Nick Millward, VP Europe at mGage, looks at the ways that  SMS messaging can be used to improve your omnichannel strategy

We understand how important it is to meet your customers where they are, so integrating a robust omnichannel strategy can dramatically enhance the customer experience, leading to higher retention and revenue.   

With more than 3bn smartphone users worldwide, we ask has your brand adopted a customer engagement strategy that includes mobile messaging?

Below we’ve listed three ways retailers can incorporate SMS messaging into their omnichannel strategy.

1. Click and Collect

With 75 per cent of UK shoppers using Click & Collect services, this is a great example of how some retailers are providing an omnichannel experience for its customers. It provides a seamless experience for the buyers as it allows them to switch from online to offline.

It has also helped retailers increase sales, as a report highlighted a 65 per cent conversion in extra sales, as shoppers where making additional purchases in-store when they’d go to collect the items. (Source: Cybertil)

How to incorporate SMS with click & collect services?

The item is ordered online, the shopper chooses to collect this from the store. They then receive an SMS after the order is placed that contains the collection/order information. It’s no longer one channel to complete the order; you have web, SMS, and in-store all coming together in a unified way.

2. ‘Complete your Shop’ Reminders

Since the introduction of online shopping, retailers face a common issue, cart abandonment. Recent statistics say there is a cart abandonment rate of at least 75 per cent within the retail sector. Cart abandonment can be due to unexpected costs, technical issues, or more commonly ‘digital window-shopping’ or browsing. 

Cart abandonment can’t be eliminated; however, incorporating SMS into your omnichannel strategy can attenuate the issue.

How to incorporate SMS with ‘complete your shop’?

Sending an SMS reminder with a ‘complete your shop’ or ‘have you forgotten something in your basket’ with a link to click will drive shoppers back to the web or mobile app. Reminder notifications aren’t new as some retailers already offer this via email, but very few utilise the SMS channel. With SMS having an open rate of 98 per cent and being read in under 3 minutes, your customers are more likely to respond to the message. This will hopefully lead them to complete their purchase providing a seamless omnichannel experience for your shopper and increased revenues for you.  

3. Adding Shortcodes into your Marketing Campaigns

Whether it’s a poster at a bus stop, or a billboard in one of the busiest shopping centres in the city, non-digital ads struggle more and more to receive the same amount of attention as their digital counterparts and at times can seem like a wasted expense.

Instead of abandoning these advertising methods, you need to tailor them to reach the customer in a better way. Incorporating SMS shortcodes in your marketing campaigns can add to the omnichannel experience.

How to incorporate SMS shortcodes into your marketing campaigns?

By placing a shortcode (five-digit shortcode) on a poster, magazine or billboard, you give potential customers a way to quickly register their number and to immediately engage with your brand by directing them to your website, mobile app, or send them to your nearest store through an SMS message.

For example, you could incorporate a short code on an ad for a fashion retailer displaying the latest summer releases. This campaign could include:

• A link to the nearest stores, thereby encouraging the customer to visit a store and saving them the hassle from searching for one.
• A time-sensitive coupon that incentivises the customer to make a purchase immediately and decreases the likelihood of cart abandonment.
• Details on the products in the ad and a link to a digital cart to make a purchase.

Omnichannel strategy needs mobile messaging

Mobile messaging is a key part of successful marketing campaigns today and SMS is still one of the most utilized and effective communication channels in the world. Integrating SMS messaging into your omnichannel marketing is the next step to ensuring that your strategy is tailored to reach, retain, and engage your customers. It’s all about bringing these various channels together creating a unified experience for your users.

To find out how we have helped other brands enhance their omnichannel strategy, please contact us for more information.