{"id":34442,"date":"2024-01-08T14:08:39","date_gmt":"2024-01-08T19:08:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/?p=34442"},"modified":"2024-06-20T14:16:06","modified_gmt":"2024-06-20T18:16:06","slug":"referral-platform","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/referral-platform\/","title":{"rendered":"The Top 5 Referral Marketing Software Platforms [2024]"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Driving customer referrals is a no-brainer marketing strategy for scaling your business \u2013 people are at least 4 times more likely to purchase when a friend refers them to you.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>For the most success with referral marketing, you\u2019ll need to choose the top referral software on the market. But although there are plenty of options out there, not all will meet your needs.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>How to choose the best referral software? We\u2019re making the task easier by focusing only on the top 5 referral software options on the market. Read through our ultimate guide, and you\u2019ll be ready to pick the referral marketing software that\u2019s right for you.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why referral software?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Since people trust their friends far more than the ads and messages that your business puts out directly, referrals consistently bring in high-quality customers who are more likely to stay loyal.\u00a0 Plus, referrals are a cost-effective way to gain new customers \u2013 they\u2019re a lot less expensive to leverage than ads.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>When you create an automated customer referral program with <a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\">referral software<\/a>, you\u2019ll empower customers to share your business with their friends in a way you can track. In fact, existing brand fans generate 5x more referrals with referral program software vs. waiting for referrals to happen organically.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>A referral software platform will trace every referral back to the person who made it, instantly reward customers for successful referrals, and even help motivate customers to keep sharing with friends. This automation aspect is key to creating a referral engine that runs itself, and that collects valuable data needed to keep optimizing your referral program\u2019s performance.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The best referral software for 2023: Our top 5 picks<\/h2>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\">\r\n<p><strong>Based on our research, the top 5 referral marketing software options are:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><strong><a class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text elementor-toc__top-level\" href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/referral-marketing-software\/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-2\">Referral Rock<\/a><\/strong><i class=\"\"><\/i><\/li>\r\n<li><a class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text elementor-toc__top-level\" href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/referral-marketing-software\/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-3\">ReferralCandy<\/a><i class=\"\"><\/i><\/li>\r\n<li><a class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text elementor-toc__top-level\" href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/referral-marketing-software\/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-4\">Extole<\/a><i class=\"\"><\/i><\/li>\r\n<li><a class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text elementor-toc__top-level\" href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/referral-marketing-software\/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-5\">Referral Factory<\/a><i class=\"\"><\/i><\/li>\r\n<li><a class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text elementor-toc__top-level\" href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/referral-marketing-software\/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-6\">Friendbuy<\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>What to look for in a referral software? We\u2019ve analyzed each of our top five referral software picks based on these criteria (and more), so it\u2019s easy for you to determine which software will fit your needs:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Business fit<\/li>\r\n<li>Customer service\/onboarding<\/li>\r\n<li>Integrations<\/li>\r\n<li>Rewards<\/li>\r\n<li>Customization<\/li>\r\n<li>Engagement<\/li>\r\n<li>Dashboards and tracking<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><em>For more on these criteria, check out the &#8220;<\/em><em><a class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text elementor-toc__top-level\" href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/referral-marketing-software\/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-7\">Evaluating a referral software platform<\/a>&#8221; section below.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Without further ado, let\u2019s dive in.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Referral Rock<\/h2>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#a1d1de;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#bbebf8;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\">Referral Rock is our software, and this review was written with as much of our unbiased opinion as possible.<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30632 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Referral-Rock-site-1.png\" alt=\"Referral Rock website: More referrals for your business on autopilot.\" width=\"698\" height=\"400\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Referral-Rock-site-1.png 1330w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Referral-Rock-site-1-300x172.png 300w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Referral-Rock-site-1-1024x587.png 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 698px) 100vw, 698px\" \/><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30633 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/referral-rock-website-2.png\" alt=\"Referral Rock website: How many new customer referrals have you missed today\" width=\"700\" height=\"570\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/referral-rock-website-2.png 1345w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/referral-rock-website-2-300x244.png 300w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/referral-rock-website-2-1024x834.png 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/\">Referral Rock <\/a>has everything you need to launch your referral program in days, not months. Create a custom, on-branded referral experience for <em>any<\/em> business \u2013 no matter your size or industry \u2013 then sit back and watch the referrals roll in.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p><em>More referrals for your business \u2013 on autopilot.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Referral Rock has helped over 1,000 businesses scale through the power of referral campaigns, including SaaS companies, B2Bs, service providers, ecommerce stores, educational platforms, and more. And our software is extremely easy to use, with no developers needed.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n<table style=\"border-color: #DCDCDC;\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\">\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr style=\"background-color: #f1f6f4;\">\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Pricing<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Free trial?<\/strong><b><\/b><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Review score (Capterra) <\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/pricing\/professional\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Professional:<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> $175+\/month (for businesses with sales reps and servicepeople)<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/pricing\/engage\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Engage:<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> $200+\/month (for businesses with self-checkouts)<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enterprise plan also available<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">30-day free trial<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">4.6 (72 reviews)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p><!-- \/wp:post-content -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} --><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\">\r\n<p><strong>Top positive reviews:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list --><\/p>\r\n<ul><!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u201cReferral Factory allows me to easily run a referral program for my ecommerce store without needing to hire a developer to add any code\u2026 I found a template for ecommerce which made it even easier to launch a referral program.\u201d \u2013 Chris S.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u201cReferral Factory makes it so simple to implement a referral program, especially for those of us who aren&#8217;t that tech-savvy.\u201d \u2013 Stacey V.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Business fit<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>With its basic structure and limited capabilities, Referral Factory is meant for businesses that want to design the simplest give-and-get referral program. It\u2019s accessible for small businesses and startups, although somewhat larger ecommerce businesses might do okay with it as well if they\u2019re planning to keep things extremely simple.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory can\u2019t handle multi-step sales processes, so rule it out if your business is structured that way. It also doesn\u2019t have enough features to work well for enterprises.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customer service\/onboarding<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory offers chat support and a self-service help center, with priority support available for higher plans. The company also hosts some webinars. But they don\u2019t offer an option to have a dedicated expert guide you through your program setup, launch, or management. Overall, their support and onboarding offerings seem limited.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Integrations<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory offers about a dozen simple integrations, including Intercom and Pipedrive. But these integrations seem very limited in scope. And although HubSpot and Salesforce integrations are available, these are very basic and might not be able to handle the processes you have in place. Plus, it looks like the only ecommerce platform it integrates with is WooCommerce (and not Shopify, Magento, or BigCommerce).\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Rewards<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory lets you give out Amazon gift cards, PayPal payments, and digital Visa or Mastercard rewards. You can also configure discount, store credit, or free product rewards tied back to your own store.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>However, the reward structures are very limited. You won\u2019t be able to use any complex reward structures with Referral Factory. So, if you\u2019re planning on using a multi-step or tiered reward system \u2013 or anything beyond the most basic give-and-get structure \u2013 you\u2019ll need to choose a different referral software.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customization<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory is based around templates that you can customize. Start with the template, then add your brand\u2019s visuals, colors, and text to your liking. You can also offer any of over 10 sharing options for customers to use to refer friends.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>But even though there are over a thousand templates available, you still might not find one that works for your business needs. These templates are all very basic. And sometimes, the templates can be difficult to customize.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Engagement<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory offers reminder email and notification features to drive engagement with the program. But it\u2019s unclear what automation options are connected to these features. And Referral Factory lacks a dedicated member portal, so customers are left in the dark about the status of their referrals.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Dashboards and tracking<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory offers a fairly easy-to-use tracking dashboard. But it only tracks the simplest elements, like referrals\u2019 status, conversion rates, and who sent which referral. For more robust tracking, you should choose a different solution.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Other notable features<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Some of the Referral Factory templates are meant to closely mimic the features that made top referral programs, like the Dropbox and Uber referral programs, successful.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Our take<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory\u2019s fast setup and low price point may seem attractive, especially to small businesses and startups. But its features, integrations, and support are all very limited. Other solutions (like Referral Rock) offer plenty more features, can handle complex sales processes, have a robust suite of full integrations, and are overall a much better choice for established businesses.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading -->\r\n<h2>5. Friendbuy<\/h2>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:image -->\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30637 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/friendbuy-website.png\" alt=\"friendbuy website: Get more out of every customer with best in class referral and loyalty programs\" width=\"691\" height=\"433\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/friendbuy-website.png 1289w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/friendbuy-website-300x188.png 300w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/friendbuy-website-1024x642.png 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 691px) 100vw, 691px\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/alternatives\/friendbuy\/\">Friendbuy<\/a> offers a referral program widget tailored for ecommerce businesses, designed for placing a simple give-and-get program on your website to gain new customers through friends\u2019 shares. Its functionality is relatively similar to ReferralCandy\u2019s, although you won\u2019t have to pay extra commission fees.<\/p>\r\n<table style=\"border-color: #DCDCDC;\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\">\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr style=\"background-color: #f1f6f4;\">\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Pricing<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Free trial?<\/strong><b><\/b><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Review score (Capterra) <\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">$249-$749\/month; enterprise plan also available<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">30-day free trial<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">4.2 (5 reviews)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\">\r\n<p><strong>Top positive reviews:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list --><\/p>\r\n<ul><!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u201cIt&#8217;s an easy way to incentivize and encourage customers to spread the word and refer your brand. And easy to use on the customer&#8217;s end also, for both those referring your brand and those receiving the referral.\u201d \u2013Erin L.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u201cI really like that you can see the Facebook feed of what people are saying when they share the referral link\u2026 It&#8217;s easy to use and having the widget on our website makes a lot of sense. Our customers benefit and we benefit.\u201d \u2013Anonymous verified reviewer<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Business fit<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy is clearly an ecommerce referral solution \u2013 it\u2019s only meant for online stores with a simple transaction structure. If you have any other type of business, it probably won\u2019t work for you, especially since it isn\u2019t designed to handle multi-step sales processes.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customer service\/onboarding<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy\u2019s primary form of support is via email. (There\u2019s no live chat option, and some reviewers warn that you may have to wait a while for an email response). You can also use a self-service help center. There are white-glove support options and a tailored onboarding package available, but only on the enterprise plan.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Integrations<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy offers several integrations, including Stripe, Chargebee, Klaviyo, and Attentive. But these integrations are limited to ecommerce-focused options. There\u2019s no option for integration with HubSpot, Salesforce, or any other CRM. And surprisingly, the only ecommerce platform we could find on the Friendbuy integration list is Shopify.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>It\u2019s also important to note that not all integrations are available on all plans. Some integrations are only available to enterprise plan users.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Rewards<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy lets you offer, and automate the fulfillment of, nearly any type of reward via a simple give-and-get structure. Since it\u2019s widget-based, though, you won\u2019t be able to modify the program to fit your needs if you\u2019d like to use a more complex reward setup (like a tiered or multi-step rewards program).