[January 29, 2013]

Belly Sweetens the Deal with New Belly Bites Sampling Program

Belly, the ultimate customer loyalty and rewards program, launched Belly Bites, an exclusive new program that provides Belly members with samples at local businesses and helps merchants attract new loyal customers by offering just a taste of their product or service. In conjunction with the release of its new Android app and updated iPhone (News - Alert) app, Belly has made it even easier to find new places to Belly all over town.

Unlike daily deals that tend to cannibalize existing loyal customers and require merchants to give up more than most would like, Belly Bites target only new customers with hyper-local offerings based on surrounding businesses where they've already Belly'd. This focused targeting drives in new customers that have a high probability of becoming loyal patrons. And, by offering just a sample of a product or service, merchants can affordably attract new customers without giving away too much, and can effectively gain insight to track new and repeat visits.

"Everyone loves sampling new products, and it's always been a proven way to drive new customers through the door," said Logan LaHive, Belly Founder and CEO. "But, there's no way to track whether those customers will return after you get them into your business that first time. With Belly Bites, we can directly target the loyal customer base in your area, entice them with a sample product from your business and drive them back more often through the Belly loyalty program, all while providing actionable insight and data to help you run your business better."

Fill Your Belly with Bites

Discovering Belly Bites is as simple as choosing them through the Belly mobile app for Android (News - Alert) or iPhone, or online at BellyCard.com/bites. Belly Bites are loaded into members' Belly accounts and appear instantly when they Belly at the in-store tablet for fast, easy redemption. Belly Businesses offer a wide vaiety of sample Bites, like a free jumbo order of wings, a gratis $10 gift certificate, a free haircut, one-week free gym pass, free ticket to a comedy club or complimentary manicure. All of these offers are targeted to each Belly member based on their Belly activity, ensuring that the experience is new and specific to their interests.

Belly Bites for SMBs

Belly Bites give businesses more than just an easy and cost-effective way to gain new customers. By combining this feature with their pre-existing Belly loyalty program, Belly merchants can target new customers, track their returns and only pay based on performance. Belly Bites fuse the best of hyper-local and mobile marketing with an easy-to-manage loyalty program that creates the first full-circle customer acquisition and retention platform.

"The new customers Belly has sent us through our Belly Bite (News - Alert) are exactly our target market," said Michael Kauffman from Flashes Hair Design�in Chicago. "They match the demographic of our existing customers, all the way down to their age. I am con?dent they will return, and I know Belly can track that for me."

Belly Bites campaigns have already generated up to 50 percent repeat customer rates for Belly Businesses in just the first two months, driving new, loyal customers to merchants in the Belly network. This includes the initial launch of Chicago, with new Belly Bites campaigns beginning in Washington, D.C. and Austin, Texas, with more cities coming soon.

"The thing about typical daily deal sites is they draw deal-seekers from all over, which isn't ideal for a restaurant like ours," said Emery Garcia with Burger Philosophy in Chicago. "With this promotion, I know the people I'm giving a discount to either live or work in the area because of the frequency at which they 'check-in' at other places around us, making them the customers we want."

New Android App Delivers a Better Belly Experience

The new Belly app for Android delivers a more streamlined mobile experience for finding and redeeming the best Belly offers and Belly Bites. Based on the Android Holo theme, the upgraded app is backward compatible with nearly all Android phones on the market. And, with the new Belly Widget, users can save the Belly QR code to their home or lock screen (lock screen widget available on Android 4.2 and above) for quick and easy access every time they Belly at their favorite Belly Business without having to unlock the device. One of the first apps to use the new Google (News - Alert) Maps API for 3D navigation, the new Android app makes finding new Belly Businesses and Bites fast and easy.

To get started with Belly Bites for any business, go to www.getbelly.com. Or, to check out local Belly Bites already available, go to www.bellycard.com/bites or download the Belly mobile app.

About Belly

Belly is the leading loyalty platform in the country. With thousands of merchants, Belly revolutionizes traditional loyalty concepts and works with each business to design a customized, unique rewards suite their customers actually want. Using a tablet and single card or iPhone or Android app, Belly unlocks new opportunities for customer engagement and digital advocacy. Belly is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and received funding from Andreessen Horowitz and Lightbank. For more information, visit www.bellycard.com.

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