Everything seems to be going digital – from shopping to banking, and now even membership cards.
If you are still clinging to the traditional plastic cards, it is time to embrace digital membership cards to change the way we do business.
If you are ready to future-proof your business and delight your customers in the process, you came to the right place. In this guide, we will walk you through everything you need to know about digital membership cards and embrace the limitless possibilities of the digital age.
What Are Digital Membership Cards?
Digital membership cards are digital versions of physical membership cards that are stored on a mobile device or online account. They provide the same benefits and privileges as physical cards but are easier to access. Digital cards include features like easy renewal, personalized offers, and integration with loyalty programs.
Businesses use digital membership cards to conveniently provide their customers or members with access to exclusive perks, discounts, or services. It is handy because most people have their smartphones with them all the time, so there is no need to remember to carry around a physical card.
Here are the important elements of a digital membership card:
- Expiry date: Expiry date of the membership.
- Business information: Business name and business logo.
- Member information: Name, ID number, contact information, and address.
- QR code or barcode: To keep your members’ information secure and monitor usage.
- Membership type: Indicate which level the member belongs to. This is only applicable for tiered memberships.
10 Proven Benefits Of Digital Membership Cards For Your Business
Let’s take a look at 10 reasons why using digital membership is a smart move for your business.
Streamline Operations & Cut Costs
A traditional membership system requires you to print the cards, mail them out, deal with lost or damaged cards, and manually track who has what. It is a whole ordeal.
But with digital membership cards, you no longer need to deal with the hassle of printing, distributing, and managing physical membership cards.
Everything is digital, which means the membership process is all streamlined. You can easily issue and manage cards right from your computer or smartphone. Because it is all digital, you are cutting out the costs of printing and postage.
Let’s not forget about the administrative tasks. With digital cards, you don’t need extra resources to deal with the paperwork and data entry. Less time spent on administrative tasks means less cost for you.
Increase Revenue & Boost Sales
Digital membership cards open up a world of possibilities. They make it easier for members to access your products or services. With just a few taps on their phone, they can redeem discounts, access exclusive content, or make purchases directly from your app or website. This convenience means more revenue for your business.
When your customers have their membership cards on their phones, they are more likely to spend more money each time they visit. It is as simple as that. Plus, digital cards provide a seamless shopping experience across all channels. Whether a member is browsing online or shopping in-store, their membership benefits are always at their fingertips. This gives them more reasons to keep coming back and spending money with you.
With digital cards, you can incentivize your members to refer their friends and family by offering special rewards or discounts. Most people trust referrals from friends and family more than any other source, with 84% of consumers relying on them.
Because this referral marketing is tracked electronically, you can easily monitor referrals and fulfill rewards automatically. This way, you leverage their networks to drive new business – a win-win situation.
Personalize The Member Experience
You have the power to tailor each member’s experience. When a member signs up, they receive their personalized membership card. It is customized with their name, membership level, and any special offers or discounts they are entitled to.
You can also take personnalisation to a whole new level. You can tailor the offers and rewards based on each member’s preferences and past purchases.
Say one member is into fitness and their friend loves trying new restaurants. With digital cards, they both get offers that match their interests – VIP treatment but for everyone. When you make your members feel special, they will stick around and keep coming back for more.
Modernize Your Business
Digital membership cards are the way of the future and they are here to modernize your business in more ways than one. If you are in sectors like fitness clubs or retail, keeping up with the times becomes all the more important.
When you switch to digital, you are showing your customers that you are changing with time. Imagine the ease for your gym members or loyal shoppers when they can access their membership or loyalty cards with just a tap on their smartphones.
Plus, you can integrate your cards with popular digital wallet apps like Apple Wallet and Google Pay. That means your members can access their cards with just a tap of their fingers. It is convenient, modern, and the way of the future.
Update Information Instantly & Drive Action
With traditional physical cards, you would have to print new ones and distribute them if there is any change in your program. But with digital cards, you can simply update the information on your app or website, and it is instantly available to all your members.
This instant update capability is powerful. It means you can keep your members in the loop about the latest offers, events, or changes in your business instantly. Since the information is readily available on their phones or devices, it is more likely to catch their attention and drive action.
Enhance Communication For Better Conversion
Think about how you communicate with your members currently. Maybe through email newsletters, social media posts, or flyers. These methods can be effective but they lack personalization and immediacy.
With digital membership cards, you can communicate directly with each member on a more personalized level. You can send push notifications about a special discount on your best-selling products or in-app messages about your latest shipment of products – all tailored to their preferences, purchase history, or location.