<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customization<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>As long as you stay within Friendbuy\u2019s widget structure, you\u2019ll be able to customize the program for your business. Use the copy, design, and visuals of your choice to create a professional, on-brand referral program.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>But beyond the design aspect, customization is limited since you\u2019ll need to stay in the boundaries of the template. And you\u2019ll only be able to place the program on your website using the widget (you can\u2019t put it in a customer portal or host it outside your site).\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Engagement<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy does offer a dashboard where advocates can track the status of their referrals, so that\u2019s a positive for engagement. We couldn\u2019t find any information on whether they offer automated promotional emails or notifications, though.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Dashboards and tracking<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy\u2019s dashboard lets you track a wide variety of metrics, including shares, purchases, and referral revenue, which you can then examine by channel or by date. There\u2019s also a dedicated dashboard for A\/B testing different program layouts and comparing the results.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Other notable features<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy also offers a customer loyalty program. But loyalty programs only encourage your existing customers to stay with you \u2013 they don\u2019t boost customer acquisition and retention simultaneously, like referral programs do. And the loyalty program only comes with the enterprise plan.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Our take<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy may work well for you if you\u2019re in the ecommerce sector, but it\u2019s not the right choice if you have any other type of business. And even if you\u2019re an ecommerce business, the plans seem fairly expensive for only offering a limited, widget-based solution.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<h2>Evaluating a referral software platform<\/h2>\r\n<p>When deciding on the best referral marketing software, you&#8217;ll need to evaluate it based on the key criteria we&#8217;ve used throughout this article. Here&#8217;s what to consider in detail, and why it&#8217;s important.<\/p>\r\n<h3>Business fit<\/h3>\r\n<p>What types of businesses does the referral software work well for (e.g. B2B, SaaS, ecommerce)? Which types of businesses are <em>not <\/em>a good fit for the referral marketing platform?<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Many referral software choices only work for ecommerce businesses, but some are robust enough to meet the needs of B2Bs and other businesses that have longer sales processes.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h3>Customer service\/onboarding<\/h3>\r\n<p>Does the software offer expert onboarding specialists or customer success managers to guide you through the launch and management of your program? How does the support process work?<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Referral marketing is distinct from other forms of marketing \u2013 not all marketers know all the pieces needed for success. <\/em><em>You\u2019ll probably need help setting up your referral program based on best practices, as well as integrating it with existing processes and software you have in your marketing stack. <\/em><\/p>\r\n<p><em>So, it\u2019s best to proceed with guidance from referral marketing experts, who have all the knowledge you need to make your program successful. <\/em><em>The more concierge the support, the better, as it will be tailored to your unique business needs. You\u2019ll also want options to reach out to product support and get answers quickly, in case you have urgent questions.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h3>Integrations<\/h3>\r\n<p>Is the referral software compatible with the tools you already use to manage your marketing and sales campaigns? For instance, does it offer HubSpot and\/or Salesforce integrations?<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Third-party integrations\u00a0are key for connecting your referral software with all your other marketing and sales tools, so it passes information between all your tools smoothly and automatically. <\/em><em>They can help automate your program, connect it with your CRM, send out email promotions to drive engagement and handle reward payouts.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h3>Rewards<\/h3>\r\n<p>What types of referral incentives can the software handle? Is the software compatible with multi-step reward structures, or does it only handle the simple \u201cgive and get\u201d structure?<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Make sure the referral software is flexible enough to manage any reward structure you wish, especially if you want a multi-step or tiered system. There aren\u2019t many referral software programs that can manage complex rewards structures.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h3>Customization<\/h3>\r\n<p>What features help you brand the referral program to your business and customize it according to your unique needs?\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Customization is how you make the program your own, but many referral software tools only offer basic widgets with purely visual customization options. <\/em><\/p>\r\n<p><em>If you want a customizable referral program beyond a basic website widget, and want to serve your customers the program on a variety of touchpoints, make sure the referral software you choose is flexible enough to meet those needs.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h3>Engagement<\/h3>\r\n<p>Does the software solution have automated features that encourage customers to stay engaged with your program and continue to make referrals? If so, what engagement features are available?<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Customers who continue making referrals are key to growth. Automated engagement features make it much easier to motivate customers to keep sending new leads your way.<\/em><\/p>\r\n<p><em>Some engagement features may include automated emails and notifications, and a dashboard where customers can keep track of the referrals they make.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h3>Dashboards and tracking<\/h3>\r\n<p>What data does the software track, and how robust is that data? How easy is it to access the referral tracking data you need via the program\u2019s dashboards?<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Like with all marketing campaigns, measuring your program\u2019s success is essential to determining your ROI.<\/em><\/p>\r\n<p><em>Some referral software only tracks basic metrics like shares, conversion rates and referral revenue. But other referral software options give you detailed metrics for a fuller picture of your program\u2019s impact, such as customer engagement and brand awareness generated by the program.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading -->\r\n<h2>Comparing the top 5 referral software platforms at a glance<\/h2>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Still trying to figure out which referral software to use? Compare our featured platforms in the table below:<\/p>\r\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-57\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-57\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><\/td><th class=\"column-2\">Type<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Pricing<\/th><th class=\"column-4\">Business fit <\/th><th class=\"column-5\">Multi-step rewards and sales processes?<\/th><th class=\"column-6\">Integrations<\/th><th class=\"column-7\">HubSpot support?<\/th><th class=\"column-8\">Salesforce support?<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Referral Rock<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Comprehensive<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">$200-$800 <br \/>\n\/month<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Any business (B2B, SaaS, ecommerce, B2C, service business, small business, enterprise)<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">Yes<\/td><td class=\"column-6\">30+ for all businesses<\/td><td class=\"column-7\">Yes<\/td><td class=\"column-8\">Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>ReferralCandy<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Simple widget<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">$47- $299+ <br \/>\n\/month (plus commissions)<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Ecommerce<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">No<\/td><td class=\"column-6\">14; only ecommerce platforms<\/td><td class=\"column-7\">No<\/td><td class=\"column-8\">No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Extole<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">White-label<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Unknown<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Enterprise<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">Unknown<\/td><td class=\"column-6\">11<\/td><td class=\"column-7\">No<\/td><td class=\"column-8\">Limited<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Referral Factory<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Simple widget<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">$95-$1400+ <br \/>\n\/month<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Small business, ecommerce<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">No<\/td><td class=\"column-6\">12; very simple functionality<\/td><td class=\"column-7\">Limited<\/td><td class=\"column-8\">Limited<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Friendbuy<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Simple widget<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">$249-$749+<br \/>\n\/month<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Ecommerce<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">No<\/td><td class=\"column-6\">24; only ecommerce tools<\/td><td class=\"column-7\">No<\/td><td class=\"column-8\">No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-57 from cache -->\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:table \/-->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading -->\r\n<h2>Wrapping up: Choosing the best referral marketing solution<\/h2>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Now that we\u2019ve taken a deep dive into the top five referral software tools on the market, you\u2019re ready to make an informed choice about the right referral marketing software for your business needs, start a successful referral program, and grow your customer base through this valuable form of word-of-mouth marketing.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><em>Referral Rock referral software works well for any business type and size, handles multi-step and other complex sales and reward processes, and smoothly integrates with the software you already use (including HubSpot and Salesforce). <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/\"><em>Learn more<\/em><\/a><em> or <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/demo\/\"><em>request a demo today.\u00a0<\/em><\/a><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- \/wp:list --><!-- \/wp:list -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list --><\/p>\r\n<ul><!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u201cOur account team ensures that this software basically runs itself. There is very little that we need to do on a daily basis to ensure success, and we&#8217;ve seen great results through our referral program.\u201d \u2013 Lindsey S.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u201cThe best part of Extole is the support you receive through every stage of the program. Someone is always there to answer your questions and help you make the most of their services\/ platform.\u201d \u2013 Julia S.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n[\/su_note]\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Business fit<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Based on its high pricing, it\u2019s clear that Extole is only meant for enterprise-level businesses. Extole doesn\u2019t publish its pricing, but our sources indicate that it will cost you over $42,000 per year to use the solution. Steer clear of Extole if you\u2019re a small, emerging, or medium-sized business.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customer service\/onboarding<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>As a turn-key solution, Extole offers dedicated account managers to help you design and launch your program, as well as maintain your program once it\u2019s live to improve conversions. But if you need quicker customer support at any point after launch, it appears that this is only available via email, not live chat.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Integrations<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Extole integrates with select SMS marketing tools, data platforms, and user-generated content tools, including Segment, Attentive, and Optimove.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>However, we couldn\u2019t find any information about whether it integrates with HubSpot, so HubSpot likely isn\u2019t supported. And while Extole does support Salesforce Commerce Cloud, it\u2019s unknown whether Extole integrates with Marketing Cloud, Pardot, or other Salesforce offerings. Some reviewers also report that the integrations Extole does offer can be frustrating to implement.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Rewards<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Extole lets you offer any rewards you desire, including points, discounts, free products, store credits, gift cards, and custom rewards. International currencies are also supported. And if you have multiple campaigns in place, you can use different rewards for each to see which ones work best for motivating referrals.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>We\u2019re unsure how well Extole can handle rewards for multi-step sales processes, though.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customization<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Extole offers plenty of ways to customize an enterprise referral program. Automatic audience discovery and real-time targeting help you find, and tailor the program to, your ideal customers. Plus, easily customize all aspects of the program\u2019s templates to fit your brand\u2019s visual identity and voice, and feed the program to customers at any touchpoint you wish.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Engagement<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Extole offers a \u201cburst\u201d feature where you can temporarily increase rewards to drive more engagement, along with strategic messaging features. And we imagine that the targeting features play a role in engagement as well, since targeting the right people at the right time increases the odds that they will refer. But it\u2019s hard to tell how much visibility advocates have on the status of their referrals.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Dashboards and tracking<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Extole offers plenty of data on advocates, including detailed segmentation and referral reporting, so you\u2019ll know exactly who your top advocates are. It also appears to pull data from social platforms for more information on how top advocates share.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Despite the largely detailed tracking, data on referred customers is limited, especially prior to a conversion. Also, some reviewers have shared that reporting can be a bit tedious.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Other notable features<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Extole allows customers to share specific products with their friends via referral links if they choose.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Our take<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Extole has the customization features you\u2019d expect from an enterprise, turn-key referral solution. But other customer referral platforms, such as Referral Rock, offer most of the same features as Extole for a fraction of the price.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Plus, there\u2019s no way to test out Extole\u2019s features or ease of use before you buy, since Extole doesn\u2019t offer a free trial. There\u2019s also no real division of paid plans (they don\u2019t offer an entry-level plan, and only have a single option at a very steep cost).\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading -->\r\n<h2>4. Referral Factory<\/h2>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:image -->\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30636 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/referral-factory-website.png\" alt=\"referral factory website: Plug and play software to build your own referral program\" width=\"665\" height=\"343\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/referral-factory-website.png 1258w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/referral-factory-website-300x155.png 300w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/referral-factory-website-1024x528.png 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 665px) 100vw, 665px\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/alternatives\/referral-factory\/\">Referral Factory<\/a> is a straightforward referral software based around templates \u2013 but you can also use it to build a simple referral program from the ground up. It\u2019s easy to use, as long as you\u2019re willing to sacrifice many of the advanced features that other software offers.<\/p>\r\n<table style=\"border-color: #DCDCDC;\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\">\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr style=\"background-color: #f1f6f4;\">\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Pricing<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Free trial?