5 Ways to Win Customers By SMS in 2021

Are you looking for ways to utilize SMS messaging to increase your ecommerce sales?

Don’t worry if you have not figured how to go about and start text message marketing.

In this blog post, I will show you 5 bulletproof SMS marketing strategies that you can put to work today.

Send drip campaigns through text

Drip SMS campaigns, also referred as drip texting, drip marketing, automated SMS campaigns, lifecycle messaging and marketing automation. The concept is the same: a set of automated marketing text messages are sent out on a schedule or based on triggering events.

A triggering event can be: –

– Welcome & onboard customers

– Transactions through the store

– Changes regarding a user’s account

– Personal events by your user for e.g. Birthday month

The drip campaigns are of crucial importance for keeping your active customers engaged while you continue providing them with relevant and valuable content.

Send exclusive offers & deals through text

For many consumers, SMS remains the most convenient way for getting promotion and sales from a specific service provider as well as businesses.

Reaching out proactively and engaging with prospects is powerful instead of waiting for people to chat with you on your ecommerce store.

Youcan use SMS for sending sales and promotions since it’s a cost-effective and engaging way to engage with your prospects and customers. This a powerful method of text message marketing. You can also use a business SMS tools which help you to keep track of customer information, so you can push promotions to clients who haven’t made a purchase in a while.

Run a “Text to Win” contest

Text to win sweepstakes are an excellent way to engage with your customers and target audience. Everyone loves the opportunity to win something and running it all through a simple texting contest makes it even more fun.

For this to work customers need to sign up by texting a particular keyword to be in the run for sweepstakes contest.

Either select some winners randomly from everyone who opts in or you can also leave everyone a smaller prize who put the effort of texting the keyword.

Brands using SMS marketing choose to run contests as they are a great way to grow subscriber lists because each person who opts in for this contest can be marketed for future promotions which makes these sweepstakes a great way to boost list sizes.

Convert Leads into SMS subscribers using Live Chat

I am sure you already have customer support live chat embedded in your ecommerce store, but it doesn’t have to stop there. You can turn your ecommerce website into a lead generation system by asking customers to connect on SMS via live chat.

When customers use live chat to seek real-time response to their questions, the business can remove obstacles from conversions.

So you can generate SMS subscribers from your website visitors by using a chatbot and opt-in widget.

Gather Data & Feedback

I recommend ending the drip sequence or welcome message with a poll or survey, giving your business the opportunity to receive real-time feedback from your customers or prospects. Surveys will help you in learning more about your audience members as well as their needs and desires which in turn will help craft your offerings to your customer.

This works best if you can frame the feedback in the form of simple yes or no questions or ask customers to score the performance of your company. SMS is better suited for short and sweet messages and questions; if you try to get the client to write you back long paragraphs of feedback, you can expect a much lower engagement rate.

Author Bio

Mainul Quader is the owner of Skripts, content generation tool for ecommerce business to help generate product descriptions for their store.Check out https://skripts.co/ if you need help with writing your own product descriptions, marketing copy and even sms messaging.

How to Overcome Prominent E commerce Challenges

How to Overcome Prominent E-commerce Challenges

The E commerce industry continues to make leaps and bounds as more and more shoppers prefer to purchase goods and services online.

Covid-19 also made an impact since brick-and-mortar stores had to close down indefinitely because of the pandemic.

The time to start an eCommerce venture night is as good as it gets. However, if you decide to try your luck, prepare to come up against certain challenges that might be difficult to overcome.

Let’s take a look at some of the examples of what will likely hurt your chances of succeeding in the eCommerce industry and how to turn the odds in your favor.

Reliance on Suppliers

Most newcomers are unlikely to invest in their own manufacturing equipment. Instead, they go with the dropshipping business model and rely on suppliers. The problem is that finding a supplier you can trust is not that easy.

For example, if you wish to make your own t-shirt store where you sell custom t-shirts, you will already have to spend money on hiring a designer and promoting the store. Extra resources for a supplier that can produce and deliver quality t-shirts will put even more of a toll on the business.

When looking for a supplier, make sure you end up collaborating with the best you can get. Ask them for examples, research little details, and seek feedback from prior or current partners.

Competitive Market

Over 2 billion people purchased goods and services online in 2020. Given how popular ecommerce is, it is natural to expect competition even in markets that have pretty low interest.

When you are researching the available markets to pick a niche for yourself, try to pick an idea that is not too competitive. Newcomers that lack the experience and funds to promote their ecommerce business will struggle to find a place in a market that has plenty of established brands.

Cyber security

Security breaches are another thing that causes online business owners a headache. It is true those small-time online stores are unlikely to be targeted by malicious people, but you cannot predict when and if someone might strike.