When you are involved in niche areas like herbal wellness products, making sure you have a strong and personalized connection with your members becomes all the more important. Unlike conventional products, these products deal with complex ingredients, potential side effects, and varying effectiveness depending on individual needs.
Customers might not have the same level of knowledge as with, say, a new pair of shoes. This creates an information asymmetry – a gap between what the seller knows and what the customer knows.
Digital membership cards can bridge this gap through targeted communication. Push notifications or in-app messages about ingredient breakdowns and personalized recommendations based on member profiles can all empower customers to make informed decisions and feel confident about their purchases.
When you communicate more effectively, you get better conversion rates. You are more likely to take action if the message feels like it is meant specifically for you.
Ensure Members Never Lose Their Access
Imagine you have a loyal member who has been with you for ages. But they misplaced their physical membership card. Now what? With traditional cards, they have to request a new one, maybe pay a fee, and wait for it to arrive.
With digital membership cards, this problem disappears because the membership is tied to their free account, not a physical card. So even if they lose their phone or switch devices, as long as they have access to their account, they will never lose their membership.
It is as simple as logging in and they are back in business. This seamless access ensures membership fulfillment continuation so that your members can always enjoy the benefits without any interruptions or hassles.
Gain Valuable Member Insights Through Digital Usage Tracking
Every time a member uses their digital card to redeem a discount or make a purchase, that data is captured and stored in your membership database. This helps you identify the most popular benefits and active members so you can further maximize your marketing efforts.
You can also track how members interact with your digital cards. Are they accessing them daily, weekly, or monthly? Are they sharing them with friends and family?
You can then deploy machine-learning models to identify patterns in member behavior. These insights will let you customize your offers to better meet the needs and preferences of your members.
Additionally, ML can help predict future trends and behaviors so you can proactively adjust your membership program to maximize your ROI.
Provide Advanced Digital Security Features
Digital membership cards offer a level of security that traditional paper or plastic cards simply can’t match. They are encrypted and protected by passwords or biometric authentication, like fingerprint or facial recognition. This means only authorized users can access them.
You have full control over who has access to your membership database. You can restrict permissions and monitor activity to detect any suspicious behavior.
Also, digital membership cards can be remotely deactivated or suspended in case of loss or theft. This adds extra security and peace of mind for both you and your members.
Reduce Waste
Traditional membership cards are made of plastic, paper, or other materials that end up in landfills. Not so great for Mother Earth. But with digital membership cards, you are doing your part to reduce waste.
There is no need for physical materials, which means less pollution and fewer resources used. Plus, since everything is digital, you don’t have to print and ship them, so you cut down on carbon emissions. It is a win-win for your business and the planet.
Digital Membership Cards: 10 Best Practices To Maximize Benefits
Here are 10 simple strategies to help you make the most of your digital membership cards and maximize their benefits for your business.
Ensure Mobile Accessibility Across Platforms
Make sure your digital membership management system works perfectly across all platforms – whether it is on a smartphone, tablet, or computer. The interface should adjust itself to fit different screen sizes without sacrificing functionality or readability.
Test it out yourself on various devices. Check if everything looks and works as intended. Are buttons easy to tap? Is text readable without squinting?
Also, make the app for both iOS and Android devices. Mobile accessibility ensures that your members can conveniently access their digital cards wherever they are.
Provide Personalization Options For Users
Let your users customize their cards to their liking. This could include adding their name or photo, or even choosing a color scheme. It is all about making them feel special and connected to their membership.
You can also offer personalized content or recommendations based on their past interactions or preferences. Maybe they like certain products or services – why not highlight those to enhance their experience?
Enable Offline Access Capability
Your customers could be in an area with a spotty internet connection or maybe they are underground where there is no signal. They still need to access your digital membership card. Enabling offline access ensures that they can always access their membership benefits, no matter where they are.
Make sure that your digital membership card app or platform has built-in functionality for offline usage. Implement syncing mechanisms that automatically update the digital membership card whenever there is a bad connection.
Display Membership Status & Benefits
Your digital membership card should show a clear breakdown of your customer’s:
- Expiry date
- Membership level
- All the benefits they have access to (discounts, special offers, or event access)
Include links or buttons that let members see where they can learn more about each benefit and how to redeem them. Make sure that the information displayed on the digital membership card is regularly updated. This way, you eliminate any confusion and make it easy for members to understand what they are getting out of their membership.
