Building customer loyalty: definitions and methods for increasing retention and LTV

Building customer loyalty has become the number one competitive advantage: attention is fragmented and decision cycles for new customers are lengthening. In short, acquisition is expensive. In 2025, the companies that win are those that transform their audiences into owned audiences, orchestrate useful experiences and measure their LifeTime Value (or LTV) over time.

One thing to remember right away: perceived product quality and customer experience now outweigh price in driving loyalty (88% quality / 85% experience vs. 70% price).

A simple definition of customer loyalty

Building customer loyalty means implementing a communication and service strategy that builds trust and makes customers want to buy again, more often, for longer – and to talk about it positively (reviews / User Generated Content or UGC). The aim: more loyal customers over the long term, more effective relationship management and higher sales profitability.

Why loyalty is now a priority

Budgetary pressures and regulatory changes (privacy, cookies) are pushing marketing teams to invest where the marginal impact is highest: re-purchase, retention, advocacy. Google has made it official that it is abandoning third-party cookie deletion in favor of a user-choice model; despite this, the underlying trend remains data-first/zero-party and transparency (consumers are paying attention).

Express definitions:

• Repeat / Retention / CRR :
  • CRR (Customer Retention Rate) = share of loyal customers retained over a period (e.g. quarter).
  • Churn = share of customers lost (1 – CRR).
• LTV (LifeTime Value): total value generated by a customer throughout his or her commercial relationship with a company (basket × frequency × duration).
• NPS (Net Promoter Score): rating from 0 to 10 demonstrating a customer’s level of recommendation and trust. “How likely are you to recommend us on a scale of 0 to 10?” Promoters (9-10) – Passives (7-8) – Detractors (0 to 6)
• CSAT (Customer Satisfaction): immediate satisfaction (simple post-purchase question: “Are you satisfied?”).
• CES (Customer Effort Score): perceived effort (“Was it easy?”). An effortless “” service strengthens loyalty.

Adrena’tip – cap North Star: choose a pilot indicator (e.g. repeat at 90 d) and set a realistic quarterly target (+2 to +4 pts).

Measuring loyalty: KPIs and dashboards

Start with a baseline of cohorts (M0 = the month they were acquired / M1 = one month later / M3 = three months later) and track actionable KPIs. In retail/drive-to-store, complement with incremental measures (exposed vs. unexposed group, unique QRs/coupons).

Table – Loyalty KPIs: definitions & formulas

Adrena’tip – cohort first: track your monthly cohorts and compare M0 → M1 → M3. Any action must move at least 1 KPI (otherwise, we cut).

The 9 levers that really make the difference in building customer loyalty

1. Experience & service quality. Delays, returns, support, UX: the primary drivers of customer loyalty in 2025 (weight > price). Work on service/logistics irritants before pushing an offer.
2. 1st/zero-party personalization. Collect preferences (preference center, micro-surveys) and adapt products/offers without relying on third-party cookies – your tools must remain RGPD-friendly.
3. Modern loyalty programs. Progressive status, useful benefits (delivery, priority after-sales service), relevant rewards; think wallet (digital card).
4. Content & relationships (owned). Mix email/SMS with Web Push Notification to stay on-screen and reinforce communication.
5. Community & customer reviews. Gather authentic reviews and display them on key pages.
6. Offers & relationship pricing. Targeted benefits, sponsorship, bundles – without eroding margins.
7. Onboarding & Customer Success (B2B). QBR, usage playbooks, key account management.
8. Intelligent drive-to-store. Geolocation, weather/stock, real-time scenarios with measurement via QR/unique coupons.
9. Cookieless off-site re-engagement. Activate Web Push subscribers or affinity audiences via advertising network.

Do

Fix pain points Personalize with value Design customer journeys Measure incrementality

Don’t

• Over-segment

• Over-expose

• Rely on permanent discounts (margin erosion)

Adrena’tip – 2 levers/quarter: choose 2 projects (e.g. customer experience + push scenario) and stay the course. Too many projects = diluted impact.