Ecommerce deals with a lot of data, including personal customer information. Make sure to keep up with the latest cyber security threats and use the necessary tools, such as security plugins to protect your business from potential cyber-attacks.

Customer Experience and Loyalty

Since customers have so many shops to choose from, retaining customers might prove to be harder than one might expect.

Loyalty is not that common when it comes to shopping online. Unless a store offers exceptional customer support and flexibility while shopping, it should not expect too much loyalty.

If you are looking for that perfect customer, it would probably be better to discard the idea and take a different approach.

Think of ways to improve customer experience in general. Even if you lack the resources, you can start slow. Implementing simple features, such as multiple payment options or writing an in-depth FAQ page to provide customers with answers to questions they might have. If you have a social media page that receives many queries, have someone who can respond to these queries.

Publishing feedback from previous shoppers is also something an online store should have. When someone is browsing products, they are more likely to base their decision after reading customer reviews below a product’s description. A plethora of positive reviews is a good sign, and it should encourage future shoppers to spend their money.

Later on, you should look to hire enough customer support reps to fill the time slots and have it running 24/7.

The bottom line is that each little thing that improves the overall customer experience will help a business to attract new customers and retain the regulars.

Price and Shipping

Some argue that traditional retail stores are doomed because shopping online is more convenient. The prices seem to be lower as well, and you get the goods delivered to your door.

However, the problem with price and shipping is that newcomers might struggle to determine their prices in a way that is fair for the customers but also not low enough for the business profits.

Shipping is also not as easy as one might think. You need to keep constant tabs and stay in touch with your shipping company to solve various delivery issues. More often than not, you will likely need to hire a dedicated person who will manage product shipping from your end.

Returns and Refunds

Returns and refunds are annoying, but they are a part of the ecommerce business. Some customers will be unhappy with the products they receive; others will get goods that do not fit and ask for a replacement.

As someone who owns an online business, you need to make peace with the fact that you will encounter customers demanding refunds and returning the goods.

The Role of SMS Marketing in Ecommerce

The new competitive standard in eCommerce is to reach consumers across channels. Brands are making every effort to meet consumers “where they’re at” (whether searching for products on Amazon or idly scrolling through social feeds), and also to better use key channels of communication to build deeper relationships.

Two of the longest-standing forms of business-to-consumer communication, which continue to be the most effective, are email and SMS. Email communications in eCommerce average a 16% open rate, while SMS messages are opened 99% of the time. In other words, the more personal and in-hand communications are always those that get more views.

Does SMS play a role in ecommerce? Yes—and on every level of the sales funnel. Big-scale sales online have to be automated as much as possible, and SMS bulk messaging provides an invaluable tool to automate messaging that still feels personal. The experience for consumers is similar to the live chat interfaces that have become even more popular recently, but is still perceived as more “human” than the anonymous interactions with AI-powered chatbots.

Another added benefit of using SMS in ecommerce is that not many businesses are doing it.

People are acutely conditioned to respond to the vibrations and chimes of their cellphones. As a result, there are multiple roles that SMS marketing can play in ecommerce funnels, though the use does change from the top of the funnel to the bottom. Keep reading to see what role SMS can play each step of the way!

SMS for Top of Funnel

The top of the funnel is where leads come in. Naturally, brands won’t have those users’ mobile numbers to send direct messages just yet, but the potential for personalized SMS technology in this stage of the sales process still exists.

One of the first interactions users tend to have with a brand comes in the form of questions. Whether they type a search string into the search bar on your site or open a chat feature to ask you something, these are actions that require immediate response for the user to proceed with the purchase. Added SMS capabilities at this stage of interaction have a huge impact on conversions and abandoned carts.

SMS helps you cast a wider net to capture leads, too. There are still those consumers who aren’t using smartphones, although they’re the minority now. Having the option to reach out through SMS gives brands a competitive advantage over those who aren’t SMS enabled, because just about every consumer can be reached (including those without smartphones).

With push notifications, geofencing, and other technologies, there are even more ways you can reach consumers at the top of the funnel with SMS. Just be sure to brush up on SMS best practices so that your messages never look like SPAM.

Possibilities with SMS for top-of-funnel interactions include:

• Broadcasting to audiences through geofencing
• Personalized event-based notifications
• Two-way conversations and customer service

Keep brainstorming, and you’ll see even more opportunities. SMS messaging at this stage of the funnel feels so hyper-personalized that you can bring your leads that much faster from top to bottom.

SMS for Middle of Funnel

The ad practice of remarketing is what helps re-engage the 98% of users who don’t convert when they first discover a product or service online. Most of those users are simply browsing options, or simply happened upon a page idly. Conversion on the first visit to an eCommerce site makes up the minority by a long shot.

