Want a FREE COPY of our Loyalty APP? Drop us a note from our Contact Page.
We developed our bespoke Loyalty App with the desire to share it with people in the Trades and related businesses.
We developed the Straton Loyalty Pro app with a very specific mission: to bridge the gap between high-end corporate loyalty systems and the needs of a local small business.
The core philosophy was based on these four pillars:
1. Ownership & Independence
Most loyalty platforms charge monthly subscriptions or take a “cut” of the transaction. We wanted to create a self-hosted solution where the business owns its data and never has to pay a third party just to reward its own loyal customers.
2. Radical Simplicity
Traditional apps are a barrier—customers hate downloading things from the App Store and creating yet another password. By developing this as a Web App (PWA), we removed the friction.
No App Store.
No passwords.
Just a “Home Screen” icon that links to a WordPress page.
3. Verification & Trust
Unlike “digital punch cards” that can be easily cheated, this app requires an Invoice Number and Value. This gives the business an audit trail. You can verify the points against your accounting software before any reward is actually handed over.
4. The “Small Business Ecosystem”
We wanted to automate the things a busy business owner doesn’t have time for:
The Review Booster: Automatically sending 5-star customers to Google Reviews to help the business grow.
The Threshold Alert: Notifying the owner via email the moment a client is “ripe” for a reward, allowing for proactive customer service.
The Professional Copy: Giving the client a one-click way to “look professional” when asking for their discount via email.
The Vision
By making this available for free to other small businesses, you are helping the “little guy” compete with big franchises. You’ve turned a simple WordPress shortcode into a powerful retention tool that can be deployed in minutes at https://straton.co.za/loyalty.
Straton Loyalty Pro plugin.
1. Developer Installation Instructions
Target Audience: Web Developers / WordPress Admins.
To install the Straton Loyalty Pro plugin on a WordPress site, follow these steps:
Upload the supplied zip file to WordPress:
Log in to your WordPress Dashboard.
Navigate to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin.
Upload the Straton Loyalty zip file and click Activate.
Permalinks: Go to Settings > Permalinks and click “Save Changes” once to ensure the URL structure is refreshed.
Verify: Ensure a new menu item labeled “Loyalty Admin” appears in the WordPress sidebar (It will have a Star on the LHS of the title – Loyalty Admin).
2. Plugin Configuration (The “How-To”)
Target Audience: Business Owners setting up the system.
Once installed, you must configure the “rules” of your loyalty program:
Navigate to Loyalty Admin: Look for the star icon in your dashboard.
Set Your Values: * Spend Requirement: The amount (Excl VAT) needed to earn points (e.g., R1000).
Points Given: How many points they get for that spend (e.g., 20 points).
Reward Hook: How many points are needed to trigger a reward (e.g., 100).
Customize Appearance: Choose your brand colors for the App background and headers.
Set URLs: * Booking URL: Link to your appointment page.
Claim URL: Link to your contact/redemption page.
Google Review URL: Link to your business’s Google review page.
Deployment: Create a new WordPress page (e.g., https://your-site.co.za/loyalty) and paste the supplied shortcode [ loyalty_app ] into the editor. You can see a live example at https://straton.co.za/loyalty.
3. Client “Installation” on Smartphone
Target Audience: Clients wanting the “App” experience.
This is a Web App, meaning it doesn’t need to be downloaded from an App Store.
For iPhone (Safari): Open Safari and go to https://YOURSITE.za/loyalty. Tap the Share button (square with an arrow), scroll down, and select Add to Home Screen.
For Android (Chrome): Open Chrome and go to https://YOURSITE.za/loyalty. Tap the three dots (⋮) in the top right and select Install app or Add to Home Screen.
The Loyalty icon will now appear on your phone like a regular application.
4. End-User Instructions
Target Audience: Customers using the app.
Claiming Points: Tap “Claim Points,” enter your account number, invoice details, and the amount spent. Confirm the POPI checkbox and submit.
Checking Status: Tap “Check Points” and enter your account number. You will see your balance and how close you are to your reward.
Redeeming: When you hit your target (e.g., 100 points), a green Redeem button will appear in your status view. Tap it to claim your discount on your next job.
Emailing Proof: Use the “Copy Status” link to copy a professional sentence of your balance to paste into an email to the business.
5. Admin Management Instructions
Target Audience: Staff managing the data and redemptions.
The Loyalty Admin dashboard is your control center:
Downloading Data: Full Export: Click “Download All” to get a CSV of every transaction in the system.
Filtered Export: Type a specific Account Number in the search box next to the download button and click “Download Client CSV” to get a history for just one customer.
Redemption Flow
When a client contacts you to redeem:
- Check their balance in the Latest 10 Claims widget or the CSV.
- Go to the Manual Entry / Adjustment box.
- Enter their Account Number and Name.
- In the Redeem Points field, enter the amount of points they are “spending” (e.g., 100).
- Click Update Balance. This subtracts the points so they cannot be used twice.
Manual Actions
- Adding Points: If you want to give a client “bonus” points for a referral, use the manual entry box and fill in the Add Points field.
- Fixing Errors: If a client entered the wrong amount, use the manual entry to add or subtract the difference to correct their balance.
Our Mission: Leveling the Playing Field
At Straton Electrical, we believe that small businesses are the heartbeat of our economy. However, local contractors and small enterprises are often priced out of the high-tech loyalty systems that large corporations use to keep customers coming back.
The Straton Loyalty Pro project was born from a simple idea: Retention software should be accessible, affordable, and easy to use.
Our mission is to provide every small business with a professional, self-hosted loyalty tool that:
- Eliminates Subscription Fees: No monthly costs or per-user charges.
- Removes Technical Barriers: No “App Store” downloads or complex logins.
- Builds Real Relationships: Combining automated review boosting with a personal, verification-based reward system.
About the Developer
The Straton Loyalty App was developed by Alan Straton and the team at Straton Electrical, based in Gqeberha, South Africa. As a business that has served its community since 1966, we understand the value of a loyal client.
Originally built to manage our own client rewards, we realized the potential this tool had for other service-based businesses – plumbers, electricians, landscapers, and consultants alike.
In the spirit of community growth, we have released this plugin as a free resource. We aren’t software giants; we are service providers just like you, using technology to provide better service and build stronger local economies.
“Our goal isn’t just to reward a transaction; it’s to acknowledge a relationship. This app is our contribution to the small business community.” – The Straton Electrical Team
How to Get Involved
If you are a business owner using this tool, we would love to hear from you. You can see the app in action here – https://straton.co.za/loyalty – or get in touch with us at https://straton.co.za/contact.
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