Focus: building customer loyalty with Web Push Notification (owned audience)

Web Push is a browser-native format (desktop & Android mobile), opt-in in one click, visible on-screen and privacy-/cookieless-first compatible. Benchmarks for 2025 put the average opt-in rate at between ~6% and 10%, depending on sector and context, with clear gains when targeting is relevant and timely.

5 scenarios that convert (and build loyalty)

• Post-purchase repurchase (D+7 / D+30). Use reminder + complementary products.
• Back-in-stock / price reduction. “Your size is back”, “-15% until midnight”.
• Cart abandonment / product consulted. Soft relaunch, stock/delivery reassurance.
• Drive-to-store (geofencing / weather / stock). “You are 300 m away – pick-up in 1 h”.
• Novelties & exclusives. Early access according to collected preferences.

Table – Web Push scenarios × objectives × KPI × examples

Adrena’tip – controlled pressure: capez the frequency, about ≤ 2 Web Push / week per subscriber, with auto pause after re-conversion.

B2C vs B2B: adapt your “recipes” to build customer loyalty

• Retail / e-commerce (B2C). Work on RFM segments, integrate the wallet (loyalty card, dynamic rewards), script push around stock and store proximity, measure incrementality using unique QR.
• B2B / SaaS. Customer relations are based on onboarding, proven value (use-cases, time-to-value), and quarterly rituals (adoption plan, shared objectives, success metrics).

Adrena’tip – Quarterly Business Review (QBR) ritual: block one QBR per key account (objectives, delivered value, next actions) then frame 1 experiment / quarter.

The importance of loyalty for profitability

• Cost: building loyalty costs less than acquiring it; LTV increases and amortizes your communication and sales costs.
• Margin: loyal customers buy more often, with fewer promotions.
• Resilience: companies that cultivate trust are more resilient to market shocks and media cost increases.
• Ecosystem: the loyalty strategy creates a virtuous circle (reviews, social networks, word-of-mouth) that strengthens the brand.

Examples of successful loyalty programs

• Status (Bronze / Silver / Gold): progressive rewards, enhanced experience and service (e.g. priority after-sales service).
• “Prime-like” subscription: delivery + exclusive services (club).
• Cashback & challenges: points / € and fun missions (e.g. “3 purchases in 30 days = bonus”).
• Wallet (digital card): one-click addition, in-store reminders, social networks amplify social proof.

Factors influencing customer loyalty

1. Product quality and suitability.
2. Simplicity (low Customer Effort Score or CES): payment, claims, returns and exchanges.
3. Social proof: reviews and recommendations.
4. Relevant offers: personalized offers at the right time.
5. Clarity of benefits: clear rewards, simple conditions.
6. Trust & transparency: data collection, RGPD, promise kept.
7. Service quality: human + digital, listening, efficient tools.

“30 days” action plan to build customer loyalty

Goal: launch / boost a measurable customer loyalty strategy in 4 weeks, without overloading teams. Each step of the way “deliverables, owner, tools, KPIs, example of communication”.

Week 1 – Measurement & customer base (foundations)

• Deliverables:
  • Cohort management table (M0, M1, M3).
  • RFM segment map (Recency, Frequency, Amount) + “preference center” (2-3 choices).
  • Initial NPS, CSAT, CES scores.
• Owner: CRM / Data + Marketing.
• Tools: CRM, analytics, simple form (Typeform / HubSpot), CMP.
• KPIs: repeat 90 days, CRR, churn, preference rate.
• Sample communication: sober email “Help us get to know you better” (+ link to data policy).
• Integrated key words: company, strategy, tools, communication, networks.

Week 2 – 1 CX irritant + 1 Web Push scenario

• Deliverables:
  • Correction of an irritant (e.g. simplified return policy).
  • Web Push scenario “Post-purchase D+7” (user guide + complementary products).
• Owner: CX/Support + CRM.
• Tools: Web Push platform, product database, CTA template.
• KPI: drop in service tickets / “return”, CTR push, repeat 90 d.
• Example of push message: “How to get the most out of [Product] + offer -10% on the associated accessory.”
• Integrated keywords: service, products, offer, actions.

