In today’s technology-driven world, most businesses use digital methods to communicate with their clients, and it’s no different for e-commerce companies. Since online companies rely heavily on software to manage various aspects of their business models, it makes sense that they would use innovative methods to contact their customers.
Short Message Service (SMS) is an effective communication strategy for various industries, including e-commerce.
How E-Commerce Businesses Can Use SMS
If you want to learn more about SMS for e-commerce businesses, knowing some everyday use cases is helpful.
Customer Service
SMS services eliminate the need for customers to wait in long lines in person or stay on hold via the phone if they have a query or complaint. Instead, they can send your business a quick SMS, and your agents can respond once they’ve dealt with all previous queries.
Using SMS for customer services saves your clients and support team valuable time.
Order Confirmation
Because customers place online orders and thus need to wait before they get their product, confirming their order gives them peace of mind that everything has gone through and their product will be headed their way shortly.
Since failed systems and other online problems could cause e-commerce orders to fail, a quick confirmation text keeps clients informed and reduces any concerns they may have about their orders. With 2.64 billion online shoppers, you need to make the process as smooth as possible for your customers if you want to earn their loyalty and have a competitive advantage.
Product Launches and Special Offers
You can use SMS for personalized customer communication and to share exciting news. If someone’s number is in your database, they may have signed up for SMS updates or bought from your store in the past, making them likely to support your business again.
As such, sharing any new products or special offers via SMS is a good idea. Your customers may miss out on these specials if they don’t visit your website, so sending them a message ensures they’re always aware of the latest deals. Since more than 50% of people are on their phones at least four hours a day, they will likely read your message soon after you’ve sent it.
Shipping and Returns Updates
Customers appreciate regular updates on their orders. Has it been packed? Has it shipped? When can they expect delivery?
You can include all this information in one concise SMS alongside a tracking link they can follow for future changes. Shipping updates satisfy your customers and benefit your business. Plus, you’ll have fewer queries regarding shipping updates. If customers return packages, you can use SMS to update them on their refund and how to return the product. In America, the cost of e-commerce retail returns was more than $800 billion, so finding ways to create a seamless process and boost customer experiences is key.
SMS Benefits for Online Stores
Text messaging for online stores is a great marketing and communication strategy for e-commerce businesses.
1. Affordability
SMS is a cost-effective strategy, especially considering everything it offers, from marketing to customer service and order management. Because your SMS recipients are either existing clients expecting to hear from you or people who have shown an interest in your business in the past, this form of marketing tends to have a higher return on investment (ROI).
2. Segmentation
Segmenting your SMS audience into smaller categories can greatly benefit you since personalized messaging often yields better results than generic texts. After all, not everyone in your database wants the same objective, so dividing them into groups based on their needs can help you get the desired results.
If a customer has previously ordered a specific product, sending them a message when it goes on sale encourages them to repurchase it. If they’ve abandoned items in their cart, a reminder to check out and complete their order could be the difference between getting a sale or not.
3. Brand Awareness
Every time your SMS shows up in someone’s inbox, they’re reminded of your business, which helps build brand awareness. Staying top of mind is key to promoting repeat customers and fostering loyalty.
You can also use SMS to improve the number of 5-star reviews your business has and build a strong reputation for quality customer service.
4. Increased Sales
While you can use SMS for general communication, you can also use it for marketing and increasing sales. You can drive more traffic to your site every time you run a promotion or launch a new product.
Use an application programming interface (API) to make this process easier. Investing in an SMS API for e-commerce can significantly improve your marketing efforts.
Best Practices For E-Commerce SMS Messaging
Businesses that use SMS messaging to communicate with their customers should do so legally and responsibly, which means e-commerce companies should follow some best practices.
- Inform your customers: If your clients receive an SMS from you without expecting it, it could have the opposite effect of what you hope to achieve. They may feel annoyed, violated or even betrayed. If you plan on sending messages, customers likely want to know you are protecting their information. Knowing what types of communication they can expect from you also protects clients from scams. A friendly heads-up that you’ve added their number to your SMS database can go a long way.
- Allow customers to opt in or out: Sending an SMS to customers is only helpful if they value it. No one will benefit if they plan on deleting your message as soon as it arrives without glancing at it. Giving customers the option to opt out of SMS messaging when it doesn’t serve them ensures your database is filled with people who expect to hear from you.
- Use templates: SMS messaging can be easy, especially with templates. Instead of crafting multiple messages for various purposes, you can use premade SMS templates for e-commerce stores and edit them to work for your business and clients. You can import a template and add personal details like your customer’s name and appointment date.
- Keep it short: Avoid including every detail, as this leads to unnecessarily long messages. SMS is best suited to short texts that get straight to the point. You’re not writing an email here. You’re crafting a punchy message that says what it needs to in the shortest word count possible so customers can pick up their phone, glance at your SMS and quickly understand your message’s purpose.
Contact Red Oxygen for Your Business SMS Needs
At Red Oxygen, we have over 20 years in the business, which means you can trust us to handle your SMS requirements safely and effectively. Our platform allows you to message customers from your computer. Whether you want to send bulk SMS to everyone on your list or send individual messages, using our SMS for e-commerce service can do it all.
Our services are easy to use since they integrate with existing software your business likely already uses, like Outlook, Gmail and spreadsheets, making managing your messages easy. If you’re ready to take the next step, request a demo to see how we can help you.
