08 Ways to Get More Referrals

Looking for a way to boost referral sales? And not sure what are the necessities involved? Here’s your post. 

First of all, if you are struggling to create a referral strategy, please keep on developing it. Secondly, do not underestimate the power of a well-crafted referral program. 

A good referral program will pay off due to the high conversion rate nature of referral marketing. The stats don’t lie: 92% of consumers trust referrals from people they know personally, and referral leads have a 30% higher conversion rate than the average. 

Take, for example, the Airbnb referral marketing campaign. Their referral program has contributed to almost 900% year-on-year growth in first-time bookings. 

It is simply incredible. 

So, in this article, we will give you some information and tips that potentially get you some referrals: 

• Understanding of a referral pipeline – and how a good one will get you more referrals
• 10 actionable ways to get more referrals 

Let’s dive in! 

How can a referral pipeline help you get more referrals?

The referral pipeline is a process designed to convert customers into brand referrers. As a brand can only influence its existing customers (but not the ones they refer to), the pipeline will solely focus on existing customers. 

Essentially, a pipeline includes all the things you can do to encourage your current customers to recommend your products to others. The more efficiently and effectively your referral pipeline operates, the greater the number of referrals you can generate.   

A standard referral pipeline involves converting your normal customers into loyal customers and then leading them to the ready-to-refer point.  

The 02 main aspects that incentivize customer readiness to refer are customer satisfaction and tempting rewards. We can think of this balance as readiness points. at the same time.

Accidental referrals are not reliable, a pipeline that regularly turns your customer into the ready is more sustainable. In the next part, we will provide some vital methods to get more referrals.

Foundations to get more referrals

We’ve established the foundational principles of getting a robust referral program, let’s delve into actionable strategies that will lead to more potential referrals:

1. Use referral software to manage referral

Referral software (or referral marketing software) is a tool built specifically for e-commerce businesses. Getting such software leads to reduced manual tasks and well-structured referral pipeline designs. 

A referral app offers different tools to set up and handle referral programs, with many tasks automated. These include a referral dashboard, tracking referral codes, and automatically paying out commissions to customers.

Getting such software leads to reduced manual tasks and well-structured referral pipeline designs. 

The tools are crucial for generating referral sales in dynamic e-commerce environments for 02 reasons: 

• It simplifies and automates the referral marketing process, minimizing manual tasks. 
• It addresses a number of brand advocates and customers. 

BixGrow stands out as one of the highest-rated referral apps on Shopify, boasting a solid 5/5 overall rating, indicative of its effectiveness.

2. Build a strong brand credibility

Brand reputation can be achieved through branding, consistent sales, website traffic, positive reviews, and an up-to-date website. Poor brand credibility can immediately discourage customers from referring to your brand.  

For an online business, brand reputation can be achieved through branding, consistent sales, website traffic, positive reviews, and an up-to-date website. Poor brand credibility can immediately discourage customers from referring to your brand.  

Main ways to build brand credibility that gain referrals: 

• Scandal-free image
• Providing exceptional customer service to ensure positive experiences.
• Delivering consistent quality in products or services. 
• Honest brand-customer communication
• Investing in brand reputation management to maintain a positive image (this aspect is undervalued by a surprisingly large number of brands). 

Building strong brand credibility through consistent delivery, transparency, and positive relationships can increase referrals, driving business growth and success.

3. Improve customer satisfaction 

Building customer satisfaction can be defined as creating positive experiences for customers throughout brand interaction. 

It is the most important aspect to get a referral. High customer satisfaction may result in a natural and sustainable referral. There are many cases shown. 

Therefore, you should mainly focus on these key aspects. 

Ways to gain referrals utilize customer satisfaction:

• Offering high-quality, well-designed, and practical products/services is essential. Plus, products that are entertaining or emotionally satisfying, such as luxury items, can also be deemed desirable. 
• Responsive, knowledgeable, and empathetic customer support. 
• Offer high-quality products that meet or exceed customer expectations.
• Listen to customer feedback and take action to address their concerns. 
• Personalized interactions and communication – a care maybe 

Satisfaction levels can be measured easily by looking at customer engagement rates and their feedback. Customer satisfaction is driven by several factors: great products, customer service, and post-purchase policies.  

