SMS - one of the most basic communication channels - provides the most value to the e-commerce industry right now. Find out why more and more webshops are using SMS as their new sales channel.
5 billion mobile users
Let's start with a look at how users are distributed across the different channels.
- 5 billion mobile users
- 4 billion internet users
- 3 billion active social media users
With the majority of users on mobile phones, SMS offers very high market access compared to other marketing channels and thus offers huge potential for online retailers operating in the international market.
The digital experience
The digital user experience is more important than ever before. Whether it's the experience on the webshop, in the app, on mobile, etc. users' relationship with technology is constantly evolving. People are finding faster and more efficient ways to get what they want, resulting in brands no longer competing with other brands in their category. They now compete against the user's best digital experiences. Google tells us that over 40% of online purchases are made via mobile and after a positive experience on mobile, 89% are more likely to recommend a brand.
There are many ways to create a positive digital user experience. But to kickstart the experience at all, it's assumed that you first need to capture users' attention where they are - on mobile. SMS is one of the most obvious channels to reach users and kickstart a great user experience.
Higher open rate for SMS
Studies show that 98% of SMS messages are opened and have a response rate of 45%, where emails in comparison have an open rate of 20% with a much lower response rate of 6%. This means that almost 3 times as many people read your SMS messages than open your emails.
Higher CTR for SMS
Your click-through-rate (CTR) is the percentage of your customers who click through to your webshop via a link in your SMS messages. The average CTR for links in SMS messages is 19% while the CTR for email marketing is 3%. Generally speaking, people don't have the time or patience to read until they reach the link in your email. SMS messages are short and concise and therefore have a better chance of catching people's attention.
If you use SMS marketing, you will experience less competition compared to email marketing. email marketing. Your marketing messages are far more likely to be opened and read by the recipient than newsletters. We consider SMS to be a much more personalised channel than other marketing channels. That's why only 1% of SMS messages are considered spam, compared to 90% for emails. The recipient expects the SMS message to be relevant and therefore reads the message. We react to the sound of a text message, which is why 90% of all text messages are read within 3 minutes.
Give the user the full digital experience by integrating SMS with your other systems
Many SMS messages can be sent automatically to the right people at the right time. It's just a matter of setting up the right integrations. Take for example the scenarios described below:
Order notifications
Through the inMobile API it is possible to send order notifications to customers. An SMS flow could look like this for a completed online purchase:
Order received → Order packed and ready to ship → Order shipped → Order delivered and ready for pickup → After pickup, feedback is requested for a satisfaction survey.
SMS marketing
Customers who have "accepted marketing" at check-out are automatically added to a list from which you can easily send promotional messages with discount codes and great offers. This integration also allows you to send Abandoned Cart SMS messages. This means that when a customer places items in the shopping basket but leaves before completing the order, an SMS reminder is automatically sent with a link back to the "forgotten basket" where all the entered information is saved.
2-factor security
Perhaps you've equipped your webshop with an extra layer of security where new users can validate their access with a one-time code sent via SMS. The instant and easy access to the SMS message makes it much more likely for the user to continue the buying process and complete their purchase.
SMS as part of the positive digital user experience
The great potential for SMS in terms of user experience is its efficient, seamless and instantaneous qualities. Today's mobile user wants digital experiences that are simple and straightforward. Qualities that SMS can deliver.
Not only from the user's experience with SMS, but also from the organisation's point of view, the user experience with SMS is very straightforward. SMS is a cost-effective sales channel as SMS campaigns are cheaper to execute than, for example, email marketing campaigns. Email campaigns require graphic design and well-crafted copywriting. With its 160 characters and no graphic requirements, SMS messaging is a fast and efficient channel for short and concise messages and doesn't require an entire marketing team to reach your customers.
