customers' minds, but not so often as to overwhelm them. It's also good to send your promotions on different days of the week so your customers don't wait for an offer to arrive.
 

9) What offers work best?
Because everyone's customers are unique, different offers work better for different businesses. Some tell us promotions like, "Free wings with a large pizza" work best. Others say, "$5 off your purchase of $20 or more" is most effective. Some of our clients like bundling offers, e.g.: "FREE Order of Garlic Knots, 2 Liter Soda & Small Side Salad with purchase of a Large Cheese Pizza & 50 Wings... Only $26.16! You Save $8.75!"

Bottom line? Try a few different offers and note your response. You'll quickly discover what works best for you. To get you started fast, we'll suggest some offers that work well for others in your industry!
 

10) How many email addresses do I need for my first broadcast?
You can start broadcasting as soon as you have any quantity of customers in your database. Of course, the more you mail, the greater your potential response and profit. Our low per-mailing minimum of $25 covers up to 555 addresses per promotion, and it's just 4½¢ per email thereafter (before quantity discount). Do some quick figuring to see how many respondents you'll need to recoup your mailing cost and the discounts you're giving. As a rule of thumb, our current clients enjoy amazingly high response rates-up to a documented 85%-on every customer promotion we send. We know of no other advertising medium that even comes close.
 

11) Is there a Maximum/Minimum Number of Gift Certificates I Must Send?
You're free to instruct us to send as many or few as you'd like… it's completely up to you! Since each email costs only pennies apiece, we suggest you try different offers and discover which your customers like best. Try a Gift Certificate good for 20-50% off your customer's next purchase. Or, maybe a dollars-off promotion would work best. You can even try a "Buy-1-Get-1-Free" deal… or any number of Gift Certificate variations. It's 100% up to you. And our friendly marketing experts are always happy to help you craft an offer for the best response.
 

12) Can people print multiple copies of my gift certificates?
Yes. And as long as you structure your offers properly, you’ll benefit every time they redeem them! For example, let’s say you want to give something away free or a very low price. The key is to require a “tie-in” purchase. This way, even if they come in every day and redeem the same offer again and again, you still make money.

For example, let’s say you offer, “One bowl of any Soup for Just $1, with the Purchase of Your Choice of Sandwich” and someone comes in every day for 2 weeks and redeems the offer. Your offer is the incentive that drove them to keep buying sandwiches which they may not have done otherwise. However, if you still want to limit such use, simply use shorter expiration dates—around 1-2 days—which also helps create urgency which stimulates even greater returns.
 

13) Can I get a copy of my email delivery statistics?
The best way to judge your results is by calculating your ROI, or Return On Investment. However, we’d be happy to send you the delivery stats—upon request—after your offer expires.
 

14) How Do I Collect My Customers' Names and Email Addresses?
Simple. We provide you with 1,000 copies of our proven-effective, professionally designed, eye-popping Enrollment Tickets. Each ticket is personalized with your businesses' name, address, phone number, and your exclusive merchant I.D. code. Or, download our printable email list sign-up form.

At your cash register, counter - or wherever it's convenient for you and your staff - simply ask this tested, 11-word magic question, "Would you like some free gift certificates for a future visit?" After they say, "Sure!" (and most will), simply hand your customer an Enrollment Ticket and pen and say, "Great! Just fill out the back and we'll send them to you!" Since your customers provide only their first name and email address, our experience shows you'll enjoy lively customer participation!
 

15) How do I send my customers' email addresses to Loyal Rewards?
It’s easy! Choose one of 3 ways:
  1. WEB: Enter them yourself on this website. From the Tools menu, select Add Email Addresses... then log in and follow the simple instructions.
  2. EMAIL: Send your names and email addresses in (preferably in .xls or .csv format) to: Data@LoyalRewards.com. If you’re not familiar with these formats, no worries! Email us first and we’ll discuss other easy ways to send them.
  3. FAX: 215-453-9413 Be sure to include your Business Name and Merchant ID..
  4. U.S. MAIL: Addressed to: Loyal Rewards, 812 Chestnut Street, Perkasie, PA 18944. Some of our clients send them once a week... others, when they have a big stack. It’s up to you! Either way, we’ll enter them free!
 

16) What do you charge to enter the email addresses I collect?
Zip... zero... zilch! Unlike other emailing programs, we add the names to your confidential database FREE of charge. Or you can enter them yourself at our website. Or your customers can sign up for your offers at LoyalRewards.com using your unique Merchant I.D. Code printed on the ticket. It’s easy!
 

17) Can You Use My Existing Customer Email Addresses?
Absolutely! Simply email them to us and we'll add them to your Loyal Rewards database. This jump-starts your marketing because it allows us to begin promoting your business right away. As always, your customer database remains strictly confidential and is never shared with anyone.
 

18) What happens if an email address bounces back?
If an email bounces 3 times, we’ll automatically remove that address from our system. This ensures that your mailing list is kept clean at all times... keeps your promotional costs to a minimum... and means that you’ll always have an accurate accounting of how many “good” names are in your database.
 

19) Do My Customers' Names and Email Addresses Remain Confidential?
Absolutely! Our strict Customer Privacy Policy ensures that your customers' names and email addresses remain completely confidential at all times. To encourage maximum participation, privacy is emphasized on both the Enrollment Tickets and on our website. Your customer data remains private at all times.
 

