Introduction
Learn how to create referral program and how does it work in detail.
What is a Referral Program ?
Referral Program is a best marketing strategy that allows your existing customers (Advocate) to share your brand / products with their friends, colleagues, and family members.
Hence your loyal customers will become your brand advocates and to encourage such marketing, we can give Rewards for both existing and new customers via Referral Program.
In this doc, let's learn about how to create referral program for your Shopify store and see how does it work in detail.
What are the terms involved ?
Advocate/ Referrer/ Existing customer - refers to the person who is referring (Referring Person).
Referee/ New customer - refers to the person who is being referred (Referred Person). Usually a new person referred to your store.
How to create Rewards for Referral Program via ReferralGo app ?
In Referral Program, we have to create two Rewards. One for existing customer and another one for new customer.
Now, let's see how to create a reward for existing customer.
Creating a Reward for Existing Customer:
Example: Refer your friends and earn $10 off Reward.
Step 1: Go to Shopify -> ReferralGo -> Programs -> Create a reward -> choose Advocate -> click on Create
Step 2: Add title, create a $10 fixed discount reward and save it.
The reward can be any one of the below types:
Percentage Discount
Fixed Discount
Free Shipping
Free Product
Add additional conditions for this reward if required (optional).
Now, we have successfully created a $10 off Reward for existing customer/ advocate. Let's see how to create a reward for new customer.
Creating a Reward for New Customer:
Example: Friends will get 10% off as a reward.
Step 1: Go to Shopify -> ReferralGo -> Programs -> Create a reward -> choose Friend -> click on Create
Step 2: Add title, create a 10% reward and save it.
For friend also, the reward can be any one of the below types:
Percentage Discount
Fixed Discount
Free Shipping
Free Product
While creating a Friend Reward, we can notice that "First Order" condition is selected by default. This is to make sure that only new customers are getting the Friend referral reward.
Now, we have successfully created a 10% off reward for new customer.
After creating Rewards, as an admin we have to make sure that the following sections/ settings are configured:
Settings
Referral Landing Page
Emails
Reward Claim Pop-up
Settings:
Go to Shopify -> choose ReferralGo app -> Settings -> General -> from Manage Programs -> enable Referral toggle and save the changes.
Then from Referral tab settings:
Using social share option, customers can share their referral URL to their friends from referral landing page/ from advocate dashboard.
Reward approval option: set this to Auto if you would like the rewards to be approved automatically. If we choose Manual, then as an admin we have to manually approve the rewards earned by referring person and for friends.
Referral Landing Page:
Once this page is created and published by admin, from referral landing page existing customers can login and get their referral URL.
Now, we can invite/ refer our friends to this site.
Also, as an referring person I can copy the referral URL and share it to my friends via social share options like Facebook, Twitter and so on...
Emails:
As soon as a customer invite his friend using the "Invite" option, an email will be sent to his friend.
Here is the screenshot of invitation email:
Once the friend clicks on "Accept the reward" button, he will be taken to the "Reward Claim Pop-up" page.
Reward Claim Pop-up:
Navigate to Referral -> Branding -> Reward Claim Pop-up -> Customize
We can further customise the reward pop-up if required. Also, we can enable/ disable this pop-up using the toggle and save the changes. So that using this pop-up new customer can add their email ID and gain their Reward.
Now, let's see how to test this created Referral Reward:
As a referring person how to refer friends: As an existing customer, I'm inviting my friend from Referral Landing Page.
As a new customer: My Friend will receive this below invitation via email.
While my friends clicks on "Accept the Reward" button from, he will be taken to the shop which will show a Reward Claim Pop-up.
How does a Friend/ new customer will earn a Reward ?
From the pop-up friend can add their email ID and claim his reward. This below screenshot confirms that friend has earned a reward.
While friend placing an order, he will get 10% off as per our above configuration.
Here is the checkout page of friend while using 10% off Reward:
Now, let's say that my friend has successfully completed an order using my referral URL.
Once the new customer completes his order, he will become an existing customer and a referral URL will get displayed in Thank you page of new customer while completing his order.
To know more about Thank You page Widget, click here.
How does a referring person/ advocate will earn a reward ?
Once the friend (new customer) completed his first order using referral URL, as a referring person I can view the earned reward from Advocate Dashboard.
Click here to more about Advocate/ Referral Dashboard and how to create it.
As you can see I have earned $10 fixed reward as soon as my friend completed his first order using my referral URL.
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