4. Build a user community 

Building a user community is simply making a network of engaged users who interact with each other and talk about the company’s products. 

This includes:

• Creating a Platform where users can connect 
• Deploy engagement initiatives, including discussions, events, challenges, content, contests,… 
• Motivate users to give brand feedback loops, including reviews, or user stories,… 
• Other activities outside the platform, such as showcases testimonials on the referral page, are also considered to foster a sense of community. 

A community may keep customers around programs, leading to potential referrals (that last forever). 

Thank people who send others your way by saying thank you in special ways like calling them, emailing them, or writing them a letter. This makes them feel appreciated and want to keep helping you by telling others about your business.

5. Create tempting referral rewards 

Referral rewards are an important factor that leads customers from loyal points to the ready-to-refer point.

To encourage ongoing referrals and foster genuine loyalty, consider implementing strategies such as:

• Recurring referral commissions: Provide ongoing incentives for customers who consistently refer others to your brand.
• Tiered commissions: Offer increasing rewards for customers based on the number of referrals they bring in, encouraging them to continue promoting your brand.
• Offer free trial products: Allow potential customers to experience your product for free. This approach was taken by Dropbox, which saw significant growth by offering free storage space in exchange for referrals.

High rewards alone do not bring sustainable referrals. 

In some cases, customers may immediately refer your brands with a simply shorter engagement with your brand. It is often solely driven by big referral rewards. Initially, they might bring in a few referrals, but their commitment to your brand may not be long-lasting. 

So, do not simply offer rewards does not guarantee referrals.   

6. Launch a loyalty program  

A loyalty program is a structured process to reward and incentivize repeat customers for their continued purchases. This is the middle point in the conversion process of turning customers into brand advocates.

Data suggests that implementing a loyalty program can significantly increase customer referrals. According to a study by Bain & Company, customers enrolled in loyalty programs refer friends and family at a rate of 70% higher than non-members.

A loyalty program may include: 

• loyalty credit 
• rewards redemption
• exclusive offers
• personalized products recommendations 

A loyal program, at its peak performance, should be integrated with interpersonal initiatives. They are experience shares,  on social media platforms, amplifying word-of-mouth referrals, and increasing brand visibility.

Having loyalty software makes getting referrals much more pleasurable. A loyalty program software provides a professional interface for both customers and businesses, with various features designed particularly to keep customers engaged.  

Loloyal, a top-rated loyalty program app, offers comprehensive features such as customizable rewards, referral tracking, and seamless Shopify integration, making it the ideal choice to power your referral marketing strategy.

7. Choose the right time to ask for a referral 

Choosing the right time to ask for a referral involves identifying optimal moments when the client or contact is most satisfied with your product and likely to provide a positive recommendation to others. 

Research indicates that asking for referrals at the right time can significantly increase the likelihood of receiving them. For instance, a study by Texas Tech University found that 83% of satisfied customers are willing to refer products and services, but only 29% actually do. This suggests that strategically timing referral requests can bridge this gap and increase the number of referrals received.

When it comes to timing referral requests, there are various strategies to consider. Take post-purchase pop-ups, the small windows that offer referral rewards after their purchase, for example.

There are two times to use post-purchase pop-ups:

•  After Any Purchase: This approach is generally acceptable, although it may sometimes feel like asking for a referral prematurely before the customer is fully ready to advocate for your brand. However, the advantage is that most customers don’t find these pop-ups overwhelming or annoying. Using a side pop-up instead of a floating one can further reduce annoyance.
• After the Second Purchase: Targeting customers after their second purchase indicates that they are already satisfied with your products and are likely to return, potentially leading to higher conversion rates. Identifying the second purchase can be achieved through IP tracking, which can be highly effective. However, a notable weakness of this method is that IP tracking is not always reliable due to trends in IP-track blocking and the use of various devices for web browsing.”

In short, an exact identification of the ready-to-refer point may increase significantly the referral’s success rate.

8. Make Referring Easy and pleasurable 

Sometimes, referring may become unnatural. A referral process with numerous steps might discourage people. 