Incorporate Barcode Or QR Code Integration
Barcode or QR code integration lets your customers have instant access to their membership benefits, whether they are redeeming discounts at your store or accessing exclusive content online.
Make sure that the digital membership organizations you are considering support barcode or QR code generation and scanning. It should be user-friendly for both your staff and customers.
Provide clear instructions on how to use the barcode or QR code, especially for first-time users. To maintain security, regularly update the codes associated with each membership.
Implement Push Notifications
With push notifications, you can stay on top of the customer’s mind and drive engagement with your membership program. But they should be relevant, timely, and valuable to your customers. Strike the right balance. You want to stay top-of-mind – not be considered spam.
Don’t forget to track the performance of your push notifications. Open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates help understand what resonates with your customers and refine your messaging accordingly.
Provide Backup & Sync Across Devices
This ensures that your customers can access their digital membership cards anytime, anywhere. Whether they switch devices or encounter technical issues, they won’t have to go through the hassle of re-enrolling or re-downloading their digital membership card.
Select a reputable cloud storage provider to ensure the reliability and security of your customers’ data. Provide intuitive user interfaces and clear instructions to guide your customers through the process effortlessly. Implement automatic data synchronization mechanisms to keep membership information up-to-date across all devices in real-time.
Ensure Accessibility Features
You want to ensure that all your customers, regardless of any disabilities or limitations, can easily access and use their membership benefits. This can go a long way in building trust and loyalty among all your customers.
Provide options for adjusting text size and contrast to accommodate those with visual impairments. Ensure compatibility with screen readers for customers who are blind or have low vision. Also, implement voice commands or gesture-based controls for customers with mobility impairments.
Integrate With Payment Systems
Integrating your digital membership card with payment systems makes it easier than ever for your customers to make purchases and redeem discounts. For this, offer multiple payment options like credit/debit cards and digital currencies.
Give your customers the flexibility to choose the online payment method that works best for them. Prioritize the security of payment transactions. Protect sensitive customer information and instill trust in your platform by maintaining high standards of security.
Here’s a little heads-up: When integrating your digital membership card with payment systems, provide anonymous purchasing options for personal and confidential products. It is a small adjustment that can make a big difference in your customers’ experience.
For instance, for someone running a women’s apparel and accessories store like this, a customer might want to purchase a fun item for a special evening. Or they might need to buy intimate wear discreetly. Anonymous purchasing options make it easier for customers to access these products without any awkwardness.
Provide Digital Wallet Compatibility
Digital wallet compatibility is another must-have feature for your digital membership cards. Work closely with your digital membership card provider to ensure that your card is compatible with popular digital wallet apps like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
This can mean some technical adjustments but it is a small price to pay for the convenience it offers your customers.
Do All Businesses Need Digital Membership Cards?
The answer boils down to what type of business you run and what you hope to achieve.
If you run a gym, a yoga studio, or any kind of fitness center, having a digital membership card can streamline the check-in process for your customers. It is convenient for them and it saves you time and effort.
Restaurants and cafes can also benefit from digital membership cards. Loyalty programs become more accessible to manage, and customers don’t have to worry about carrying yet another card in their wallets.
Retail stores find digital membership cards handy too. They can track customer purchases, offer personalized discounts, and build stronger relationships with their clientele.
For other service-based businesses, digital membership cards can be very helpful. They aid in scheduling appointments, keeping track of loyalty points, and sending reminders for upcoming bookings.
Now if your business doesn’t fall into any of these categories, do you still need a digital membership card? It depends.
Consider whether your customers would benefit from having one. Will it make their experience smoother or more enjoyable? If the answer is yes, then it is worth considering.
Conclusion
Digital membership cards are clearly shaping up to be the future of membership management. Their growing popularity shows a shift towards a more interconnected and tech-savvy society, where traditional paper-based cards are rapidly becoming obsolete. So if you haven’t already, implement digital membership cards for your business.
If you want to take your digital membership program to the next level, eCommerce Fastlane offers a wealth of resources specifically for Boutique Shopify owners. From marketing tips to customer loyalty strategies, our platform can help you turn your membership program into a thriving revenue stream for your business. Get in touch with us to see how we can help.
Author Bio:
Burkhard Berger is the founder of Novum™. He helps innovative B2B companies implement modern SEO strategies to scale their trafic organique to 1,000,000+ visitors per month. Curious about what your true traffic potential is?
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- Gravatar: vip@novumhq.com
