Getting started with Loop
At Loop Subscriptions, we help D2C merchants increase their revenues by making subscription management a piece of the cake.
Follow these steps and you’ll get Loop Subscriptions up and running in no time.
- By the end of step 3: You’ll be up and running with Subscriptions
- By the end of step 7: Your customers will be smiling and your team more productive
This article will walk you through -
- What are subscriptions?
- Types of subscriptions
- Setting up subscriptions on Loop
- Configure subscription settings
- Provide the best subscriber experience
- Reduce subscriber churn
- Integrate your favourite apps
- Moving from another platform?
- FAQs
- Related articles
- Need help?
What are subscriptions?
Subscription is a powerful tool to improve customer repeat rates. When a customer subscribes to a product or service, their card details are saved by Shopify and they are billed automatically basis the billing frequency defined in the selling plan.
The benefit of a subscription is that instead of buying one product multiple times and going through the entire checkout process, again and again, your loyal buyers can just subscribe to your product and get it delivered to them automatically at frequent intervals, say every month or every week.
Types of subscriptions
There are several different types of subscription models that you can implement with Loop. Here’s a table with links to guides that will get you set up on anything of your choosing
| Subscription type | Description |
|---|---|
| Autoship subscription |
The customer can purchase a product with a recurring frequency and the product will be auto-shipped. |
| Prepaid subscription |
A prepaid subscription allows the customer to make a single payment upfront for goods or services that will be delivered on a repeat basis. |
| Gift subscription |
An extension of prepaid subscription where a customer pays upfront for a set duration which is usually gifted to a friend/loved one |
| Membership subscriptions |
Customers can subscribe to a membership/loyalty club which offers subscribers a different experience in the store. |
| Subscription journey |
Subscription journeys are personalized subscriptions, where the user has a customized journey, and the products sent vary in each delivery. |
| Trial subscriptions |
Customers can test out the product for a set duration before being billed recurringly |
| Build a box |
Provide choice to your customers by allowing them to build their own bundle and subscribe to it |
Setting up subscriptions on Loop
The first step is to install the app on your Shopify store. Installed yet? If not, click here.
After this, there are just three steps to get you started on your subscription journey. These steps will guarantee that you will be up and running with subscriptions on your store.
| Step name | Description |
|---|---|
| Create selling plans | Subscription plans determine how frequently customers would be billed, how much discount to be offered to customers for purchasing subscriptions and more. |
| Map products to selling plans | Map a product to the selling plan and make it available to subscribe at the set frequencies |
| Installing the loop widget | Installs the widget on your store so that your customer is able to see and purchase a subscription |
| Troubleshooting widget issues | Check this guide out when even the best automatic installers fail |
Based on the subscription type that you are looking for - the first step would vary to accommodate the different settings.
Configure subscription settings
We have several settings that you can set up and configure to utilize the full potential of our app.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Discounts | Configure & setup subscription discounts to incentivize your customers to choose a subscription |
| Shipping | Offer free/flat rate shipping only for subscription products |
| Subscription tags | Tags allow you to segregate subscribers on Shopify and pinpoint your marketing efforts |
| Global billing hour | Improve your logistics and backend tasks by ensuring that all subscriptions are billed at the same time every day |
| Automations | Save time by automating shipping & price changes across subscriptions |
| Inventory management | Never worry about going negative inventory and handle out-of-stock situations automatically for subscription billing |
Provide the best subscriber experience
With these settings, you can ensure that your subscribers are given the best possible experience while managing their subscriptions. Own your subscriptions by adding your personal touch to the entire experience!
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Customer portal | Enable your customers to self-serve their requirements and customize the customer portal to match your vibe |
| Customize subscription widget design | Personalize your subscription widget to make it unique to your style and help convert more customers to subscribers |
| Email notifications | Fully customizable and configurable email alerts to notify both admins and customers |
| Loop flows | A powerful feature-packed utility to create a unique subscriber journey. Configure actions to take place automatically based on triggers that you choose. |
Reduce subscriber churn
Loop helps you reduce and prevent voluntary subscription churn with the help of some powerful features that can be configured in the app.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Cancellation management | Understand cancellation behaviour and set up cancellation flows to reduce churn |
| Dunning management | Reduce involuntary subscription churn by setting up automated dunning rules and proactive alerts. |
Integrate your favorite apps
Loop makes all your tools work better by letting you integrate industry-leading software and apps with Loop.
| Platform | Description |
|---|---|
| Klaviyo | Create personalized email flows and campaigns based on the customer data generated in Loop. |
| Attentive | Send SMS updates and personalized text campaigns based on Loop subscription events. |
| Gorgias | Deliver great customer service by syncing Loop subscription data to your Gorgias account. |
| Google Analytics | Send recurring order transactions and subscription-related events on your Google Analytics account. |
| GemPages | Install and customize the Loop subscription widget for your GemPages templates. |
| Pagefly | Install and customize the Loop subscription widget for your PageFly templates. |
Moving from another platform?
If you already have experience with a subscription platform and you’re considering Loop as an alternative to Recharge, Bold & others. We’ve got you covered there as well with our exhaustive guides detailing the whole process in great detail.
We ensure a smooth white-gloved migration experience for our customers for free. Reach out to us at migrations@loopwork.co to migrate your subscribers!
FAQs
Can I offer gift subscriptions for my customers using Loop?
Yes, customers can gift subscriptions to their friends & family, where the subscription is paid fully in advance and can be configured to auto-expire after a set number of orders. To know more about this, please check out this article - gift subscriptions
Can we offer a one-time bundle / build-a-box sale?
You can offer bundle subscriptions using Loop, where the user has the ability to pick and choose multiple products / variants that they want and add them all to a single bundle (or a box). To know more about this, please check out this article - bundle subscriptions
How can I offer only-members type experience to my subscribers, like special discounts, sales only available to them, early access, etc?
You can allow your customers to subscribe to a membership / loyalty club which can be set up to offer subscribers a different experience in the store. For example - a member could have completely different pricing for all their orders placed in the store. This approach ensures repeat purchases, brand loyalty, and retention. To know more about this, please check out this article - membership subscriptions
Related articles
Need help?
No need to worry, we're always ready to jump in and help you out. Please feel free to reach out to us at support@loopwork.co or ping us on chat by clicking the support beacon on the bottom right.
Thanks!
Loop Subscriptions Team