Furniture Referral Programs: How to Start One [+ Free Tools]

Customers typically seek input from others before making a purchasing decision – and that includes when they’re choosing where to buy their furniture or mattress. 

Referral programs stand out as one of the most effective and budget-friendly methods to attract leads and expand your customer base. Nielsen reports that 84% of consumers place more trust in recommendations from friends and family than in any other advertising method. People often turn to social proof to understand why they should opt for a particular product or brand over its competitors.

Today, we’ll explore how a furniture referral program can enhance your store by driving leads and boosting sales. We will cover:

• What furniture referral programs entail  
• The advantages this marketing approach can bring to your business  
• What steps to take before launching a referral program
• Key elements for a successful furniture referral program  

What is a furniture referral program?

A furniture referral program encourages your customers to recommend your furniture, mattress, or home furnishings store to their friends & family in return for a reward. These programs are designed to be efficient and automated, meaning you won’t have to put in a lot of effort to set them up and manage them. A simple referral code entered online is all it takes to monitor new sales and reward both existing and new customers.

In this type of program, you can offer incentives such as cash rewards, discounts, coupons, free services, or gift cards to customers who bring in new business.

To get them started on referring others, you should give them a unique link or code to share with their network. This not only simplifies the process for them but also helps you track your conversion rates effectively.

With referral software, all new leads and customers are automatically recorded and monitored through that referral link. This makes it incredibly easy to assess the success of your referral program and understand how many visitors are coming to your site as a result of these referrals.

Benefits of furniture referral programs

Let’s explore some key advantages that referral marketing programs bring to furniture businesses.

They harness the power of social proof and trust: As we mentioned earlier, a significant number of consumers consult friends before making a purchase. When someone learns about your business from a trusted friend, they are far more likely to buy with assurance.

They boost brand visibility: By offering incentives to customers who refer others, you encourage them to spread the word. They might share their experiences with friends and family or even post on social media, expanding your reach. This leads to greater awareness of your products and services, enhancing your brand’s reputation.

They are more budget-friendly compared to traditional advertising methods: While ads and other marketing campaigns can be costly and yield uncertain results, referral programs are generally low-cost and more effective. You’re investing in customers you already have, which makes it a smart choice.

They carry low risk: Although you need to invest in referral software initially, you only pay when a purchase is made. If there are no results, you don’t incur any costs.

They foster customer loyalty: Due to the influence of social proof, friends who are referred are not only more likely to buy but also 18% more likely to make repeat purchases over the years.

They have the potential for viral growth: When one customer refers a friend, that friend might also share the recommendation with others who need furniture. This word-of-mouth marketing can lead to exponential growth for your business.

They are straightforward to monitor: By setting up simple key performance indicators, such as the number of orders, referred customers, and revenue from referred sales, you can easily assess the effectiveness of your referral program.

Referral software for furniture stores [Free Tools]

These referral tools for furniture stores are a free and easy way to help you start your referral program.

Want a fully automated referral program for your furniture business? Run your referral program with us at Referral Rock. Find out how we can build your program with you (and tailor it to your unique needs)

Before you start a furniture referral program

Are you thinking about launching a furniture referral program? Hold on for a moment! To ensure your referral program performs at its best, make sure you have these key elements in place first:

A beloved product or service: Customers won’t recommend a company they don’t trust, regardless of how enticing the referral rewards are. Focus on delivering high-quality products and exceptional customer service before seeking referrals. Once your customers recognize your brand’s value, they’ll be eager to share it with their friends, confident that you provide excellent offerings.

Satisfied customers ready to advocate for you: Check online to see if your brand is positively discussed in comments, in reviews, or on social media. If you notice new customers mentioning they were referred by a friend, it’s a clear sign that you should consider launching a formal referral program.

An online presence to direct referred leads to: You’ll need either a website, or some other online portal, for people to direct their friends to using the referral link. 

A solid understanding of your current customers: What do they appreciate about your brand and services? What motivates them to share your business? Gather insights through surveys or direct conversations. Knowing what drives your customers will help you attract more individuals who value the same benefits.

Insight into your ideal new customers: They’re likely quite similar to your existing clientele, which is why referrals can be so effective. Your customers can identify who in their network would be interested in your services, increasing the chances of gaining valuable new customers through referrals.

Once you have these elements in place, you’re ready to kick off your referral marketing campaign!

Furniture referral program best practices

To create a successful furniture referral program that gets results, there are a few essentials to keep in mind. For example, you should provide a desirable reward and offer customers plenty of options to engage with their friends.  Here’s what we recommend.

Choose the right rewards

Even though people want to refer your furniture or mattress store because of your exceptional products and stellar service, the referral incentive is the main motivator that gets people to actually share. So, picking the right reward is crucial. 

This includes offering double-sided rewards for both the referrer and friend. That way, people are encouraged to send referrals, and their referred friend has an added reason to make the purchase. Plus, people will appreciate the chance to help their friends, and won’t feel like they’re selling out their friends to get rewards.