<\/strong><b><\/b><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Review score (Capterra) <\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">$95-$1400+ \/ month<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">15-day free trial<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">\u00a04.9 (97 reviews)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\">\r\n<p><strong>Top positive reviews:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list --><\/p>\r\n<ul><!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u201cReferral Factory allows me to easily run a referral program for my ecommerce store without needing to hire a developer to add any code\u2026 I found a template for ecommerce which made it even easier to launch a referral program.\u201d \u2013 Chris S.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u201cReferral Factory makes it so simple to implement a referral program, especially for those of us who aren&#8217;t that tech-savvy.\u201d \u2013 Stacey V.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Business fit<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>With its basic structure and limited capabilities, Referral Factory is meant for businesses that want to design the simplest give-and-get referral program. It\u2019s accessible for small businesses and startups, although somewhat larger ecommerce businesses might do okay with it as well if they\u2019re planning to keep things extremely simple.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory can\u2019t handle multi-step sales processes, so rule it out if your business is structured that way. It also doesn\u2019t have enough features to work well for enterprises.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customer service\/onboarding<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory offers chat support and a self-service help center, with priority support available for higher plans. The company also hosts some webinars. But they don\u2019t offer an option to have a dedicated expert guide you through your program setup, launch, or management. Overall, their support and onboarding offerings seem limited.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Integrations<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory offers about a dozen simple integrations, including Intercom and Pipedrive. But these integrations seem very limited in scope. And although HubSpot and Salesforce integrations are available, these are very basic and might not be able to handle the processes you have in place. Plus, it looks like the only ecommerce platform it integrates with is WooCommerce (and not Shopify, Magento, or BigCommerce).\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Rewards<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory lets you give out Amazon gift cards, PayPal payments, and digital Visa or Mastercard rewards. You can also configure discount, store credit, or free product rewards tied back to your own store.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>However, the reward structures are very limited. You won\u2019t be able to use any complex reward structures with Referral Factory. So, if you\u2019re planning on using a multi-step or tiered reward system \u2013 or anything beyond the most basic give-and-get structure \u2013 you\u2019ll need to choose a different referral software.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customization<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory is based around templates that you can customize. Start with the template, then add your brand\u2019s visuals, colors, and text to your liking. You can also offer any of over 10 sharing options for customers to use to refer friends.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>But even though there are over a thousand templates available, you still might not find one that works for your business needs. These templates are all very basic. And sometimes, the templates can be difficult to customize.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Engagement<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory offers reminder email and notification features to drive engagement with the program. But it\u2019s unclear what automation options are connected to these features. And Referral Factory lacks a dedicated member portal, so customers are left in the dark about the status of their referrals.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Dashboards and tracking<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory offers a fairly easy-to-use tracking dashboard. But it only tracks the simplest elements, like referrals\u2019 status, conversion rates, and who sent which referral. For more robust tracking, you should choose a different solution.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Other notable features<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Some of the Referral Factory templates are meant to closely mimic the features that made top referral programs, like the Dropbox and Uber referral programs, successful.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Our take<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory\u2019s fast setup and low price point may seem attractive, especially to small businesses and startups. But its features, integrations, and support are all very limited. Other solutions (like Referral Rock) offer plenty more features, can handle complex sales processes, have a robust suite of full integrations, and are overall a much better choice for established businesses.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading -->\r\n<h2>5. Friendbuy<\/h2>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:image -->\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30637 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/friendbuy-website.png\" alt=\"friendbuy website: Get more out of every customer with best in class referral and loyalty programs\" width=\"691\" height=\"433\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/friendbuy-website.png 1289w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/friendbuy-website-300x188.png 300w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/friendbuy-website-1024x642.png 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 691px) 100vw, 691px\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/alternatives\/friendbuy\/\">Friendbuy<\/a> offers a referral program widget tailored for ecommerce businesses, designed for placing a simple give-and-get program on your website to gain new customers through friends\u2019 shares. Its functionality is relatively similar to ReferralCandy\u2019s, although you won\u2019t have to pay extra commission fees.<\/p>\r\n<table style=\"border-color: #DCDCDC;\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\">\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr style=\"background-color: #f1f6f4;\">\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Pricing<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Free trial?<\/strong><b><\/b><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Review score (Capterra) <\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">$249-$749\/month; enterprise plan also available<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">30-day free trial<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">4.2 (5 reviews)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p><!-- \/wp:table -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\">\r\n<p><strong>Top positive reviews:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list --><\/p>\r\n<ul><!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u201cIt&#8217;s an easy way to incentivize and encourage customers to spread the word and refer your brand. And easy to use on the customer&#8217;s end also, for both those referring your brand and those receiving the referral.\u201d \u2013Erin L.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u201cI really like that you can see the Facebook feed of what people are saying when they share the referral link\u2026 It&#8217;s easy to use and having the widget on our website makes a lot of sense. Our customers benefit and we benefit.\u201d \u2013Anonymous verified reviewer<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Business fit<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy is clearly an ecommerce referral solution \u2013 it\u2019s only meant for online stores with a simple transaction structure. If you have any other type of business, it probably won\u2019t work for you, especially since it isn\u2019t designed to handle multi-step sales processes.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customer service\/onboarding<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy\u2019s primary form of support is via email. (There\u2019s no live chat option, and some reviewers warn that you may have to wait a while for an email response). You can also use a self-service help center. There are white-glove support options and a tailored onboarding package available, but only on the enterprise plan.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Integrations<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy offers several integrations, including Stripe, Chargebee, Klaviyo, and Attentive. But these integrations are limited to ecommerce-focused options. There\u2019s no option for integration with HubSpot, Salesforce, or any other CRM. And surprisingly, the only ecommerce platform we could find on the Friendbuy integration list is Shopify.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>It\u2019s also important to note that not all integrations are available on all plans. Some integrations are only available to enterprise plan users.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Rewards<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy lets you offer, and automate the fulfillment of, nearly any type of reward via a simple give-and-get structure. Since it\u2019s widget-based, though, you won\u2019t be able to modify the program to fit your needs if you\u2019d like to use a more complex reward setup (like a tiered or multi-step rewards program).<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customization<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>As long as you stay within Friendbuy\u2019s widget structure, you\u2019ll be able to customize the program for your business. Use the copy, design, and visuals of your choice to create a professional, on-brand referral program.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>But beyond the design aspect, customization is limited since you\u2019ll need to stay in the boundaries of the template. And you\u2019ll only be able to place the program on your website using the widget (you can\u2019t put it in a customer portal or host it outside your site).\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Engagement<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy does offer a dashboard where advocates can track the status of their referrals, so that\u2019s a positive for engagement. We couldn\u2019t find any information on whether they offer automated promotional emails or notifications, though.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Dashboards and tracking<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy\u2019s dashboard lets you track a wide variety of metrics, including shares, purchases, and referral revenue, which you can then examine by channel or by date. There\u2019s also a dedicated dashboard for A\/B testing different program layouts and comparing the results.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Other notable features<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy also offers a customer loyalty program. But loyalty programs only encourage your existing customers to stay with you \u2013 they don\u2019t boost customer acquisition and retention simultaneously, like referral programs do. And the loyalty program only comes with the enterprise plan.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Our take<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy may work well for you if you\u2019re in the ecommerce sector, but it\u2019s not the right choice if you have any other type of business. And even if you\u2019re an ecommerce business, the plans seem fairly expensive for only offering a limited, widget-based solution.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<h2>Evaluating a referral software platform<\/h2>\r\n<p>When deciding on the best referral marketing software, you&#8217;ll need to evaluate it based on the key criteria we&#8217;ve used throughout this article. Here&#8217;s what to consider in detail, and why it&#8217;s important.<\/p>\r\n<h3>Business fit<\/h3>\r\n<p>What types of businesses does the referral software work well for (e.g. B2B, SaaS, ecommerce)? Which types of businesses are <em>not <\/em>a good fit for the referral marketing platform?<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Many referral software choices only work for ecommerce businesses, but some are robust enough to meet the needs of B2Bs and other businesses that have longer sales processes.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h3>Customer service\/onboarding<\/h3>\r\n<p>Does the software offer expert onboarding specialists or customer success managers to guide you through the launch and management of your program? How does the support process work?<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Referral marketing is distinct from other forms of marketing \u2013 not all marketers know all the pieces needed for success. <\/em><em>You\u2019ll probably need help setting up your referral program based on best practices, as well as integrating it with existing processes and software you have in your marketing stack. <\/em><\/p>\r\n<p><em>So, it\u2019s best to proceed with guidance from referral marketing experts, who have all the knowledge you need to make your program successful. <\/em><em>The more concierge the support, the better, as it will be tailored to your unique business needs. You\u2019ll also want options to reach out to product support and get answers quickly, in case you have urgent questions.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h3>Integrations<\/h3>\r\n<p>Is the referral software compatible with the tools you already use to manage your marketing and sales campaigns? For instance, does it offer HubSpot and\/or Salesforce integrations?<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Third-party integrations\u00a0are key for connecting your referral software with all your other marketing and sales tools, so it passes information between all your tools smoothly and automatically. <\/em><em>They can help automate your program, connect it with your CRM, send out email promotions to drive engagement and handle reward payouts.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h3>Rewards<\/h3>\r\n<p>What types of referral incentives can the software handle? Is the software compatible with multi-step reward structures, or does it only handle the simple \u201cgive and get\u201d structure?<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Make sure the referral software is flexible enough to manage any reward structure you wish, especially if you want a multi-step or tiered system. There aren\u2019t many referral software programs that can manage complex rewards structures.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h3>Customization<\/h3>\r\n<p>What features help you brand the referral program to your business and customize it according to your unique needs?\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Customization is how you make the program your own, but many referral software tools only offer basic widgets with purely visual customization options. <\/em><\/p>\r\n<p><em>If you want a customizable referral program beyond a basic website widget, and want to serve your customers the program on a variety of touchpoints, make sure the referral software you choose is flexible enough to meet those needs.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h3>Engagement<\/h3>\r\n<p>Does the software solution have automated features that encourage customers to stay engaged with your program and continue to make referrals? If so, what engagement features are available?<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Customers who continue making referrals are key to growth. Automated engagement features make it much easier to motivate customers to keep sending new leads your way.<\/em><\/p>\r\n<p><em>Some engagement features may include automated emails and notifications, and a dashboard where customers can keep track of the referrals they make.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h3>Dashboards and tracking<\/h3>\r\n<p>What data does the software track, and how robust is that data? How easy is it to access the referral tracking data you need via the program\u2019s dashboards?<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Like with all marketing campaigns, measuring your program\u2019s success is essential to determining your ROI.<\/em><\/p>\r\n<p><em>Some referral software only tracks basic metrics like shares, conversion rates and referral revenue. But other referral software options give you detailed metrics for a fuller picture of your program\u2019s impact, such as customer engagement and brand awareness generated by the program.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading -->\r\n<h2>Comparing the top 5 referral software platforms at a glance<\/h2>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Still trying to figure out which referral software to use? Compare our featured platforms in the table below:<\/p>\r\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-57-no-2\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-57\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><\/td><th class=\"column-2\">Type<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Pricing<\/th><th class=\"column-4\">Business fit <\/th><th class=\"column-5\">Multi-step rewards and sales processes?<\/th><th class=\"column-6\">Integrations<\/th><th class=\"column-7\">HubSpot support?<\/th><th class=\"column-8\">Salesforce support?