Of those users who trigger remarketing display ads once they navigate away, three of five users notice the ads and remember them. Then, a quarter of those users even say they enjoy seeing personalized content based on products they’ve viewed previously.

While those numbers are encouraging (and make the case quite clear for remarketing efforts), SMS can be an even more effective channel to achieve the same thing. While 99% of SMS are seen within 24 hours, 97% are seen within the first 15 minutes of delivery. This means that as soon as a user navigates away and abandons a cart, immediate feedback can be sent through the one channel where they’re bound to read the message right away.

While conversions through SMS are high (especially when sending offers and immediate-action incentives), an eCommerce brand also has to make sure that the user experience (UX) on their site and marketplace listings are optimized. Otherwise, people will open the SMS almost immediately but then navigate to a page that’s unattractive or frustrating to use, and the benefits of the SMS push are immediately lost. Learn what unique control eCommerce sales enable in optimized UX (from web design to how you manage your product data), even on those marketplaces where you aren’t the owner of the site.

The middle of the funnel is where potential customers are qualified. The utility of SMS at this stage of the sales process include:

• Greater value out of latent, “just-looking” traffic through real-time offers
• More interactive and personalized customer support
• Prevention of shopping cart abandonment
• Marketing for special occasions

SMS for Bottom of Funnel

Here is where consumers arrive at that final “buy” button.

The role SMS plays at the bottom of the sales funnel is inherently linked to superior customer service. If you don’t like picking the phone up to call a business, you’ll understand, because that’s the trend in consumer behavior, too. SMS is what your customers want. They’re on their phones but want the distance and ease of a simple message, and this is where eCommerce businesses need to be.

Of course, you’re past the questions and customer service phase once you reach the bottom of the funnel. This is the step where traffic turns into actual customers. As a result, the kinds of campaigns using SMS change, too. Specific applications of SMS at the bottom of the funnel include:

• Getting more customer feedback and reviews
• Giving real-time updates on order status
• Providing onboarding and welcome messages
• Providing other post-purchase updates

Overall, use of SMS improves customer approval at the bottom of the funnel. Customers feel taken care of and get greater satisfaction from their purchases. SMS can also bring you a bigger return on each purchase because the power of “social proof” and the constant flow of positive reviews can be automated with SMS triggers that give customers the one-click satisfaction of leaving you five stars.

Beyond the Funnel…

Sales don’t stop at the bottom of the funnel. You want to continue marketing to existing customers so that they come back for more, too. They’ve already proven that they’re interested. You even have all their contact information. The most natural next step is to make that relationship even deeper.

Further developing the relationships you have is more efficient through SMS due to message open rates plus the name recognition your brand already has with the audience. In the face of the “new normal” and the trends that have recently impacted eCommerce, customer acquisition has become less about price and more about ease of communication. This positions brands using SMS well ahead of the curve.

Adding SMS to your marketing quiver starts with choosing which service to enlist. There are plenty to choose from, so you can shop for the SMS provider who is best equipped to partner with you for a strategy specific to your brand. Start with a consultation with HSPSMS today.

Author Bio

The following blog was written by guest author Alex Borzo, a content contributor at Amber Engine, a software company passionate about eCommerce. The company’s fast and simple PIM software gets sellers, distributors and brands to Amazon and other online marketplaces in weeks instead of months.

How to Promote Your eCommerce Business?

Seeing the increasing competition in the ecommerce industry, especially after Steve Jobs released the first iPhone in the market, digital marketing for ecommerce came into the picture. It has become the only source for success in ecommerce industry. There are different digital marketing channels which when utilized, can give you positive results. All of these channels involve some great marketing strategies, that can effectively take your business up in the market and help you grow.

Technology is evolving at a very fast pace. As the consumer’s behaviors are also shifting by the minute, the marketers are getting distracted from every angle. The situation is such that it has become very difficult to comment about whether today’s strategies will work the next month. This problem has eventually created a challenge for the ecommerce industry.

But the hopes are still high on Digital marketing. Let us look at things you should focus on to promote your ecommerce business and become successful.

1. Understand customer behavior

Before you start your business, start engaging with people whom you think can be your customers. You should know who your potential buyers can be, what would be their likings & disliking, how they would look at you, etc. You can also use the power of social media marketing to connect with them and find more about their behavior.

Once you know your customers inside out, targeting them will become easy and effective.

2. Envisage your industry

You should have complete knowledge about your industry as new things keep adding up. Do proper research and analyze the situation. This will help you in building the right strategies for market your products.

3. Sense your competitors

To know who your competition is, is the most important part in any business journey. You get to learn about your strengths and weaknesses and let you work more hard to retain your presence in the market.

