Use Text to Boost E-Commerce Sales & Elevate Customer Experience

In a year where the retail sector is projected to decrease 9.4% due to COVID-related temporary closures — adding the power of text to your e-commerce sales workflow is more important than ever.

Time-strapped, cost-conscious, and virus-weary consumers have shifted their purchasing habits online. It’s a trend that didn’t start during the pandemic and it won’t stop once the need to socially distance is lifted. Customers will be even more enticed by the convenience of finding, comparing, and purchasing products on the go.

Online auctions continue to see a spike in revenue... while many brick-and-mortar stores have rushed to add a robust e-commerce site. Those that don’t have generally been hit harder by the economic downturn. 

Meanwhile, services like Amazon Prime have elevated consumer expectations to include real-time order updates, delivery notifications, and payment receipts. Daily deal providers like Groupon are moving to mobile communications as well, promoting incentives while avoiding email fatigue. Subscription box services like Birchbox and Blue Apron will increase in popularity as customers continue to value their variety and novelty.

You want your business to stay competitive. As the economy rebounds, the vaccine is distributed, and we look forward to life (and business) moving about as normal — get ready to capitalize on all the growth that is to come. 
 

4 Key Takeaways on Why to Integrate Texting into Your Workflows

Propel your company forward. With texting, it’s all as easy as a few clicks of the button. 

Customers like The Kitchen & Market agree: "The format is super easy to use and the rewards are instant. Texting a customer is like advertising in their thoughts. Those who are on their phones will be unable to resist reading your text."

1. Texting Elevates Customer Experience

Employ a customized Keyword so customers can easily join your SMS subscriber list and keep updated on VIP promos, notifications to orders (ie logistical changes, any fulfillment delays, delivery schedule changes), online events, and more. Ensure shoppers always get immediate info by automatizing responses to frequently asked questions. Trigger immediate confirmations of purchases and info on when products have shipped. Offer 1-to-1 Chats so shoppers can ask specific questions and receive prompt answers.

2. Avoid Email Fatigue via SMS Campaigns

With higher open rates (98% vs 18% for emails), texting is by far the superior channel for effectively ensuring your messages get read — and not lost in the clutter. Additionally, texts are typically read within minutes of receipt. 

This is vital when messages are urgent… such as recouping any abandoned carts. The sooner you can remind shoppers they left their item at check-out, the sooner (and more likely) you can make the sale.

As an extra boost, you can combine the power of both text and email to further strengthen your multi-channel campaigns.

3. Texting Drives Foot Traffic to Your Brick-and-Mortar Store

Create a COVID-safe curbside or BOPIS (buy online, pick up in store) experience that will help you recover lost revenue with easy 1:1 communication capabilities. 

Promote extra foot traffic to stores with exclusive promos and discounts and texting updates for both online and physical stores. Send MMS images of the brick-and-mortar boutique, showing what inventory is newly in stock.

4. Stay Top of Mind with Text Messages

Naturally, texting offers a convenient solution to stay top of mind for shoppers... even when they are on lockdowns. Text reminders for refills, personalize the shopper experience with birthday or anniversary greetings (prompting gift ideas, of course!) or offer fun MMS templates to celebrate gift-giving holidays like Mother's Day or other go-all-out occasions like Halloween and Graduations.