Filling in the Gaps Left By Shopify Plus Loyalty Plugins

Let’s start by acknowledging the obvious — Shopify Plus is an amazing tool that provides the foundation for e-commerce success, with easy scalability, massive capacity and support for everything you need in online sales.

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On top of that, the Shopify App Store and its huge selection of third-party plugins provide even further options to extend functionalities in the base product. 

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Still, even with all these digital tools, Shopify Plus and all its plugins can’t always deliver the kind of loyalty experience you want for your customers. This is especially true when customer touch points include physical stores, online platforms and mobile apps. Despite having major advantages and much to recommend it, Shopify loyalty apps can let opportunities slip through the cracks at integration points and leave retailers disappointed. 

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That’s our focus here — how the customization and scalability that loyalty solutions demand are better found in platforms like TRIFFT. 

Shopify Plus is a Great Solution (But Not for Everyone!)

A plug-and-play ecosystem will always be an attractive option, as it offers great value as an out-of-the-box solution that’s easy to manage and run.

But while the core service offers a long list of features and functionalities, even the best loyalty apps for Shopify have several drawbacks that may limit its suitability for certain businesses. These shortcomings include:

• High cost: Shopify Plus is significantly more expensive than other e-commerce platforms, with monthly fees that can be a burden for small businesses or those with limited budgets.
• Limited customization: While Shopify Plus offers a wide range of features, its customization options are somewhat limited compared to other platforms. This can make it difficult for businesses to create a truly unique and branded online store.
• Complex setup: Setting up a Shopify Plus store can be a complex and time-consuming process. This is especially true for businesses with large product catalogs or complex shipping requirements.
• Lack of third-party integrations: Shopify Plus has a limited number of third-party integrations compared to other platforms. This can make it difficult for businesses to connect their store with other software and tools, such as CRM systems or marketing automation platforms.

And that’s all before we even get to the subject of loyalty programs. 

The App Store Doesn’t Always Have What You Need

The Shopify App Store offers tons of simple-to-install plugins and extensions, including many building blocks of loyalty programs. Users can easily add modules that enable points-based rewards, tiered loyalty and more.

However, even with these dedicated tools, many omnichannel retailers in search of more advanced loyalty programs find these plugins insufficient for their plans. 

Here are the key areas where gaps remain in loyalty solutions from Shopify Plus, even with extensions from their App Store:

• Scaling up can still be a challenge. What good is a tool that doesn’t let you grow (and keep growing)? But that’s exactly the problem you can encounter when you use a simple extension to Shopify Plus instead of a fully dedicated loyalty platform. Plugins typically struggle to provide the bandwidth you need for scaling and can produce performance issues as you grow and move between different channels. Add things like third-party POS software or CRMs to the mix and the trouble can reach critical levels.  
• Limited customization. Shopify Plus loyalty plugins are quick and easy solutions but what they offer in convenience they lack in the customization options needed for advanced loyalty strategies. These plugins are designed to cover basic requirements, not impress with advanced features. The result is a generic experience that customers may recognize from elsewhere, diminishing their impression of their experience with you. 
• Analytics? What analytics? What kind of ROI are you getting on your loyalty efforts? Where are you getting the best bang for your buck? What insights can you leverage from your performance so far? These are among the many questions you may not be able to answer due to poor or non-existent analytics from Shopify Plus plugins. This lack of depth makes it hard to make informed decisions about how to allocate your resources. 
• An inconsistent customer experience. Shopify Plus plugins for loyalty programs are nearly always designed for digital channels, with limited or no integration available for offline channels like physical stores. The result is a minefield of problems with accumulating and spending points across channels, which is the number one way to alienate customers and send them elsewhere. 

Taken together, these gaps cause frustration among users and undermine confidence in the program itself. What started as an easy way to expand Shopify’s functionality into the loyalty sphere too often ends in a need to move on to more comprehensive, dedicated solutions to customer retention and repeat purchases. 

Is it Really “Loyalty”?

And then there’s the matter of what you’re really getting when you use “loyalty” solutions from the Shopify App Store. Many of the apps on offer (over 200!) are labeled as “loyalty” for search purposes even if that’s not exactly what they are. 

Instead of a true loyalty solution, you’re more likely to get a plugin for vouchers, coupons, gift cards or something built around rewards and incentives. While these tools have their place, they are not loyalty measures and won’t deliver the benefits of loyalty programs.

And with so many plugins on offer, how do you know which one is right for you? Trial and error is not a practical option. Instead of trying to fill the gaps left behind by Shopify, wouldn’t you be better off with a dedicated loyalty solution?

(Read our post on the differences between loyalty and rewards for more insights on this).  

The Missing Puzzle Piece 

This is where TRIFFT comes in — when you have an e-commerce solution like Shopify, a CRM like Klaviyo and you just need to complete the picture with the right tool for loyalty solutions.  

Software applications are best when they are most focused on a specific application. Shopify is best at certain things while other functionalities it offers via plugins are “good enough” versions meant for basic needs. 

There’s nothing wrong with that, but properly developed customer loyalty solutions need more. 

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TRIFFT is focused on providing everything you need for a best-in-class loyalty program:

• Real-time decision-making engine: Set up your own custom logic rules with our loyalty workflow or simply use one of many pre-built loyalty execution flows based on your own specific goals.
• Pre-built incentive paths: Our pre-built incentive flows have been designed by loyalty experts based on extensive experience operating within the loyalty sector with thousands of customers.
• Integrations with the tools you use. TRIFFT is designed for easy setup and seamless data exchange to and from our internal architecture via 300+ integrations.
• Embedded on-site loyalty. Seamlessly integrate loyalty features into your existing site, providing customers with real-time rewards and engagement without leaving your platform. 
• Consistency across touch points. Keep your branding consistent and your customers engaged right where they shop, ensuring every interaction is rewarding.
• Digital wallet card. Give customers easy access to their loyalty rewards right from their smartphone with a digital card that lets them track points, redeem rewards and stay connected with your brand on the go.
• Dedicated microsite. Create a dedicated space for your loyalty program with a TRIFFT-powered loyalty website or microsite, a customizable platform that serves as the hub for all your loyalty activities
• Comprehensive support. From onboarding to technical support to getting the most out of TRIFFT and a dedicated 24/7 support desk, we’re always right behind you to make sure you’re providing the best loyalty experience possible. 

Leverage the Power of Loyalty Programs With TRIFFT

If you’re considering Shopify Plus for your loyalty program, you’ll discover it has certain limitations. The drawbacks, even with plugins and extensions, can make it difficult to meet the high standards of today’s consumers. 

Instead of an ‘extra’ tacked on to lengthen a list of e-commerce tools, a purpose-built platform for promoting, tracking and leveraging customer loyalty will always deliver better results. 

Hundreds of brands in every field of business have turned to TRIFFT to build effective, scalable loyalty solutions that meet the needs of retailers and the expectations of their clients. 

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