According to a NFO Interactive study, 53% of the 1,905 online consumers it surveyed said that they would spend more money at a specific retail Web site if loyalty points or incentives were offered. Forty-seven percent said that they would return regularly to sites that offered such programs. "Rewards and incentive programs, when used strategically online, are among the most powerful tools marketers can use today to drive customer retention and develop customer loyalty. And they are particularly effective with consumers under 35 years of age," says Lee Smith, vice president at the Greenwich, Conn.-based NFO Interactive. Those surveyed said they would prefer the following types of rewards:
- products or gifts (28%)
- airline miles (18%)
- gift certificates to retailers (16%)
- electronic cash (14%)
