Hear from guest blogger, Co-founder and CEO of Onilab, Art Malcovich, on what SMS marketing can do for your e-commerce.
E-commerce businesses connect with their customers through multiple channels: emails, social media, live chats, and chatbots. SMS marketing is another valuable tool for reaching potential buyers. The numbers speak for themselves: text messages boast a 98% open rate and a 45% conversion rate.
In this article, we’ll focus on the benefits of SMS marketing for eCommerce brands and pinpoint crucial aspects to pay attention to for successful implementation.
SMS Marketing for E-Commerce
Welcome Messages
Greet new customers or SMS subscribers with a friendly text to make a good first impression.
Payment Notifications
Send invoice and payment confirmation messages so that customers have all transaction details in front of them.
Promotional Text Messages
Notify clients of flash sales, discounts, and new products to foster repeat purchases.
Follow-up SMS
Ask for customer feedback or a review after a purchase.
Order Updates
Keep users informed about their order status, from confirmation to shipping and delivery.
Cart Recovery Reminders
Re-engage customers who ditched their shopping carts with personalized SMS messages.
Prior to launching an SMS marketing campaign, it’s essential to perform a comprehensive website conversion audit. A thorough checkup will detect areas where your site loses potential buyers and guide your SMS marketing efforts in the right direction.
Why should you Integrate SMS Marketing in E-Commerce?
Immediate Communication
While emails may get lost in clients’ inboxes for days or even months, SMS ensures direct and almost instantaneous communication with your target audience. As a matter of fact, 90% of text messages are opened by the end user within three minutes of receiving them.
Wider Reach
Personalized Interactions
Connecting with customers on their personal devices creates a more seamless shopping experience. By analyzing clients’ purchase histories, eCommerce businesses can customize promotional text messages, offer personalized discounts, and recommend more suitable products. As a result, shoppers feel valued and are more likely to buy from your store again.
Effective Customer Retention
Successful SMS Marketing Strategies
Comply with SMS Marketing Legal Requirements
Sending SMS marketing messages can be effective as long as eCommerce businesses comply with legal regulations. Multiple laws, such as the CAN-SPAM ACT, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (both valid in the US), and the General Data Protection Regulation (EU), require companies to receive consent from customers before adding them to an SMS list and forwarding either promotional or transactional messages.
Give Transparent Opt-Out Instructions
E-commerce stores must provide an easy way for recipients to unsubscribe from an SMS list. This is not only good practice but also a legal requirement. By implementing a simple opt-out process, online brands show respect for their customers’ privacy and preferences. The most common methods to stop getting an SMS message include replying with a specific word like “STOP,” “CANCEL,” or “UNSUBSCRIBE” or clicking on an opt-out link in the message.
Find the Best-Fit SMS Marketing Platform
- automation capabilities;
- flexible scheduling features;
- targeted messaging options;
- seamless integration with CRM, email marketing systems, and other tools.
Segment Your SMS Marketing List
Personalization is vital for increasing customer engagement and fostering brand loyalty. You should tailor SMS marketing messages to different audience groups. Analyze your existing customers, namely their demographics, shopping habits, and preferences. Based on this information, you can categorize them and send more relevant and targeted texts.
Make Messages Short and Easy to Grasp
Follow a Consistent Messaging Schedule
Define Measurable Goals
Setting is crucial to the success of your eCommerce SMS marketing campaign. Decide what your online store aims to achieve through text messages before sending them out. Is it driving repeat purchases, boosting awareness of a hot new sale, or streamlining customer service?
Once the objective is defined, you can fix on the metrics to track, such as customer retention rate, engagement, or conversions. Regularly check your progress against the goals and tweak the strategy if necessary. Experiment with different message templates and send times to see what yields the best results.
Conclusion: Create Engaging Text Message Campaigns
About the Author
Art Malkovich is co-founder and CEO of, Onilab, a full-service eCommerce agency. As an accomplished developer and project manager, he stays in the loop with the latest trends in headless commerce, SaaS, UX/UI design, online store development and migration.