<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Referral Rock<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Comprehensive<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">$200-$800 <br \/>\n\/month<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Any business (B2B, SaaS, ecommerce, B2C, service business, small business, enterprise)<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">Yes<\/td><td class=\"column-6\">30+ for all businesses<\/td><td class=\"column-7\">Yes<\/td><td class=\"column-8\">Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>ReferralCandy<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Simple widget<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">$47- $299+ <br \/>\n\/month (plus commissions)<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Ecommerce<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">No<\/td><td class=\"column-6\">14; only ecommerce platforms<\/td><td class=\"column-7\">No<\/td><td class=\"column-8\">No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Extole<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">White-label<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Unknown<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Enterprise<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">Unknown<\/td><td class=\"column-6\">11<\/td><td class=\"column-7\">No<\/td><td class=\"column-8\">Limited<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Referral Factory<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Simple widget<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">$95-$1400+ <br \/>\n\/month<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Small business, ecommerce<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">No<\/td><td class=\"column-6\">12; very simple functionality<\/td><td class=\"column-7\">Limited<\/td><td class=\"column-8\">Limited<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Friendbuy<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Simple widget<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">$249-$749+<br \/>\n\/month<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Ecommerce<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">No<\/td><td class=\"column-6\">24; only ecommerce tools<\/td><td class=\"column-7\">No<\/td><td class=\"column-8\">No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-57-no-2 from cache -->\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:table --><!-- \/wp:table -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading -->\r\n<h2>Wrapping up: Choosing the best referral marketing solution<\/h2>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Now that we\u2019ve taken a deep dive into the top five referral software tools on the market, you\u2019re ready to make an informed choice about the right referral marketing software for your business needs, start a successful referral program, and grow your customer base through this valuable form of word-of-mouth marketing.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><em>Referral Rock referral software works well for any business type and size, handles multi-step and other complex sales and reward processes, and smoothly integrates with the software you already use (including HubSpot and Salesforce). <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/\"><em>Learn more<\/em><\/a><em> or <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/demo\/\"><em>request a demo today.\u00a0<\/em><\/a><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- \/wp:post-content --><!-- \/wp:list -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list --><\/p>\r\n<ul><!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u201cReferralCandy is fast to set up, easy to use and their support team &#8211; especially my account manager &#8211; is fantastic.\u201d\u00a0 \u2013 Kate T.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>&#8220;We have used Referral Candy for a number of years. It is easy to install and has been a great eCommerce offering to have available.&#8221; \u2013 Tyler V.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n[\/su_note]\r\n<h3>Business fit<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>ReferralCandy&#8217;s customer referral platform is designed with medium to large ecommerce businesses in mind, and all its features and integrations are ecommerce-focused. If you\u2019re an ecommerce business, ReferralCandy may work well for you. But ReferralCandy isn\u2019t a good choice if you\u2019re a B2B, SaaS, or service business. And it can\u2019t handle multi-step sales processes.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customer service\/onboarding<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>ReferralCandy offers live chat support to answer any questions about your program. Premium plans enjoy an account manager and a quarterly campaign review, while Enterprise customers have access to custom analytics and a review with a consultant. ReferralCandy also offers a help center, referral program setup guide, and referral program checklist.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>It\u2019s important to note, though, that ReferralCandy isn\u2019t based in the US, so support may be limited during United States business hours.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Integrations<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>ReferralCandy integrates with 14 ecommerce platforms, including Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and BigCommerce. It also connects with a select few other apps, such as MailChimp, Klaviyo, Google Analytics, and some recurring payment apps.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>However, integrations beyond these platforms are limited, and some users say that ReferralCandy\u2019s integrations can be confusing to implement at first. Also, due to its ecommerce focus, ReferralCandy doesn\u2019t offer integrations with CRMs \u2013 it won\u2019t integrate with HubSpot or Salesforce.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Rewards<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>ReferralCandy lets you reward referring customers with any reward, including cash, store credits, and discount coupons. A custom reward option adds lots of flexibility in terms of the reward type.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>ReferralCandy can handle the simple give-and-get reward structure that\u2019s popular among ecommerce stores, and can pay out basic cash commissions. But it can\u2019t implement multi-step reward structures, tiered rewards, or recurring rewards.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customization<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>ReferralCandy is focused on the standard ecommerce referral widget. Customize your program with website widget and email templates based on best practices, and offer a referral experience that works equally well across desktop and mobile. Use the templates as they are or add your branding.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>But although there are lots of options to customize the look of the referral templates, the widget itself is very basic. You can only choose from a standard widget, pop-up, and embedded form, all limited to use on your website. And as we explained above, you can\u2019t choose any reward structure you wish.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Engagement<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>ReferralCandy can send automated emails immediately after customers purchase, or activate a pop-up right after customers check out, to encourage referrals when your business is top of mind. It can also send out promotional emails staggered for custom time frames. But advocates don\u2019t have a dedicated interface to track referrals on their end.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Dashboards and tracking<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>ReferralCandy lets you track the standard metrics, including the number of shares advocates make and which customers are responsible for which referrals. It also shows your revenue percentage that comes from these referrals, and a list of your top advocates, at a glance.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>In addition, an \u201cindustry benchmark\u201d tracks how well your program performs relative to other referral programs in the ecommerce space (we\u2019re guessing this is only based on programs that ReferralCandy runs, but it\u2019s hard to tell).\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Tracking of each referred customer only starts at the conversion, though, so data on your program\u2019s full impact is a bit limited.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Other notable features<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>ReferralCandy is Shopify Plus certified, so if you\u2019re a Shopify Plus partner, that may be worth noting.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Our take<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>ReferralCandy is very much tailored to the ecommerce space, so it might work for you if you have an online store. If you\u2019re a B2B, SaaS business, or service business, though, ReferralCandy is definitely not the right fit.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Another big thing to note with ReferralCandy is their unique pricing structure. If you choose one of their lower-priced plans, you won\u2019t just pay a flat monthly fee. ReferralCandy will also take a percentage commission <em>on the first three sales you generate through every referral <\/em>\u2013 and this can get expensive quickly. (You won\u2019t have to pay an added commission if you choose the Enterprise plan, but sources indicate it\u2019ll set you back nearly $48,000 per year.)<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading -->\r\n<h2>3. Extole<\/h2>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:image -->\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30642 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/extole-website.png\" alt=\"Extole website: Customer-led growth for marketers\" width=\"504\" height=\"652\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/extole-website.png 1097w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/extole-website-232x300.png 232w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/extole-website-791x1024.png 791w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 504px) 100vw, 504px\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/alternatives\/extole\/\">Extole<\/a> offers highly customizable referral software for the biggest businesses. You can tailor every single aspect of this turn-key solution to your business, and generate more engagement and sales as a result \u2013 that is, if you\u2019re able to afford the significant upfront cost.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<table style=\"border-color: #DCDCDC;\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\">\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr style=\"background-color: #f1f6f4;\">\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Pricing<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Free trial?<\/strong><b><\/b><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Review score (Capterra) <\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">Extole doesn\u2019t publish their pricing, but sources indicate it\u2019s upwards of $3500\/month<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">No<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">4.8 (24 reviews)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\">\r\n<p><strong>Top positive reviews:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list --><\/p>\r\n<ul><!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u201cOur account team ensures that this software basically runs itself. There is very little that we need to do on a daily basis to ensure success, and we&#8217;ve seen great results through our referral program.\u201d \u2013 Lindsey S.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u201cThe best part of Extole is the support you receive through every stage of the program. Someone is always there to answer your questions and help you make the most of their services\/ platform.\u201d \u2013 Julia S.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Business fit<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Based on its high pricing, it\u2019s clear that Extole is only meant for enterprise-level businesses. Extole doesn\u2019t publish its pricing, but our sources indicate that it will cost you over $42,000 per year to use the solution. Steer clear of Extole if you\u2019re a small, emerging, or medium-sized business.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customer service\/onboarding<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>As a turn-key solution, Extole offers dedicated account managers to help you design and launch your program, as well as maintain your program once it\u2019s live to improve conversions. But if you need quicker customer support at any point after launch, it appears that this is only available via email, not live chat.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Integrations<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Extole integrates with select SMS marketing tools, data platforms, and user-generated content tools, including Segment, Attentive, and Optimove.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>However, we couldn\u2019t find any information about whether it integrates with HubSpot, so HubSpot likely isn\u2019t supported. And while Extole does support Salesforce Commerce Cloud, it\u2019s unknown whether Extole integrates with Marketing Cloud, Pardot, or other Salesforce offerings. Some reviewers also report that the integrations Extole does offer can be frustrating to implement.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Rewards<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Extole lets you offer any rewards you desire, including points, discounts, free products, store credits, gift cards, and custom rewards. International currencies are also supported. And if you have multiple campaigns in place, you can use different rewards for each to see which ones work best for motivating referrals.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>We\u2019re unsure how well Extole can handle rewards for multi-step sales processes, though.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customization<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Extole offers plenty of ways to customize an enterprise referral program. Automatic audience discovery and real-time targeting help you find, and tailor the program to, your ideal customers. Plus, easily customize all aspects of the program\u2019s templates to fit your brand\u2019s visual identity and voice, and feed the program to customers at any touchpoint you wish.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Engagement<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Extole offers a \u201cburst\u201d feature where you can temporarily increase rewards to drive more engagement, along with strategic messaging features. And we imagine that the targeting features play a role in engagement as well, since targeting the right people at the right time increases the odds that they will refer. But it\u2019s hard to tell how much visibility advocates have on the status of their referrals.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Dashboards and tracking<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Extole offers plenty of data on advocates, including detailed segmentation and referral reporting, so you\u2019ll know exactly who your top advocates are. It also appears to pull data from social platforms for more information on how top advocates share.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Despite the largely detailed tracking, data on referred customers is limited, especially prior to a conversion. Also, some reviewers have shared that reporting can be a bit tedious.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Other notable features<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Extole allows customers to share specific products with their friends via referral links if they choose.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Our take<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Extole has the customization features you\u2019d expect from an enterprise, turn-key referral solution. But other customer referral platforms, such as Referral Rock, offer most of the same features as Extole for a fraction of the price.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Plus, there\u2019s no way to test out Extole\u2019s features or ease of use before you buy, since Extole doesn\u2019t offer a free trial. There\u2019s also no real division of paid plans (they don\u2019t offer an entry-level plan, and only have a single option at a very steep cost).\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading -->\r\n<h2>4. Referral Factory<\/h2>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:image -->\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30636 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/referral-factory-website.png\" alt=\"referral factory website: Plug and play software to build your own referral program\" width=\"665\" height=\"343\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/referral-factory-website.png 1258w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/referral-factory-website-300x155.png 300w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/referral-factory-website-1024x528.png 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 665px) 100vw, 665px\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/alternatives\/referral-factory\/\">Referral Factory<\/a> is a straightforward referral software based around templates \u2013 but you can also use it to build a simple referral program from the ground up. It\u2019s easy to use, as long as you\u2019re willing to sacrifice many of the advanced features that other software offers.<\/p>\r\n<table style=\"border-color: #DCDCDC;\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\">\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr style=\"background-color: #f1f6f4;\">\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Pricing<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Free trial?<\/strong><b><\/b><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Review score (Capterra) <\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">$95-$1400+ \/ month<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">15-day free trial<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">\u00a04.9 (97 reviews)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p><!