Sometimes you change one tiny thing in a product and, before you know it, everything feels different. That’s what happened when we updated the Imperial Blue pop-up in Loyalty Wallet.
Popups are strange little creatures. Most of the time, they just hang out in the background, popping up when you need them, doing their thing without making a fuss. Still, even though they seem low-key, they actually shape how people see your brand, especially when it comes to loyalty or rewards.
A pop-up can encourage a customer to stay, redeem, log in, or complete a purchase… or send them away because it looks outdated or too “pushy.”
We figured it was time to spruce up one of our oldest pop-ups. Just a little redesign, nothing major. Or so we thought.
A Cleaner Look, Softer Animations — Why the Update Matters
The updated Imperial Blue pop-up is more than a visual upgrade. It’s designed around the idea that loyalty programs should feel warm and friction-free, not like another task the customer has to complete.
Check out all about loyalty program and you canuse it for your business: What’s Loyalty Program & How it help to Boost Shopify store?
Here’s what changed:
- Smoother transitions
that feel more modern and less abrupt
- A lighter layout
that makes information easier to understand
- A clear separation
between pre-login and post-login states
- Better balance of fonts and spacing,
so it doesn’t overwhelm the shopper
Nothing overly dramatic. Just a cleaner, more welcoming experience. And surprisingly, these refinements have a real effect on how users interact with rewards.
Why?
Because customers decide whether they want to engage with your loyalty program almost instantly. When the pop-up feels polished and simple to navigate, they stay. If it looks cluttered or outdated, they close it before even reading the first line.
A customer staying just 15 seconds longer can be enough to:
- redeem a reward
- sign up for an account
- Check their rewards
- Use a cashback offer
- Complete a checkout
A tiny moment, yet a huge difference for retention.
The Little Detail: Pre-Login vs Post-Login Experience
One of the most important parts of any loyalty system is how it handles logged-in and non-logged-in users differently. The old pop-up did this, but it wasn’t very clear.
With the update, both states now feel like they were designed intentionally:
- New customers get a warmer invitation
- Returning customers get more focused information on points, rewards, and actions
This “state-aware” approach cuts confusion and guides people exactly where they’re supposed to go, reducing drop-offs and increasing participation.
It’s a small improvement, and yet it smooths out the whole journey.
And Then There’s Email… The Unsung Hero of Retention
While we were polishing the pop-up, another project was quietly cooking in the background: a simpler way to connect Mailchimp for SMTP email delivery.
It’s finally live, and honestly, it feels overdue.
Most store owners don’t think about email setup until something breaks. But proper email delivery is one of the most underrated parts of a loyalty program.
If customers don’t receive:
- reward notifications
- redemption confirmations
- referral invites
…your entire retention strategy takes a hit.
That’s why the new Mailchimp SMTP integration matters. You can now connect your store’s sending system in just a few clicks, without technical jargon or multi-screen setups.
No messing with ports, no confusing server settings, no need to “ask the developer.”
Just connect, save, and your emails start flowing the right way, reliably and consistently.
And reliable email = more returning customers.
Why These “Small” Updates Actually Matter for Retention
Retention doesn’t come from some flashy feature. It’s all those little tweaks and thoughtful changes that quietly make everything smoother for the customer. Take the pop-up redesign and the new Mailchimp SMTP setup. On their own, they seem minor. But together, they actually shape how people use the product and keep coming back.
- The pop-up influences instant decisions (engage or close, redeem or skip).
- The email setup influences ongoing communication (keep coming back or drift away).
Together, they close a loop that most stores don’t even realize is broken.
A customer sees the pop-up → explores the loyalty system → earns something → gets a confirmation email → returns.
When any one of these parts doesn’t feel good, the journey stops.
When all of them feel smooth, the journey continues without effort.
What’s Next for Loyalty Wallet
Lately, we’ve been zeroing in on those little UX touches, the tiny interactions most people don’t even notice, but they end up shaping how you feel about loyalty programs. You’ll spot more of these tweaks popping up all year. They’re small, but they really do make things smoother. If you’re using Loyalty Wallet every day or count on it to keep shoppers coming back, these changes are for you. Haven’t tried the new pop-up yet? Go ahead and check it out. Funny how a simple visual tweak can end up making the biggest impact