Week 3 – Loyalty program + wallet + social proof

• Deliverables:
  • Simple rewards program (status 1-2-3).
  • Wallet (digital card) + social networks (UGC / reviews).
• Owner: marketing + E-commerce / Store.
• Tools: loyalty module, wallet, review pages.
• KPI: percentage of cards added to wallet, share of 90-day active customers, NPS.
• Example: “Welcome to Silver status – immediate rewards on your favorite products.”
• Integrated keywords: rewards, reviews, social, sales.

Week 4 – Testing, incrementality & quarterly scoping

• Deliverables:
  • A/B test (hook, proof, timing) on push/email.
  • Control group to measure incrementality (QR / unique coupons in store).
  • 90-day roadmap (2 projects: e.g. CX + Push DCO).
• Owner: Data / acquisition + CRM.
• Tools: CRM, push platform, KPI spreadsheet.
• KPIs: incremental lift, ROAS, projected LTV, CRR.
• Example of framing: “Q3 objective: +3 pts repeat 90 d, +5 NPS”.
• Integrated keywords: management, reinforce, trust, strategy.

Adrena’tip – minimal stack: CRM + CMP + Web Push + analytics are enough to get started; then add CDP / real-time personalization according to maturity.

Frequently asked questions about building customer loyalty

What are the best practices for building customer loyalty?

• Fix pain points (service, returns, delivery times) before scaling.
• Personalize with first-party & zero-party data (declared preferences).
• Design useful messages (email / SMS / Web Push) in context.
• Social proof: reviews, ratings, UGC, testimonials.
• Measure incrementality with control groups (exposed vs non-exposed).

How to measure the effectiveness of a loyalty program?

Track: LTV, CRR, repeat 90 d, share of active customers, wallet usage, NPS/CSAT/CES. Compare exposed vs non-exposed groups to estimate the lift (incremental impact).

Which tools should be used for customer loyalty?

Combine CRM, Web Push, loyalty / wallet platform, analytics, review management and potentially a CDP. Choose solutions that integrate natively with your site, app and social channels.

Which types of rewards work best?

Focus on benefits that reinforce usage: priority support, early access, personalized offers, cashback, experiences. Consumers value simplicity of rules and perceived value.

From words to results: 4 decisions for building customer loyalty

For a company to transform its intentions into measurable impact and truly build customer loyalty, here are four concrete decisions – at the right place in the customer journey – that differentiate successful brands:

Fix the experience where it hurts: identify 3 major irritants (returns, delays, after-sales service) and fix them as a priority.

• Action: set up a CX mini-plan (owner, lead time, communication message).
• KPI: after-sales tickets ↓, CSAT ↑, NPS ↑
• Why: without a fluid experience, no loyalty strategy holds.

Anchor the relationship in an audience “owned” (Web Push + email): activate Web Push to stay on-screen at the right time, with an RGPD-compliant one-click opt-in, and complement with email for a longer format.

• Action: set up 1 Web Push scenario (post-purchase D+7) + 1 email list “post-purchase care”.
• KPI: CTR push, repeat 90 d, incrementality (control group / QR in store).
• Why: this is the quickest lever to deploy to reinforce trust and re-purchase.

Give the program a clear value (useful rewards, legible statuses): focus on service rewards (priority after-sales service, delivery, early access) and simple statuses (1-2-3).

• Action: wallet card + notice page visible at “” key moments in the tunnel.
• KPI: % card added, share of active customers 90 days, average basket.
• Why: a simple promise, in the right place, creates habit.

Drive by numbers (and cut out what isn’t working): track your M0→M1→M3 cohorts, set a target per quarter and arbitrate.

• Action: LTV/CRR/churn chart + A/B tests (hook, proof, timing) on Push & email.
• KPI: incremental lift, ROAS, projected LTV, CRR.
• Why: only actions that move a KPI deserve more budgetary space.

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