20) What Does Loyal Rewards Cost?
Just $97 a year and 4½¢ (before quantity discount) per email with a $25 per-mailing minimum. (When you have at least 555 names in your database the $25 fee is permanently waived.) Can you imagine sending 1,000 promotions for just $45? Mail as many or as few as you'd like. Participation is 100% FREE to your customers. Cancel any time without penalty.

Discounts for Large Quantity Mailers
(Base Price 4½¢ per email... The More You Mail, the More You Save!)
Number of emails sent per broadcast You Save:
1,500-1,999 5% Off Total Broadcast
2,000-2,999 10% Off Total Broadcast
3,000-9,999 25% Off Total Broadcast
10,000+ 33% Off Total Broadcast

 

21) What Does the $97 Set-Up Fee Cover?
Your annual registration and maintenance fee covers the administrative work required to establish your account in our system and create a private, secure customer database. It also gives you a one-year license to use our proprietary Enrollment Tickets and Gift Certificate email designs… and one full year of personal sales support from our customer service and marketing experts. It also covers the technical costs of creating as many Gift Certificate mailings as you choose to send for a full year.
Please compare Loyal Rewards to any other retail marketing program and you'll see it's an amazing bargain without equal. You get professional direct marketing by the national leader in Gift Certificate promotions for only pennies apiece!
 

22) Do I Have to Sign a Contract?
No. Unlike many other forms of advertising, with Loyal Rewards you're never required to sign a contract that forces you to participate for a set period of time. You're 100% FREE to participate for as long or short a period as you'd like. Some of our clients send out Gift Certificates weekly… others, monthly. Still others have us promote their business only during their slow periods. Whatever you choose, our marketing experts are always happy to help you determine the best promotion frequency for your business.
 

23) Can't I Just Email Customers Myself?
Sure you could… if you're willing to spend the time and money and you don't mind the work. If you choose this route, these tips will save you some headaches: First, be sure your internet service provider allows large quantity of emails to be sent in one batch or you could risk losing your account. Set up a new account with another provider if necessary. For best results, you'll want to hire an experienced direct response advertising copywriter and graphic designer to create your sign-up form or most customers either won't see it, or it simply won't convey enough value to encourage customers to join. (We know… we've tested many designs and our current Enrollment Ticket beats the pants off all others!) Be sure to disclose your anti-spam and privacy policy, too-that's important. Discuss creating an online registration page with your webmaster because some customers would rather register online than fill out a printed form. Giving two enrollment options helps boost participation. Also, when hiring an HTML designer for your emails, be sure he or she creates an email template that downloads quickly or some of your customers with slower internet connections may never see your email. Be careful when writing your email subject line because anti-spam software may filter you out. Of course, NEVER send unsolicited email. Spamming is not only illegal, it's also bad business. Also, make sure the email itself is attractive and coveys a sense of value, or your email may simply be deleted. Be sure to include an "opt-out" link. And since you'll want to send your Gift Certificates often, be sure your designer creates a template that you can easily modify in your choice of HTML design software, or simply pay your designer/tech to make the modifications for every mailing for you. Above all, test and re-test. Don't be afraid to modify all aspects of your program, including printed forms, website, and emails. Doing all the work yourself takes time and money, but if you enjoy such projects, go for it!
 

24) How is Loyal Rewards Different from Other Retail Marketing and Loyalty Programs?
We're faster, easier, and more effective. That's because with Loyal Rewards, there are no points to keep track of… no cards to print, scan, hand out, swipe, punch, keep record of… and replace when customers lose them. Plus, there are no databases for you to maintain. No complicated software to learn. You don't even need a computer! And unlike most other loyalty programs, Loyal Rewards is proactive. Instead of handing your customers a card and hoping they return, we actively promote your business by sending them valuable offers that they registered to receive! No boring "loyalty card" buried in a wallet or purse can do that. Best of all, because we do the work for you, all you need is the desire to promote and watch your business grow!
 

25) How do I know all my Gift Certificates are actually sent?
First, we succeed only when you succeed. And the only way we can succeed is by doing what we promise: helping you boost your business. However, a good way to check when your Gift Certificates are sent is by including a few "decoy" names and email addresses in with your customers' Enrollment Tickets. That way, every time your customers receive their Gift Certificates, you'll also receive your "checking copies" sent to your secret "decoy" email addresses
 

26) Why Doesn't Everyone Redeem the Gift Certificates?
No advertising medium gets 100% response. In fact, many direct marketing professionals celebrate when their returns exceed 1-2%. However, because Loyal Rewards is an "opt-in" program (meaning your customers REQUESTED to receive your offers), you'll likely enjoy better response-for less money-than most any other form of advertising. In fact, many of our clients enjoy a 5-75% redemption rate depending upon their type of business. Some of your customers, of course, may be too busy… or on vacation… or simply not in need of your product or service when they first receive your offer. The good news is that many will save your Gift Certificate and use it later!

Enter your information for a
FREE Info, Pricing, and Sample Kit
First Name: 
Last Name: 
Business Name: 
Telephone: 
(Please include area code)
Email: 
Please complete all fields
For Faster Service Call:
800-309-7228