-- \/wp:table -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\">\r\n<p><strong>Top positive reviews:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list --><\/p>\r\n<ul><!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u201cReferral Factory allows me to easily run a referral program for my ecommerce store without needing to hire a developer to add any code\u2026 I found a template for ecommerce which made it even easier to launch a referral program.\u201d \u2013 Chris S.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u201cReferral Factory makes it so simple to implement a referral program, especially for those of us who aren&#8217;t that tech-savvy.\u201d \u2013 Stacey V.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Business fit<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>With its basic structure and limited capabilities, Referral Factory is meant for businesses that want to design the simplest give-and-get referral program. It\u2019s accessible for small businesses and startups, although somewhat larger ecommerce businesses might do okay with it as well if they\u2019re planning to keep things extremely simple.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory can\u2019t handle multi-step sales processes, so rule it out if your business is structured that way. It also doesn\u2019t have enough features to work well for enterprises.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customer service\/onboarding<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory offers chat support and a self-service help center, with priority support available for higher plans. The company also hosts some webinars. But they don\u2019t offer an option to have a dedicated expert guide you through your program setup, launch, or management. Overall, their support and onboarding offerings seem limited.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Integrations<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory offers about a dozen simple integrations, including Intercom and Pipedrive. But these integrations seem very limited in scope. And although HubSpot and Salesforce integrations are available, these are very basic and might not be able to handle the processes you have in place. Plus, it looks like the only ecommerce platform it integrates with is WooCommerce (and not Shopify, Magento, or BigCommerce).\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Rewards<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory lets you give out Amazon gift cards, PayPal payments, and digital Visa or Mastercard rewards. You can also configure discount, store credit, or free product rewards tied back to your own store.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>However, the reward structures are very limited. You won\u2019t be able to use any complex reward structures with Referral Factory. So, if you\u2019re planning on using a multi-step or tiered reward system \u2013 or anything beyond the most basic give-and-get structure \u2013 you\u2019ll need to choose a different referral software.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customization<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory is based around templates that you can customize. Start with the template, then add your brand\u2019s visuals, colors, and text to your liking. You can also offer any of over 10 sharing options for customers to use to refer friends.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>But even though there are over a thousand templates available, you still might not find one that works for your business needs. These templates are all very basic. And sometimes, the templates can be difficult to customize.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Engagement<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory offers reminder email and notification features to drive engagement with the program. But it\u2019s unclear what automation options are connected to these features. And Referral Factory lacks a dedicated member portal, so customers are left in the dark about the status of their referrals.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Dashboards and tracking<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory offers a fairly easy-to-use tracking dashboard. But it only tracks the simplest elements, like referrals\u2019 status, conversion rates, and who sent which referral. For more robust tracking, you should choose a different solution.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Other notable features<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Some of the Referral Factory templates are meant to closely mimic the features that made top referral programs, like the Dropbox and Uber referral programs, successful.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Our take<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory\u2019s fast setup and low price point may seem attractive, especially to small businesses and startups. But its features, integrations, and support are all very limited. Other solutions (like Referral Rock) offer plenty more features, can handle complex sales processes, have a robust suite of full integrations, and are overall a much better choice for established businesses.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading -->\r\n<h2>5. Friendbuy<\/h2>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:image -->\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30637 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/friendbuy-website.png\" alt=\"friendbuy website: Get more out of every customer with best in class referral and loyalty programs\" width=\"691\" height=\"433\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/friendbuy-website.png 1289w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/friendbuy-website-300x188.png 300w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/friendbuy-website-1024x642.png 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 691px) 100vw, 691px\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/alternatives\/friendbuy\/\">Friendbuy<\/a> offers a referral program widget tailored for ecommerce businesses, designed for placing a simple give-and-get program on your website to gain new customers through friends\u2019 shares. Its functionality is relatively similar to ReferralCandy\u2019s, although you won\u2019t have to pay extra commission fees.<\/p>\r\n<table style=\"border-color: #DCDCDC;\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\">\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr style=\"background-color: #f1f6f4;\">\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Pricing<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Free trial?<\/strong><b><\/b><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Review score (Capterra) <\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">$249-$749\/month; enterprise plan also available<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">30-day free trial<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">4.2 (5 reviews)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p><!-- \/wp:table -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\">\r\n<p><strong>Top positive reviews:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list --><\/p>\r\n<ul><!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u201cIt&#8217;s an easy way to incentivize and encourage customers to spread the word and refer your brand. And easy to use on the customer&#8217;s end also, for both those referring your brand and those receiving the referral.\u201d \u2013Erin L.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u201cI really like that you can see the Facebook feed of what people are saying when they share the referral link\u2026 It&#8217;s easy to use and having the widget on our website makes a lot of sense. Our customers benefit and we benefit.\u201d \u2013Anonymous verified reviewer<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Business fit<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy is clearly an ecommerce referral solution \u2013 it\u2019s only meant for online stores with a simple transaction structure. If you have any other type of business, it probably won\u2019t work for you, especially since it isn\u2019t designed to handle multi-step sales processes.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customer service\/onboarding<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy\u2019s primary form of support is via email. (There\u2019s no live chat option, and some reviewers warn that you may have to wait a while for an email response). You can also use a self-service help center. There are white-glove support options and a tailored onboarding package available, but only on the enterprise plan.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Integrations<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy offers several integrations, including Stripe, Chargebee, Klaviyo, and Attentive. But these integrations are limited to ecommerce-focused options. There\u2019s no option for integration with HubSpot, Salesforce, or any other CRM. And surprisingly, the only ecommerce platform we could find on the Friendbuy integration list is Shopify.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>It\u2019s also important to note that not all integrations are available on all plans. Some integrations are only available to enterprise plan users.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Rewards<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy lets you offer, and automate the fulfillment of, nearly any type of reward via a simple give-and-get structure. Since it\u2019s widget-based, though, you won\u2019t be able to modify the program to fit your needs if you\u2019d like to use a more complex reward setup (like a tiered or multi-step rewards program).<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customization<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>As long as you stay within Friendbuy\u2019s widget structure, you\u2019ll be able to customize the program for your business. Use the copy, design, and visuals of your choice to create a professional, on-brand referral program.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>But beyond the design aspect, customization is limited since you\u2019ll need to stay in the boundaries of the template. And you\u2019ll only be able to place the program on your website using the widget (you can\u2019t put it in a customer portal or host it outside your site).\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Engagement<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy does offer a dashboard where advocates can track the status of their referrals, so that\u2019s a positive for engagement. We couldn\u2019t find any information on whether they offer automated promotional emails or notifications, though.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Dashboards and tracking<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy\u2019s dashboard lets you track a wide variety of metrics, including shares, purchases, and referral revenue, which you can then examine by channel or by date. There\u2019s also a dedicated dashboard for A\/B testing different program layouts and comparing the results.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Other notable features<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy also offers a customer loyalty program. But loyalty programs only encourage your existing customers to stay with you \u2013 they don\u2019t boost customer acquisition and retention simultaneously, like referral programs do. And the loyalty program only comes with the enterprise plan.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Our take<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy may work well for you if you\u2019re in the ecommerce sector, but it\u2019s not the right choice if you have any other type of business. And even if you\u2019re an ecommerce business, the plans seem fairly expensive for only offering a limited, widget-based solution.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<h2>Evaluating a referral software platform<\/h2>\r\n<p>When deciding on the best referral marketing software, you&#8217;ll need to evaluate it based on the key criteria we&#8217;ve used throughout this article. Here&#8217;s what to consider in detail, and why it&#8217;s important.<\/p>\r\n<h3>Business fit<\/h3>\r\n<p>What types of businesses does the referral software work well for (e.g. B2B, SaaS, ecommerce)? Which types of businesses are <em>not <\/em>a good fit for the referral marketing platform?<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Many referral software choices only work for ecommerce businesses, but some are robust enough to meet the needs of B2Bs and other businesses that have longer sales processes.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h3>Customer service\/onboarding<\/h3>\r\n<p>Does the software offer expert onboarding specialists or customer success managers to guide you through the launch and management of your program? How does the support process work?<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Referral marketing is distinct from other forms of marketing \u2013 not all marketers know all the pieces needed for success. <\/em><em>You\u2019ll probably need help setting up your referral program based on best practices, as well as integrating it with existing processes and software you have in your marketing stack. <\/em><\/p>\r\n<p><em>So, it\u2019s best to proceed with guidance from referral marketing experts, who have all the knowledge you need to make your program successful. <\/em><em>The more concierge the support, the better, as it will be tailored to your unique business needs. You\u2019ll also want options to reach out to product support and get answers quickly, in case you have urgent questions.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h3>Integrations<\/h3>\r\n<p>Is the referral software compatible with the tools you already use to manage your marketing and sales campaigns? For instance, does it offer HubSpot and\/or Salesforce integrations?<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Third-party integrations\u00a0are key for connecting your referral software with all your other marketing and sales tools, so it passes information between all your tools smoothly and automatically. <\/em><em>They can help automate your program, connect it with your CRM, send out email promotions to drive engagement and handle reward payouts.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h3>Rewards<\/h3>\r\n<p>What types of referral incentives can the software handle? Is the software compatible with multi-step reward structures, or does it only handle the simple \u201cgive and get\u201d structure?<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Make sure the referral software is flexible enough to manage any reward structure you wish, especially if you want a multi-step or tiered system. There aren\u2019t many referral software programs that can manage complex rewards structures.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h3>Customization<\/h3>\r\n<p>What features help you brand the referral program to your business and customize it according to your unique needs?\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Customization is how you make the program your own, but many referral software tools only offer basic widgets with purely visual customization options. <\/em><\/p>\r\n<p><em>If you want a customizable referral program beyond a basic website widget, and want to serve your customers the program on a variety of touchpoints, make sure the referral software you choose is flexible enough to meet those needs.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h3>Engagement<\/h3>\r\n<p>Does the software solution have automated features that encourage customers to stay engaged with your program and continue to make referrals? If so, what engagement features are available?<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Customers who continue making referrals are key to growth. Automated engagement features make it much easier to motivate customers to keep sending new leads your way.<\/em><\/p>\r\n<p><em>Some engagement features may include automated emails and notifications, and a dashboard where customers can keep track of the referrals they make.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h3>Dashboards and tracking<\/h3>\r\n<p>What data does the software track, and how robust is that data? How easy is it to access the referral tracking data you need via the program\u2019s dashboards?<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Like with all marketing campaigns, measuring your program\u2019s success is essential to determining your ROI.<\/em><\/p>\r\n<p><em>Some referral software only tracks basic metrics like shares, conversion rates and referral revenue. But other referral software options give you detailed metrics for a fuller picture of your program\u2019s impact, such as customer engagement and brand awareness generated by the program.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading -->\r\n<h2>Comparing the top 5 referral software platforms at a glance<\/h2>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Still trying to figure out which referral software to use? Compare our featured platforms in the table below:<\/p>\r\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-57-no-3\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-57\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><\/td><th class=\"column-2\">Type<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Pricing<\/th><th class=\"column-4\">Business fit <\/th><th class=\"column-5\">Multi-step rewards and sales processes?<\/th><th class=\"column-6\">Integrations<\/th><th class=\"column-7\">HubSpot support?<\/th><th class=\"column-8\">Salesforce support?