For example, a store may ask for a referral via email, and then direct customers to a landing page, and then require a sign-up. 03 steps are enough to annoy your customer.

It is best to prioritize convenience and enjoyment for customers or clients to refer others to your business or service. This approach typically includes:

• Make it easy for people to refer friends: Use simple websites or apps where customers can quickly refer their friends with just a few clicks.
• Send friendly messages: Say thanks to customers who refer friends and make them feel special with personalized messages.
• Make it fun: you can deploy initiatives such as gamification and the referral process. 
• Direct forms on your website and in emails, or a simple link that customers can copy and send to their friends hassle-free. 
• A landing page on your website dedicated to referrals. Make it easy to send referrals using a simple form.

Easy & simple ways to get referrals

Easiest ways to get referrals are considered based on the following standards:

• they are easy to set up (and free in most cases)
• they increase chances to get referrals

1. Personalized referral links (or codes)

Provide customers with unique referral links or codes they can easily share with friends and family.

For example, instead of a random code like “UH123SHA”, a personal code might look like “DAVID20OFF”. This approach is more memorable and.

This method requires minimal effort and is convenient for both parties.

2. Just ask them

Simply asking satisfied customers for referrals can be highly effective.

You can do this through a follow-up email, a call-to-action on your website, or in-person if applicable.

3. Offer rewards for referrals

Offer simple, appealing incentives for referrals, such as a discount, a small gift, or a chance to win a prize.

Make the reward clear and easy to understand.

4. Regular reminders

Include reminders about your referral program in your regular communications, such as newsletters, transaction emails, or thank-you messages. This keeps the opportunity top of mind without being intrusive.

Creative ways to get referrals

Creative ways to get referrals are considered based on the following standards:

• they increase chances to get referrals
• brand owners don’t have to ask directly

Please note that one minus of these options are they typically require an initial or long-term investment.

5. Referral contests and giveaways

Run contests where participants can win prizes for referring others. A prize can be discount, free product, or entry into a bigger giveaway for each referral.

You can simply host a product giveaway which require referring friends to the post as a condition to get the reward.

6. Mystery gift for referrals

Offer a surprise gift for a successful referral.

The most exciting thing? You can notify about the secret gift before or AFTER the referral happened. This mystery aspect adds excitement and encourages people to refer just to see what they might get.

7. Referral tiers and milestones

Apply a tiered referral program where referrers unlock better rewards as they reach certain milestones. For example, the first referral might earn a small discount, while the fifth could earn a free product.

It might require you to have well-designed affiliate software and a deep understanding of the commission calculation.

8. Social Proof and Testimonials

Use customer testimonials and success stories as part of your referral marketing.

You can use some tools such as Loox to include customer testimonials in your storefronts.

Encourage happy customers to share their experiences on social media or through video testimonials, including their referral code.

9. Referral programs with charitable contributions

Appeal to the charitable nature of your customers by offering to donate a portion of the proceeds from referred sales to a charity of their choice.

Instead of a money reward for each referral, many brand’s advocates are ready to give a small amount of their commission for the charity organizations.

This adds a feel-good factor to the referral process.

10. Referral Swag Packs

Send out branded swag packs (like t-shirts, stickers, or mugs) to customers who refer new clients.

It works especially well when your brand has been a popular one in a certain community.

This not only rewards the referrer but also acts as free advertising for your brand.

11. Collaborations with Influencers or Bloggers

Partner with influencers or bloggers to promote your referral program. They can create content around your products or services and share their unique referral link with their followers.

This definitely get your a lot of referrals via influencer’s affiliate link (though it might take a bit of initial expense for sponsored post).

Conclusion 

In summary, getting more referrals isn’t just about finding new leads. It’s about building strong relationships with your customers. By using the tips in this guide, you can turn referrals into a reliable way to grow your business. Embrace the power of referrals and find new ways to grow your sales.

And don’t forget about BixGrow – an Affiliate & Referral Marketing app for Shopify.  With BixGrow, you can manage your referral programs effortlessly and make the most out of your Shopify store. Try BixGrow today and see how it can help you grow your business faster.