A referral program is a marketing tool that allows your regular guests to invite friends to the loyalty program. In return, guests receive bonuses, and you attract new customers through recommendations, which is cheaper than advertising.
The referral program is available for properties that use Exely Booking Engine and Exely Loyalty Program: Discounts or Exely Loyalty Program: Points. To enable the reference program, contact your Customer Support manager or Exely Customer Support team.
Key terms
Referrer — a repeat guest who invites a friend.
Referral — a new guest who joins through an invitation.
Referral link — a unique link that allows the system to identify which guest invited the new guest.
What tasks a referral program helps to solve
Reduce acquisition costs. A guest who comes through a recommendation costs on average 1.5 times less than through paid search advertising.
Increase guest loyalty. 72% of guests are willing to recommend a property, and 50% of people book based on friends’ advice. One loyal guest brings in an average of 2–3 new customers.
Encourage repeat stays. Guests are motivated to return to spend points or vouchers received for invitations.
Actual results depend on the program terms, the size of the loyal guest base, the season, the region, the average booking value, and other factors.
Why guests need a referral program
For the referrer — to receive bonuses (points, vouchers, or level upgrades) for friends’ registration and their first stay.
For the referral — to receive welcome bonuses upon registration via invitation in addition to standard Exely Loyalty Program benefits and feel confident in the recommendation.
How the referral program works
1. The referrer logs in to their guest account on the property website and opens the "Loyalty program" section.
2. The referrer clicks the "Share the link" button and sends the link to a friend in a convenient way (social media, email).
3. The referral follows the link.
4. The referral signs up in the guest account and confirms their email. After confirming the email, the referee receives a loyalty card and a welcome bonus, which can be used immediately when booking.
5. The referrer receives bonuses after the friend confirms their email.
Note. Additional bonuses can be received after the friend’s first stay. The referrer can see progress: how many friends have registered and stayed, as well as the bonus history. For more information on setting up and using the referral program, see the article “How to set up and use referral program”.