<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Referral Rock<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Comprehensive<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">$200-$800 <br \/>\n\/month<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Any business (B2B, SaaS, ecommerce, B2C, service business, small business, enterprise)<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">Yes<\/td><td class=\"column-6\">30+ for all businesses<\/td><td class=\"column-7\">Yes<\/td><td class=\"column-8\">Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>ReferralCandy<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Simple widget<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">$47- $299+ <br \/>\n\/month (plus commissions)<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Ecommerce<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">No<\/td><td class=\"column-6\">14; only ecommerce platforms<\/td><td class=\"column-7\">No<\/td><td class=\"column-8\">No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Extole<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">White-label<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Unknown<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Enterprise<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">Unknown<\/td><td class=\"column-6\">11<\/td><td class=\"column-7\">No<\/td><td class=\"column-8\">Limited<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Referral Factory<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Simple widget<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">$95-$1400+ <br \/>\n\/month<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Small business, ecommerce<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">No<\/td><td class=\"column-6\">12; very simple functionality<\/td><td class=\"column-7\">Limited<\/td><td class=\"column-8\">Limited<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Friendbuy<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Simple widget<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">$249-$749+<br \/>\n\/month<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Ecommerce<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">No<\/td><td class=\"column-6\">24; only ecommerce tools<\/td><td class=\"column-7\">No<\/td><td class=\"column-8\">No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-57-no-3 from cache -->\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:table --><!-- \/wp:table -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading -->\r\n<h2>Wrapping up: Choosing the best referral marketing solution<\/h2>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Now that we\u2019ve taken a deep dive into the top five referral software tools on the market, you\u2019re ready to make an informed choice about the right referral marketing software for your business needs, start a successful referral program, and grow your customer base through this valuable form of word-of-mouth marketing.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><em>Referral Rock referral software works well for any business type and size, handles multi-step and other complex sales and reward processes, and smoothly integrates with the software you already use (including HubSpot and Salesforce). <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/\"><em>Learn more<\/em><\/a><em> or <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/demo\/\"><em>request a demo today.\u00a0<\/em><\/a><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- \/wp:post-content --><!-- \/wp:list -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list --><\/p>\r\n<ul><!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u201cOur account manager was incredible in getting us fully set up and live within less than a week! Referral Rock has every feature you can need in a referral program.\u201d \u2013 Emily H.<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u00a0\u201cThe best part of the experience is how helpful our brilliant onboarding rep is. He is helpful at all hours, via phone or email, and it&#8217;s made all the difference.The reporting, analytics, tracking, and customization are what make this software great.\u201d \u2013Brittany M.<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u201cReferral Rock&#8217;s Hubspot connection is unlike anything on the market that I&#8217;ve seen (at this price point).\u201d \u2013Julia P.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n[\/su_note]\r\n<h3>Business fit<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Rock is one of the few referral software options that works for any type of business \u2013 not just ecommerce. Whether you\u2019re a B2B, SaaS, ecommerce store, B2C, service business, or another type of company, Referral Rock will meet your needs thanks to its diverse customization options.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Our software is compatible with businesses that use multi-step sales processes, so it\u2019ll work for you even if you don\u2019t use a simple transactional structure. And Referral Rock has helped businesses of all sizes track and grow their word of mouth, from small businesses to enterprises.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customer service\/onboarding<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Rock\u2019s onboarding specialists and expert services will give you everything you need to set your program up for success. Our expertise from 1,000+ programs across different industries guarantees you launch faster and drive better results:<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list -->\r\n<ul><!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>An expert onboarding specialist guides you through the process of designing, integrating, launching, and optimizing your program, with detailed 1-on-1 guidance. Get support for all the integrations you need, and learn how to create a program that follows all best practices, for maximum growth.<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>Rapid-response product support is included with all plans \u2013 instantly chat with our support specialists to solve immediate needs, or receive tailored async video guidance.<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>A dedicated success manager provides ongoing audits and detailed check-ins for Established Business and Enterprise customers, so you\u2019ll always know the actions you should take to scale.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>Enjoy our comprehensive library of self-service product education resources, including integration docs, a product support center, webinars, and video guides.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item --><\/ul>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Integrations<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Rock offers a robust suite of integrations for all businesses \u2013 both B2B and B2C \u2013 so it aligns with the essential tools you\u2019re already using to successfully automate your program. We integrate with the Hubspot, Salesforce, and Zoho CRMs, as well as several ecommerce platforms (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, BigCommerce, and more).\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Automate your processes by integrating with several marketing automation tools, instantly issue cash back and other rewards through billing and payment tools, and sync up with email marketing software to improve program engagement.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Plus, integrate your referral capture and sales processes with Zapier to instantly add new referrals as leads to your CRM, and fully automate your referral program from start to finish.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>We also offer API integration for maximum flexibility. And Referral Rock doesn\u2019t stop there \u2013 we integrate with even more software programs that we haven\u2019t mentioned. <a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/integrations\/\">See all our integrations here.<\/a><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Rewards<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Rock is flexible enough to work with any reward structure you wish, including multi-step structures (where customers are rewarded for their referrals at different stages of the sales process, such as when their leads are qualified, when their leads make their first purchase, and when their leads renew their subscription).\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>We can also handle:\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list -->\r\n<ul><!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>Tiered structures (where customers earn rewards that increase in value when they hit milestone numbers of successful referrals)<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>Commission payouts (where advocates earn a percentage of all their referrals\u2019 purchases, paid out in cash)<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>Recurring structures (where rewards are paid out repeatedly if an advocate meets certain criteria)<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>Referral contests (where the person who makes the most referrals in a given period gets a bonus reward)<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>Referral drawings (where referrals earn entries into a drawing for a bigger reward, in addition to the guaranteed reward for every referral)<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item --><\/ul>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>And if you\u2019d like to run a simple give-and-get program for your online store (including one where both the advocate and new customer get rewards), we can easily handle that as well.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>As for reward types, choose from any reward that your customers will love, whether that\u2019s cash back, store credits, free products, gift cards, PayPal payments, ACH credits, charitable donations, or a completely custom reward. Instantly and automatically issue rewards whenever they\u2019re earned, for maximum customer satisfaction.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customization<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>In addition to the reward customization, Referral Rock offers plenty of options to customize your referral program to fit your needs, and provide a consistent, on-brand experience. Build your referral program into any touchpoints across your website, email marketing, mobile apps, and more. Create a referral landing page or pop-up, or add the referral feature to your customer dashboard.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Our visual editor lets you easily personalize your program\u2019s copy, visuals, messaging, and more to match your brand\u2019s look and feel. Plus, enjoy custom branding across all your assets, choose the channels you\u2019d like your customers to share their referral links on, and decide whether advocates will send messages of your choice or write their own.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Engagement<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Rock helps you automate program promotions, so you can keep motivating your customers to share and share often. Keep them in the loop with instant notifications, and send automated email campaigns to ensure your program stays top of mind. You can also create customer segments to personalize your messaging for maximum engagement. Plus, reach customers when they\u2019re primed to refer \u2013 email personalized, automatic invitations to share based on select events or actions taken by your brand fans, such as after a purchase, after a renewal, or after a positive review or comment.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>In addition, a dedicated portal gives advocates full visibility on the status of their referrals, so they know exactly how and when their sharing translates into rewards. When advocates know their referrals\u2019 impact, this encourages them to refer again and again.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Plus, thanks to an \u201cEngaged Members\u201d metric, you\u2019ll always know which customers who have used your program are actively making referrals.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Dashboards and tracking<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Rock is the only referral platform to automate and track every step of the referral lifecycle, from first share to multiple conversions. So, it\u2019s easy to track your results and impact faster, and reap a positive ROI.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Measure brand awareness and brand visits motivated by the program for every individual referral, before a referral even converts \u2013 with all visits attributed to the advocate who sent the referral. Then, get detailed data on how often referrals convert and who sent them.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Keep track of how many current customers actively engage with your program, and how frequently they send referrals. See every detail of your advocates\u2019 sharing via a robust dashboard, find your best promoters, and get all the data you need to optimize your program.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Plus, use A\/B testing to track the success of different campaigns, messages, and channels to see what&#8217;s most effective; download detailed reports; integrate Google Analytics to track, compare, and optimize for different marketing channels, and add your own Javascript snippets for advanced tracking and analytics.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Other notable features<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Rock\u2019s fraud detection features flag suspicious referral activity, so it\u2019s easy to stop anyone who tries to game the system \u2013 and protect your bottom line.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Also, Referral Rock is highly flexible. If you\u2019re interested in running any other type of advocacy program (such as an ambassador program, affiliate program, partnership program, or employee referral program) Referral Rock can run these types of programs as well.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Our take<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Rock offers a robust suite of features that lets any business customize a referral marketing program for their exact needs.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>The support for multi-step sales processes and rewards means it\u2019s a great choice for businesses with longer and more detailed sales structures, like B2Bs and SaaS businesses. Plus, the customization options, integrations, and price points make it a highly competitive choice for ecommerce and B2C businesses as well. And you have the flexibility to run an affiliate marketing program as well \u2013 or switch from the referral to the affiliate model as your business grows.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>\u00a0But don\u2019t just take our word for it \u2013 review sites like Capterra publish high ratings for customer service, features, and fair pricing.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading -->\r\n<h2>2. ReferralCandy<\/h2>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:image -->\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30634 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/referral-candy-website.png\" alt=\"ReferralCandy website: Grow your sales by word of mouth marketing.\" width=\"696\" height=\"386\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/referral-candy-website.png 1146w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/referral-candy-website-300x166.png 300w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/referral-candy-website-1024x568.png 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/alternatives\/referralcandy\/\">ReferralCandy<\/a> is one of the veteran ecommerce referral solutions available. Design a give-and-get referral program for your online store using their referral widget, and gain new customers through your existing customers\u2019 recommendations.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<table style=\"border-color: #DCDCDC;\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\">\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr style=\"background-color: #f1f6f4;\">\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Pricing<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Free trial?<\/strong><b><\/b><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Review score (Capterra) <\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">$47-$299+ month (not including commissions; enterprise plan also available)<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">30-day free trial<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">4.5 (324 reviews)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} --><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\">\r\n<p><strong>Top positive reviews:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list --><\/p>\r\n<ul><!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u201cReferralCandy is fast to set up, easy to use and their support team &#8211; especially my account manager &#8211; is fantastic.\u201d\u00a0 \u2013 Kate T.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>&#8220;We have used Referral Candy for a number of years. It is easy to install and has been a great eCommerce offering to have available.&#8221; \u2013 Tyler V.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n<h3>Business fit<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>ReferralCandy&#8217;s customer referral platform is designed with medium to large ecommerce businesses in mind, and all its features and integrations are ecommerce-focused. If you\u2019re an ecommerce business, ReferralCandy may work well for you. But ReferralCandy isn\u2019t a good choice if you\u2019re a B2B, SaaS, or service business. And it can\u2019t handle multi-step sales processes.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customer service\/onboarding<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>ReferralCandy offers live chat support to answer any questions about your program. Premium plans enjoy an account manager and a quarterly campaign review, while Enterprise customers have access to custom analytics and a review with a consultant. ReferralCandy also offers a help center, referral program setup guide, and referral program checklist.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>It\u2019s important to note, though, that ReferralCandy isn\u2019t based in the US, so support may be limited during United States business hours.