E-commerce SMS
                     E-commerce SMS
SMS allows you to reach and engage your users in a unique way. The average 
open rate for SMS is 98%, compared with email's 20-40%.
Text messages are extremely effective as ecommerce tools, but only if used 
correctly. Here we'll explore how to effectively use SMS as part of your overall 
ecommerce strategy.
Usage as an Acquisition Tool
SMS can be used to target customers by age group, gender and location – all at 
the touch of a button – allowing you to instantly serve relevant ads and promotions 
to interested customers. This is achieved by combining geo-location data, 
analytics and customer preference information (collected through surveys and 
social media channels).
For instance, a retail company could send out automated messages like:
Buy 1 Get 1 Free
Why not give our range of grooming products a try today? All new male customers 
will receive 20% off their first purchase. Reply with the word 'YES' to claim offer.
MMS messages can be sent, allowing you to include images or video content in 
your adverts to keep them relevant and interesting for recipients.
Know more about ecommerce sms
This sort of targeted message is more effective than broadcasting messages at all 
users because users are receiving messages that contain relevant information 
about their preferences. They're also more likely to click on or engage with 
messages they actually want to see, rather than automated emails that aren't 
appropriate for them. This ultimately results in greater sales figures compared with 
email marketing campaigns where open rates remain low (less than 20%).
Usage as a Retention Tool
SMS is also beneficial for retaining customers because it allows businesses to 
build closer relationships with their audiences. This provides an opportunity for 
companies to ask for feedback on new products, promotions and sales.
Emails simply cannot match the instant gratification of getting a text message 
response within seconds of sending one. Customers are far more likely to respond 
to engaging SMS messages than they are to emails that just sit in their inboxes 
until they choose to read them – if at all.
For example, instead of asking 'How did you find us?' via email, users could be 
texted an automated message like:
Thanks for visiting our website! How did you hear about us? Reply for Facebook 2 
for Google 3 for received flyer 4 for website.
Usage as an Outreach Tool
Remembering the success of SMS in advertising and retention, it is also useful to 
include sales text messages in your ecommerce outreach strategy. You could ask 
interested customers if they want alerts about new products or exclusive discounts 
(this is particularly effective when combined with geotargeting). Customers can opt 
in through either an SMS message or email reply.
Text Message Marketing Saves Money!
While it's relatively hard to measure ROI on each campaign, this form of marketing 
does have one unique selling point: its affordability. allows retailers with tight 
budgets to still communicate with customers, and to build brand loyalty.
With the average click-through rate on standard emails sitting at 1%, it's not 
surprising that so many businesses consider SMS as a more reliable and cost 
effective way of engaging their audience.
People are also increasingly using smart phones for their daily Internet needs, 
which means there is a greater chance of them coming across your marketing 
messages – even though they're not actively seeking them out like they would be 
if browsing online or in store.
What should you keep in mind?
SMS can be extremely beneficial for ecommerce companies because it allows 
marketers to send highly targeted messages only to those users who have chosen 
to receive updates from them. However, it's important not to underestimate the 
amount of hard work that goes into making this strategy successful.
Even if your service or product is worthwhile, it still doesn't matter if you don't have 
the right message at the right time in front of your audience. Customers should be 
receiving SMS messages about things they are genuinely interested in, so take 
care when choosing what to communicate and how often to do it.