 Furniture and mattresses are infrequent purchases, so the reward for the referrers shouldn’t tie back to your business. If someone doesn’t plan on purchasing more furniture from you in the near future, a discount or store credits won’t be of much use and won’t motivate referrals. Instead, take a cue from popular mattress and furniture referral programs (like Casper’s) and offer either cash or gift cards. This gives people the freedom to spend their reward however they wish. 

You can also start a tiered program, where referrers can earn higher value cash amounts, or higher-value gift cards, as they make more referrals.

As for the reward for the friend, cash or gift cards work well, but you could also give them discounts or store credits to encourage them to make that first purchase.

Promote your program in various ways 

To attract referrals, it’s essential that people are aware of what you have to offer. Here are some effective ways to promote your referral rewards program:

• Utilize dedicated email campaigns about your referral program. We recommend sending these out monthly to quarterly, to keep the program top of mind. 
• Mention the program with a sentence in other emails, like receipts, review requests, newsletters, and promotional offers.

• Feature it prominently on your site’s homepage with engaging visuals.
• Add a link to your website menus for easy access.
• Include details on your thank-you page or confirmation page, so customers notice it right after their purchase.
• If you communicate via SMS, promote your program in some of your texts.
• Share posts about it on your social media channels. If you have multiple franchise locations, have each franchise post about it. 

• Post signs in your physical locations about the program (if applicable). Include QR codes for easy program access – bring the offline interest online.

Simplify the sharing process

Make the sharing process straightforward and user-friendly. 

Ensure that your customers can easily locate your referral program. Aim for a seamless experience where they can find and share it with minimal clicks.

Referral Rock’s One Click Access links make it even easier for customers to share and promote your business right away. There’s no need for them to sign up for the referral program—they’re automatically included. Be sure to incorporate these links in all your communications regarding the referral program, including transactional emails and account updates.

On your referral page or pop-up, feature an attention-grabbing call to action that encourages sharing. For instance, you could use phrases like “Give $20, Get $20” or “Refer and earn an Amazon gift card!” This way, your customers will quickly understand the benefits of referring others.

Keep the program’s terms simple and clear. Emphasize the benefits of sharing, including both rewards and the inherent advantages, on your program’s landing page.

Break down the instructions into 3-4 simple steps, and include a strong call to action to motivate customers to take the next step. Additionally, consider crafting pre-written messages for them to send to their friends, ensuring that the tone remains friendly and personal, not branded. This way, people won’t have to figure out what to write, and can share with friends right away. 

Equip customers to share anywhere

Encourage your customers to share your brand through a variety of channels. This approach allows them to promote you in the ways they feel most comfortable. 

Instead of limiting sharing to referral emails, consider offering options for social media, text messages, and other platforms, based on how they naturally share things with friends and family.

To make it even more convenient, provide a QR code that they can save on their phones. This way, they can easily access it when chatting with friends, and it will serve as a referral link when their friends take a photo of it.

Another effective strategy to boost sharing is to create a referral link that customers can quickly copy and paste anywhere they like. 

Lastly, ensure that your referral program pages are mobile-optimized. With a significant portion of online shopping happening on mobile devices, this is increasingly important.

Choose the ideal referral software  

With the right referral software, you can eliminate the hassle of managing referrals by hand.  

Referral software tools allow you to distribute unique referral links that customers can easily share via social media and email, track the number of referrals generated by your customers, pinpoint where those referrals are coming from, and quickly pay out rewards. You’ll also gain important insights into your referral program, helping you evaluate its success and make any necessary changes.  

Referral Rock software makes it easy to design, track, reward, and promote your program, making it a must-have for any investment platform looking to launch a successful referral campaign.  

With Referral Rock, you can:  

• Personalize rewards: Select any type of reward and structure you prefer, including tiered and multi-step options.  
• Track referrals effortlessly: Each customer gets a unique referral link, allowing you to trace the source of every referral. Customers can also view their own referrals through personalized dashboards.  
• Automate reward distribution: Send out incentives as soon as they are earned to keep your customers happy. You can also automate multi-step payouts by integrating with your CRM.  
• Simplify promotions: Automated promotional emails keep customers engaged, and passwordless links make sharing easy.  
• Integrate with key tools: Seamlessly connect Referral Rock with over 50 different tools, including your CRM.  
• Gather insights on your program: Quickly evaluate your program’s performance and make data-driven enhancements.  
• Get started quickly: Referral Rock enables you to launch your program in just a few days, with expert support available at every step.  

Launch a furniture referral program

Starting your own furniture referral program comes with a multitude of advantages. It’s not only budget-friendly and straightforward, but it’s also a tried-and-true method for expanding your business and enhancing brand visibility.

Begin by understanding your customers, choosing an appealing reward, and setting up easy-to-share links. After that, promote your program widely!

By following these easy steps, you can boost your loyal customer base and establish a robust referral program that will help your business thrive quickly.