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Integrations<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>ReferralCandy integrates with 14 ecommerce platforms, including Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and BigCommerce. It also connects with a select few other apps, such as MailChimp, Klaviyo, Google Analytics, and some recurring payment apps.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>However, integrations beyond these platforms are limited, and some users say that ReferralCandy\u2019s integrations can be confusing to implement at first. Also, due to its ecommerce focus, ReferralCandy doesn\u2019t offer integrations with CRMs \u2013 it won\u2019t integrate with HubSpot or Salesforce.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Rewards<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>ReferralCandy lets you reward referring customers with any reward, including cash, store credits, and discount coupons. A custom reward option adds lots of flexibility in terms of the reward type.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>ReferralCandy can handle the simple give-and-get reward structure that\u2019s popular among ecommerce stores, and can pay out basic cash commissions. But it can\u2019t implement multi-step reward structures, tiered rewards, or recurring rewards.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customization<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>ReferralCandy is focused on the standard ecommerce referral widget. Customize your program with website widget and email templates based on best practices, and offer a referral experience that works equally well across desktop and mobile. Use the templates as they are or add your branding.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>But although there are lots of options to customize the look of the referral templates, the widget itself is very basic. You can only choose from a standard widget, pop-up, and embedded form, all limited to use on your website. And as we explained above, you can\u2019t choose any reward structure you wish.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Engagement<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>ReferralCandy can send automated emails immediately after customers purchase, or activate a pop-up right after customers check out, to encourage referrals when your business is top of mind. It can also send out promotional emails staggered for custom time frames. But advocates don\u2019t have a dedicated interface to track referrals on their end.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Dashboards and tracking<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>ReferralCandy lets you track the standard metrics, including the number of shares advocates make and which customers are responsible for which referrals. It also shows your revenue percentage that comes from these referrals, and a list of your top advocates, at a glance.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>In addition, an \u201cindustry benchmark\u201d tracks how well your program performs relative to other referral programs in the ecommerce space (we\u2019re guessing this is only based on programs that ReferralCandy runs, but it\u2019s hard to tell).\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Tracking of each referred customer only starts at the conversion, though, so data on your program\u2019s full impact is a bit limited.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Other notable features<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>ReferralCandy is Shopify Plus certified, so if you\u2019re a Shopify Plus partner, that may be worth noting.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Our take<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>ReferralCandy is very much tailored to the ecommerce space, so it might work for you if you have an online store. If you\u2019re a B2B, SaaS business, or service business, though, ReferralCandy is definitely not the right fit.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Another big thing to note with ReferralCandy is their unique pricing structure. If you choose one of their lower-priced plans, you won\u2019t just pay a flat monthly fee. ReferralCandy will also take a percentage commission <em>on the first three sales you generate through every referral <\/em>\u2013 and this can get expensive quickly. (You won\u2019t have to pay an added commission if you choose the Enterprise plan, but sources indicate it\u2019ll set you back nearly $48,000 per year.)<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading -->\r\n<h2>3. Extole<\/h2>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:image -->\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30642 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/extole-website.png\" alt=\"Extole website: Customer-led growth for marketers\" width=\"504\" height=\"652\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/extole-website.png 1097w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/extole-website-232x300.png 232w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/extole-website-791x1024.png 791w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 504px) 100vw, 504px\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/alternatives\/extole\/\">Extole<\/a> offers highly customizable referral software for the biggest businesses. You can tailor every single aspect of this turn-key solution to your business, and generate more engagement and sales as a result \u2013 that is, if you\u2019re able to afford the significant upfront cost.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<table style=\"border-color: #DCDCDC;\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\">\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr style=\"background-color: #f1f6f4;\">\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Pricing<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Free trial?<\/strong><b><\/b><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Review score (Capterra) <\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">Extole doesn\u2019t publish their pricing, but sources indicate it\u2019s upwards of $3500\/month<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">No<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">4.8 (24 reviews)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p><!-- \/wp:table -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\">\r\n<p><strong>Top positive reviews:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list --><\/p>\r\n<ul><!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u201cOur account team ensures that this software basically runs itself. There is very little that we need to do on a daily basis to ensure success, and we&#8217;ve seen great results through our referral program.\u201d \u2013 Lindsey S.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u201cThe best part of Extole is the support you receive through every stage of the program. Someone is always there to answer your questions and help you make the most of their services\/ platform.\u201d \u2013 Julia S.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Business fit<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Based on its high pricing, it\u2019s clear that Extole is only meant for enterprise-level businesses. Extole doesn\u2019t publish its pricing, but our sources indicate that it will cost you over $42,000 per year to use the solution. Steer clear of Extole if you\u2019re a small, emerging, or medium-sized business.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customer service\/onboarding<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>As a turn-key solution, Extole offers dedicated account managers to help you design and launch your program, as well as maintain your program once it\u2019s live to improve conversions. But if you need quicker customer support at any point after launch, it appears that this is only available via email, not live chat.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Integrations<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Extole integrates with select SMS marketing tools, data platforms, and user-generated content tools, including Segment, Attentive, and Optimove.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>However, we couldn\u2019t find any information about whether it integrates with HubSpot, so HubSpot likely isn\u2019t supported. And while Extole does support Salesforce Commerce Cloud, it\u2019s unknown whether Extole integrates with Marketing Cloud, Pardot, or other Salesforce offerings. Some reviewers also report that the integrations Extole does offer can be frustrating to implement.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Rewards<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Extole lets you offer any rewards you desire, including points, discounts, free products, store credits, gift cards, and custom rewards. International currencies are also supported. And if you have multiple campaigns in place, you can use different rewards for each to see which ones work best for motivating referrals.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>We\u2019re unsure how well Extole can handle rewards for multi-step sales processes, though.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customization<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Extole offers plenty of ways to customize an enterprise referral program. Automatic audience discovery and real-time targeting help you find, and tailor the program to, your ideal customers. Plus, easily customize all aspects of the program\u2019s templates to fit your brand\u2019s visual identity and voice, and feed the program to customers at any touchpoint you wish.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Engagement<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Extole offers a \u201cburst\u201d feature where you can temporarily increase rewards to drive more engagement, along with strategic messaging features. And we imagine that the targeting features play a role in engagement as well, since targeting the right people at the right time increases the odds that they will refer. But it\u2019s hard to tell how much visibility advocates have on the status of their referrals.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Dashboards and tracking<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Extole offers plenty of data on advocates, including detailed segmentation and referral reporting, so you\u2019ll know exactly who your top advocates are. It also appears to pull data from social platforms for more information on how top advocates share.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Despite the largely detailed tracking, data on referred customers is limited, especially prior to a conversion. Also, some reviewers have shared that reporting can be a bit tedious.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Other notable features<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Extole allows customers to share specific products with their friends via referral links if they choose.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Our take<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Extole has the customization features you\u2019d expect from an enterprise, turn-key referral solution. But other customer referral platforms, such as Referral Rock, offer most of the same features as Extole for a fraction of the price.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Plus, there\u2019s no way to test out Extole\u2019s features or ease of use before you buy, since Extole doesn\u2019t offer a free trial. There\u2019s also no real division of paid plans (they don\u2019t offer an entry-level plan, and only have a single option at a very steep cost).\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading -->\r\n<h2>4. Referral Factory<\/h2>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:image -->\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30636 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/referral-factory-website.png\" alt=\"referral factory website: Plug and play software to build your own referral program\" width=\"665\" height=\"343\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/referral-factory-website.png 1258w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/referral-factory-website-300x155.png 300w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/referral-factory-website-1024x528.png 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 665px) 100vw, 665px\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/alternatives\/referral-factory\/\">Referral Factory<\/a> is a straightforward referral software based around templates \u2013 but you can also use it to build a simple referral program from the ground up. It\u2019s easy to use, as long as you\u2019re willing to sacrifice many of the advanced features that other software offers.<\/p>\r\n<table style=\"border-color: #DCDCDC;\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\">\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr style=\"background-color: #f1f6f4;\">\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Pricing<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Free trial?<\/strong><b><\/b><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Review score (Capterra) <\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">$95-$1400+ \/ month<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">15-day free trial<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">\u00a04.9 (97 reviews)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p><!-- \/wp:table -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\">\r\n<p><strong>Top positive reviews:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list --><\/p>\r\n<ul><!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u201cReferral Factory allows me to easily run a referral program for my ecommerce store without needing to hire a developer to add any code\u2026 I found a template for ecommerce which made it even easier to launch a referral program.\u201d \u2013 Chris S.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u201cReferral Factory makes it so simple to implement a referral program, especially for those of us who aren&#8217;t that tech-savvy.\u201d \u2013 Stacey V.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Business fit<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>With its basic structure and limited capabilities, Referral Factory is meant for businesses that want to design the simplest give-and-get referral program. It\u2019s accessible for small businesses and startups, although somewhat larger ecommerce businesses might do okay with it as well if they\u2019re planning to keep things extremely simple.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory can\u2019t handle multi-step sales processes, so rule it out if your business is structured that way. It also doesn\u2019t have enough features to work well for enterprises.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customer service\/onboarding<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory offers chat support and a self-service help center, with priority support available for higher plans. The company also hosts some webinars. But they don\u2019t offer an option to have a dedicated expert guide you through your program setup, launch, or management. Overall, their support and onboarding offerings seem limited.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Integrations<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory offers about a dozen simple integrations, including Intercom and Pipedrive. But these integrations seem very limited in scope. And although HubSpot and Salesforce integrations are available, these are very basic and might not be able to handle the processes you have in place. Plus, it looks like the only ecommerce platform it integrates with is WooCommerce (and not Shopify, Magento, or BigCommerce).\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Rewards<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory lets you give out Amazon gift cards, PayPal payments, and digital Visa or Mastercard rewards. You can also configure discount, store credit, or free product rewards tied back to your own store.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>However, the reward structures are very limited. You won\u2019t be able to use any complex reward structures with Referral Factory. So, if you\u2019re planning on using a multi-step or tiered reward system \u2013 or anything beyond the most basic give-and-get structure \u2013 you\u2019ll need to choose a different referral software.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customization<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory is based around templates that you can customize. Start with the template, then add your brand\u2019s visuals, colors, and text to your liking. You can also offer any of over 10 sharing options for customers to use to refer friends.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>But even though there are over a thousand templates available, you still might not find one that works for your business needs. These templates are all very basic. And sometimes, the templates can be difficult to customize.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Engagement<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory offers reminder email and notification features to drive engagement with the program. But it\u2019s unclear what automation options are connected to these features. And Referral Factory lacks a dedicated member portal, so customers are left in the dark about the status of their referrals.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Dashboards and tracking<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory offers a fairly easy-to-use tracking dashboard. But it only tracks the simplest elements, like referrals\u2019 status, conversion rates, and who sent which referral. For more robust tracking, you should choose a different solution.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Other notable features<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Some of the Referral Factory templates are meant to closely mimic the features that made top referral programs, like the Dropbox and Uber referral programs, successful.