4. Creating a digital presence

Having a digital presence is the key to run your ecommerce business. A lot of factors contribute to creating one. Like your website design, responsive versions, domain name, clarity of information, simplicity with creativity, and many more. It is practically a virtual shop which is open round the clock, so you have to be more conscious about what you showcase, as it can affect your sales.

5. Contemplate SEO

SEO is the core of digital marketing. Majority of online working starts with the search engine. Optimizing website for search engine is the key in SEO. Website content is played with the right set keywords to target the goal. SEO services company deal with these services professionally. They also keep a track of changing algorithms and update the website accordingly.

Traditional marketing is practically obsolete and ineffective for the shopping websites. Ecommerce websites cannot go a long way without the strategies of digital marketing. Creating a unique yet winning digital marketing strategy is pretty tricky but not impossible to achieve. All you need it an ecommerce web designing company who can cater to the growth of your business professionally.

Author Bio:

I am Ganesh Reddy. I am an author as well as an experienced SEO expert. I am working at PurpleSyntax Digital, It is a leading Digital Marketing Agency in Hyderabad. I have contributed in several blogs and websites with my powerful write-ups.

Why You Should choose eCommerce Loyalty Program for Your eCommerce Store?

These days, eCommerce business has become a great field. Most of the business owners are looking for perfect eCommerce store for their online business presence. But, having an online presence is not enough for getting more number of users. You need to do some extra efforts for engaging more number of users on your eCommerce store. And, eCommerce loyalty program is the best way to increase business sales.

There are many eCommerce loyalty programs which you can use for engaging more number of users towards your online store. Here, we are describing some e-commerce loyalty programs which you can use for enhancing your business experience.

The Fee-Based Program

In this loyalty program, customer get a VIP membership by paying some amount of money. It saves them from obstacles that could prevent future purchases. In this fee-based programs, as an online vendors, you can offer bigger discounts to your customers, free shipping, buy one get one offer and much more. You need to keep in mind that this program is beneficial for existing customers as you can trust more as compared to new customers. You can see the Amazon prime membership. They provide cool perks with shipping such as free access to video streaming, some points for early selected deals.

The Reward Partnership

With this loyalty program, you can do partnership with another brand. It will help you enlarge your brand reach through your partner’s audience. This program helps you build business relationship with other brand and offer your customer more than what your brand currently has. You can give some discount on other deals as if your customers buy products from your brand then they may get some special offers by other brands as well.

The Game Program

To attract more users towards your eCommerce store, you can offer them something special. Create a loyalty program based on a game and offer your consumers some interesting gifts if they win in that game. The game should be simple and easy to play so, customer will surely take interest in it otherwise they will not play it. You can choose quiz or “Spin the Wheel” game.

The Cashback Program

This type of loyalty program attracts the buyer more. Customers spend some money and they get some cash back on it. It is easy for a customer to understand. The cashback programs increase the interest of the users and with the remaining money they definitely come back to your brand.

For example: You may offer 2% cashback discount on total price. It will definitely engage more number of users.

The Non-monetary Program

This loyalty program is focused on charities and based on your target audience’s value. By this program, you can understand the interest of your customer’s and easily translate their purchase into charitable donations, depending on your brand specifics. This program enables you to support art initiatives, education program, animal right organizations, etc. You need to tell your buyers how their purchase helps those funds through this programs. Provide proper receipt of their purchase to create trust among users towards your brand.

The Hybrid Program

In this program, you can combine different types of loyalty programs. But, make sure that before combining any program, you need to take care of your user. There might be possibility that customers can be confused by getting many loyalty programs on the same products. Points and tier systems work well together as compared to mix of game, cashback, and fee-based programs.

The Points Program

It is the most simple and easy loyalty programs. In this loyalty program, customers earn some points while purchasing an item. They can easily transfer these points into rewards. But, you need to ensure that the points you are providing to your customers should be easy to calculate. This loyalty program works well for a short span of time.

Benefits of using E-commerce loyalty program:

# Get new users on board and existing ones as well.
# Enhance the customers’ interest
# Hold your clients under estimated cost
# Gather marketing requirement
# Increase customer retention rate and reduce churn rate
# Make your brand more recognized

Conclusion

To conclude, after reading all the above loyalty programs, you can see that loyalty programs increase the interest of customers towards your eCommerce store while buying any item. By using any e-commerce loyalty program in your eCommerce store, you can increase the number of sales in your business. Thus, we can say that eCommerce loyalty program is useful for your online business.

Author bio

David Meyer is a skilled web developer at CSSChopper who has vast knowledge about eCommerce website development. He has written many blogs on eCommerce loyalty program. These blogs are very helpful for gathering the knowledge of eCommerce store.