Industry · eCommerce
Referrals that grow any online store.
Start with the Tempting Giveaway or the Startup Prelaunch on any store platform, and new sign-ups go to your email tool, such as Klaviyo or Mailchimp. On Shopify, Viral Loops for Shopify counts a first order too.
Used by online stores
How do online stores run referrals?
A product giveaway, giveaways that come back, a Black Friday waitlist and a first-order coupon, each from a real online store.
- Product giveaway
Handmade British teddy bears since 1930A giveaway for a Paddington Classic bear and a factory visit for two.
TemplateThe Tempting Giveaway - Giveaways that come backBabybloomsOnline baby and toddler gift shop, UK
Giveaways that return through the year, such as a Wheelybug ride-on toy in May 2024, with friends' sign-ups as extra entries.
TemplateThe Tempting Giveaway - Black Friday waitlistSpace NKLuxury beauty retailer, UK
A Black Friday waitlist competition for its UK shoppers, with a Join the waitlist button on the store.
TemplateThe Leaderboard Giveaway - First-order couponFood to SaveSurprise bags of surplus food, Brazil
An invited friend gets an R$2.99 coupon toward a first surprise bag, through each customer's own link.
TemplateThe Universal Referral
“Viral Loops helps us launch contests and competitions for our online store very quickly, with no development effort.”
Case studyWhat counts as a referral for online stores?
You decide where a referral counts. This is the usual route, with the tools that report each step.
All integrationsA shopper shares their link
From a widget on your store, a page Viral Loops hosts, or your newsletter.
A friend signs up
For a giveaway, a waitlist or your newsletter, on Shopify, WordPress, Webflow or any site that takes a script.
It counts when they subscribe
The friend's sign-up counts and goes to your Klaviyo or Mailchimp list. On Shopify, a first order can count instead, through the Viral Loops Shopify app.
They get their reward
More entries in the draw, a higher place in line, or a discount code created in your Shopify store.
INGLOT Greece's referral giveaway brought its online store 4,000 email subscribers. Read on the blog
Works with
- ShopifyStore
- WordPressWebsite
- WebflowWebsite
- KlaviyoEmail
- MailchimpEmail
BrevoEmail
MetaAds
Google AnalyticsAnalytics
SegmentData
SendosoGifts
Zapier500+ more apps- Webhooks & APIDevelopers
Which template should online stores start with?
All templates
The Tempting Giveaway
The Startup Prelaunch
Viral Loops for ShopifyFAQ
eCommerce FAQ
Do order-based referrals work on any store platform?
No. Referrals that count an order run through the Viral Loops Shopify app, so they need a Shopify store. Giveaways, waitlists, newsletter referrals and sign-up referrals work on any platform.
Which store platforms does it work with?
Any site where you can add a script and an HTML block. The help center has guides for Shopify, WordPress, Webflow, Squarespace and more, and a page hosted by Viral Loops works without a site.
Can a giveaway grow our email list?
Yes. Each friend who signs up through a link adds an entry for the person who shared it, and every new participant goes to your Klaviyo or Mailchimp list.
How are the winners chosen?
At random, in the Tempting Giveaway. When it ends, Manage winners in your dashboard picks the number of random participants you ask for. In the Leaderboard Giveaway, the people with the most referrals win.
Which plan do we need?
Giveaways, waitlists and the Shopify template are on every plan, from Start-up. Customer referral programs start on Plus.
Other industries
All industries
Start your eCommerce referral program this week.
Plans start at $35 a month, billed annually. Try it free for 14 days, or talk to our team.