Can bulk SMS services rapidly improve ecommerce conversions?

How Bulk SMS can improve eCommerce conversions

Bulk SMS services provide ecommerce website owners with a unique opportunity. They can bridge the gap in customer service offerings with SMS technology, which will improve ecommerce conversions over time. Depending on how and where you use your texts will determine if you are able to streamline your site to sell more goods to your ideal customer base.

With bulk SMS on your side, you can expect a boost in on-site metrics, sales and customer retention rates from the moment you begin promoting your new text services.

For more on the Clickatell SMS gateway click here.

How bulk SMS can improve on-site conversions

To the ecommerce website owner, bulk SMS is simply the process of disseminating large volumes of SMS messages to an intended audience. This audience is usually made up of past customers or fans who have opted-in to an SMS list that is promoted on the website. If you have owned your ecommerce site for some time, you will know that even the smallest improvement in conversion ratios can have a large impact on your bottom line. In particular, these are the areas that need improvement on your average online seller's website. Your goal as an online seller is to use bulk SMS to improve the conversion rates across all of these key areas. Some sellers do it using online marketing tactics or social media. By far, the most practical and highest conversion channel of them all is still SMS messages.

Customer Service:

• Customer service can be improved with bulk SMS as the customer will be able to text your brand with queries, comments or insights on your service. For example, if a customer purchases a product and then discovers that the product is broken, they can text the problem to customer service. Customer service can then apologize and ensure a smooth, satisfactory return process that improves customer service.

Customer Retention and Repeat Purchasing

• Customer retention and repeat purchasing is improved with bulk SMS as shoppers are encouraged to buy more, and more often with special discounts and promotions. For example, a customer on your SMS list will receive a new holiday promotion from you via SMS. They will redeem the special in-store to save on your products, instead of going somewhere else.

Payment Security

• Payment security that discourages many weary shoppers from making it all the way through the checkout process is improved with two-factor authentication. The customer will be sent a special code on their mobile phone before their payment will be accepted, thereby reducing the chances of credit card fraud or theft. For example, the customer's account will only allow the payment to go through if a one time pin is entered into the system, which protects them from hackers.

Shopping Cart Conversions

• Shopping cart conversions can be optimized using bulk SMS, supporting the delivery process with update texts, confirmation messages, and delivery notifications. It can also direct lost buyers back to the cart process, after abandonment - by offering them incentives. For example, if your customer is registered and the system picks up that they only reached your 'details' screen, you can send them a text message encouraging them to complete the purchase with a small discount via SMS.

Website Loyalty Program

• Finally, your ecommerce site will enjoy running your very own loyalty program via bulk SMS. Reward your repeat customers, entice new customers to buy and run great competitions that benefit your customer base. For example, reward your repeat customers with exclusive discounts only available to your SMS list around special holidays.

The truth about ecommerce conversions

It's one thing to claim that bulk SMS can improve your conversions, and another to see just how much the average online seller can benefit from launching an SMS campaign.

• 35% of customers that have chosen to get promotional messages from a retailer, visited their store or website.

• Redemption rates on promotions and coupons via SMS are 10 times higher than print coupons focused on the same goals.

• Practical ecommerce reports a retailer that spent 2 years building their opt-in text list. During a recent campaign, the retailer sent a call to action to part of the list which yielded a 40% conversion rate - far, far higher than normal.

If you are looking for a viable way to rapidly improve your ecommerce sales this year, you'd do well to consider implementing bulk SMS into your marketing plans. Online merchants need to keep an open mind about the technology they use to get results. With SMS fast becoming a permanent fixture on global ecommerce websites, this perhaps is evidence enough. Sign up for your Clickatell Platform account today and take advantage of free unlimited testing in our sandbox environment to your campaigns started.