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Our take<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Referral Factory\u2019s fast setup and low price point may seem attractive, especially to small businesses and startups. But its features, integrations, and support are all very limited. Other solutions (like Referral Rock) offer plenty more features, can handle complex sales processes, have a robust suite of full integrations, and are overall a much better choice for established businesses.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading -->\r\n<h2>5. Friendbuy<\/h2>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:image -->\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30637 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/friendbuy-website.png\" alt=\"friendbuy website: Get more out of every customer with best in class referral and loyalty programs\" width=\"691\" height=\"433\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/friendbuy-website.png 1289w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/friendbuy-website-300x188.png 300w, https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/friendbuy-website-1024x642.png 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 691px) 100vw, 691px\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/alternatives\/friendbuy\/\">Friendbuy<\/a> offers a referral program widget tailored for ecommerce businesses, designed for placing a simple give-and-get program on your website to gain new customers through friends\u2019 shares. Its functionality is relatively similar to ReferralCandy\u2019s, although you won\u2019t have to pay extra commission fees.<\/p>\r\n<table style=\"border-color: #DCDCDC;\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\">\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr style=\"background-color: #f1f6f4;\">\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Pricing<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Free trial?<\/strong><b><\/b><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Review score (Capterra) <\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">$249-$749\/month; enterprise plan also available<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">30-day free trial<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 25%; text-align: center;\">4.2 (5 reviews)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p><!-- \/wp:table -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\">\r\n<p><strong>Top positive reviews:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list --><\/p>\r\n<ul><!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u201cIt&#8217;s an easy way to incentivize and encourage customers to spread the word and refer your brand. And easy to use on the customer&#8217;s end also, for both those referring your brand and those receiving the referral.\u201d \u2013Erin L.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\r\n<li>\u201cI really like that you can see the Facebook feed of what people are saying when they share the referral link\u2026 It&#8217;s easy to use and having the widget on our website makes a lot of sense. Our customers benefit and we benefit.\u201d \u2013Anonymous verified reviewer<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:list -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Business fit<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy is clearly an ecommerce referral solution \u2013 it\u2019s only meant for online stores with a simple transaction structure. If you have any other type of business, it probably won\u2019t work for you, especially since it isn\u2019t designed to handle multi-step sales processes.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customer service\/onboarding<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy\u2019s primary form of support is via email. (There\u2019s no live chat option, and some reviewers warn that you may have to wait a while for an email response). You can also use a self-service help center. There are white-glove support options and a tailored onboarding package available, but only on the enterprise plan.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Integrations<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy offers several integrations, including Stripe, Chargebee, Klaviyo, and Attentive. But these integrations are limited to ecommerce-focused options. There\u2019s no option for integration with HubSpot, Salesforce, or any other CRM. And surprisingly, the only ecommerce platform we could find on the Friendbuy integration list is Shopify.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>It\u2019s also important to note that not all integrations are available on all plans. Some integrations are only available to enterprise plan users.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Rewards<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy lets you offer, and automate the fulfillment of, nearly any type of reward via a simple give-and-get structure. Since it\u2019s widget-based, though, you won\u2019t be able to modify the program to fit your needs if you\u2019d like to use a more complex reward setup (like a tiered or multi-step rewards program).<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Customization<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>As long as you stay within Friendbuy\u2019s widget structure, you\u2019ll be able to customize the program for your business. Use the copy, design, and visuals of your choice to create a professional, on-brand referral program.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>But beyond the design aspect, customization is limited since you\u2019ll need to stay in the boundaries of the template. And you\u2019ll only be able to place the program on your website using the widget (you can\u2019t put it in a customer portal or host it outside your site).\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Engagement<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy does offer a dashboard where advocates can track the status of their referrals, so that\u2019s a positive for engagement. We couldn\u2019t find any information on whether they offer automated promotional emails or notifications, though.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Dashboards and tracking<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy\u2019s dashboard lets you track a wide variety of metrics, including shares, purchases, and referral revenue, which you can then examine by channel or by date. There\u2019s also a dedicated dashboard for A\/B testing different program layouts and comparing the results.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Other notable features<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy also offers a customer loyalty program. But loyalty programs only encourage your existing customers to stay with you \u2013 they don\u2019t boost customer acquisition and retention simultaneously, like referral programs do. And the loyalty program only comes with the enterprise plan.<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3>Our take<\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Friendbuy may work well for you if you\u2019re in the ecommerce sector, but it\u2019s not the right choice if you have any other type of business. And even if you\u2019re an ecommerce business, the plans seem fairly expensive for only offering a limited, widget-based solution.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<h2>Evaluating a referral software platform<\/h2>\r\n<p>When deciding on the best referral marketing software, you&#8217;ll need to evaluate it based on the key criteria we&#8217;ve used throughout this article. Here&#8217;s what to consider in detail, and why it&#8217;s important.<\/p>\r\n<h3>Business fit<\/h3>\r\n<p>What types of businesses does the referral software work well for (e.g. B2B, SaaS, ecommerce)? Which types of businesses are <em>not <\/em>a good fit for the referral marketing platform?<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Many referral software choices only work for ecommerce businesses, but some are robust enough to meet the needs of B2Bs and other businesses that have longer sales processes.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h3>Customer service\/onboarding<\/h3>\r\n<p>Does the software offer expert onboarding specialists or customer success managers to guide you through the launch and management of your program? How does the support process work?<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Referral marketing is distinct from other forms of marketing \u2013 not all marketers know all the pieces needed for success. <\/em><em>You\u2019ll probably need help setting up your referral program based on best practices, as well as integrating it with existing processes and software you have in your marketing stack. <\/em><\/p>\r\n<p><em>So, it\u2019s best to proceed with guidance from referral marketing experts, who have all the knowledge you need to make your program successful. <\/em><em>The more concierge the support, the better, as it will be tailored to your unique business needs. You\u2019ll also want options to reach out to product support and get answers quickly, in case you have urgent questions.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h3>Integrations<\/h3>\r\n<p>Is the referral software compatible with the tools you already use to manage your marketing and sales campaigns? For instance, does it offer HubSpot and\/or Salesforce integrations?<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Third-party integrations\u00a0are key for connecting your referral software with all your other marketing and sales tools, so it passes information between all your tools smoothly and automatically. <\/em><em>They can help automate your program, connect it with your CRM, send out email promotions to drive engagement and handle reward payouts.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h3>Rewards<\/h3>\r\n<p>What types of referral incentives can the software handle? Is the software compatible with multi-step reward structures, or does it only handle the simple \u201cgive and get\u201d structure?<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Make sure the referral software is flexible enough to manage any reward structure you wish, especially if you want a multi-step or tiered system. There aren\u2019t many referral software programs that can manage complex rewards structures.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h3>Customization<\/h3>\r\n<p>What features help you brand the referral program to your business and customize it according to your unique needs?\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Customization is how you make the program your own, but many referral software tools only offer basic widgets with purely visual customization options. <\/em><\/p>\r\n<p><em>If you want a customizable referral program beyond a basic website widget, and want to serve your customers the program on a variety of touchpoints, make sure the referral software you choose is flexible enough to meet those needs.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h3>Engagement<\/h3>\r\n<p>Does the software solution have automated features that encourage customers to stay engaged with your program and continue to make referrals? If so, what engagement features are available?<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Customers who continue making referrals are key to growth. Automated engagement features make it much easier to motivate customers to keep sending new leads your way.<\/em><\/p>\r\n<p><em>Some engagement features may include automated emails and notifications, and a dashboard where customers can keep track of the referrals they make.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<h3>Dashboards and tracking<\/h3>\r\n<p>What data does the software track, and how robust is that data? How easy is it to access the referral tracking data you need via the program\u2019s dashboards?<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#d7dcda;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#F1f6f4;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><em>Like with all marketing campaigns, measuring your program\u2019s success is essential to determining your ROI.<\/em><\/p>\r\n<p><em>Some referral software only tracks basic metrics like shares, conversion rates and referral revenue. But other referral software options give you detailed metrics for a fuller picture of your program\u2019s impact, such as customer engagement and brand awareness generated by the program.<\/em><\/div><\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading -->\r\n<h2>Comparing the top 5 referral software platforms at a glance<\/h2>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Still trying to figure out which referral software to use? Compare our featured platforms in the table below:<\/p>\r\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-57-no-4\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-57\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><\/td><th class=\"column-2\">Type<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Pricing<\/th><th class=\"column-4\">Business fit <\/th><th class=\"column-5\">Multi-step rewards and sales processes?<\/th><th class=\"column-6\">Integrations<\/th><th class=\"column-7\">HubSpot support?<\/th><th class=\"column-8\">Salesforce support?<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Referral Rock<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Comprehensive<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">$200-$800 <br \/>\n\/month<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Any business (B2B, SaaS, ecommerce, B2C, service business, small business, enterprise)<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">Yes<\/td><td class=\"column-6\">30+ for all businesses<\/td><td class=\"column-7\">Yes<\/td><td class=\"column-8\">Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>ReferralCandy<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Simple widget<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">$47- $299+ <br \/>\n\/month (plus commissions)<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Ecommerce<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">No<\/td><td class=\"column-6\">14; only ecommerce platforms<\/td><td class=\"column-7\">No<\/td><td class=\"column-8\">No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Extole<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">White-label<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Unknown<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Enterprise<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">Unknown<\/td><td class=\"column-6\">11<\/td><td class=\"column-7\">No<\/td><td class=\"column-8\">Limited<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Referral Factory<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Simple widget<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">$95-$1400+ <br \/>\n\/month<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Small business, ecommerce<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">No<\/td><td class=\"column-6\">12; very simple functionality<\/td><td class=\"column-7\">Limited<\/td><td class=\"column-8\">Limited<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><strong>Friendbuy<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Simple widget<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">$249-$749+<br \/>\n\/month<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Ecommerce<\/td><td class=\"column-5\">No<\/td><td class=\"column-6\">24; only ecommerce tools<\/td><td class=\"column-7\">No<\/td><td class=\"column-8\">No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-57-no-4 from cache -->\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:table --><!-- \/wp:table -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading -->\r\n<h2>Wrapping up: Choosing the best referral marketing solution<\/h2>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>Now that we\u2019ve taken a deep dive into the top five referral software tools on the market, you\u2019re ready to make an informed choice about the right referral marketing software for your business needs, start a successful referral program, and grow your customer base through this valuable form of word-of-mouth marketing.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><em>Referral Rock referral software works well for any business type and size, handles multi-step and other complex sales and reward processes, and smoothly integrates with the software you already use (including HubSpot and Salesforce). <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/\"><em>Learn more<\/em><\/a><em> or <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/demo\/\"><em>request a demo today.\u00a0<\/em><\/a><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- \/wp:post-content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our deep-dive ultimate guide to the top 5 referral software tools will help you pick the right tool to scale. Find out the best referral tool for your needs based on reward structures, integrations, engagement features, customization and more. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21923,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[14,2585],"tags":[5985,5925,5924],"class_list":["post-34442","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-referral-marketing","category-software-tools","tag-key-takeaways","tag-commercial","tag-product-aware"],"acf":{"takeaway_1":"Existing brand fans generate 5x more referrals with referral program software vs. waiting for referrals to happen organically.\u00a0","takeaway_2":"Referral Rock is one of the few referral software options that works for any type of business \u2013 including B2B and SaaS.","takeaway_3":"Other top referral software options include ReferralCandy, Referral Factory, and Friendbuy for ecommerce, and Extole for very large enterprises."},"modified_by":"Jessica Huhn","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34442","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34442"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34442\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37203,"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34442\/revisions\/37203"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21923"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34442"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34442"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34442"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}