How Text Messaging can Boost Fashion eCommerce Businesses

In the fast-paced fashion eCommerce industry, businesses feel the pressures that come with trying to engage audiences and turn them into paying customers. For smaller companies and startups in this space, finding a cost-effective digital marketing channel is the only way to keep up. Consumers are increasingly going mobile - and because of the speed and capacity for personalization, SMS marketing is the best option for engaging the right audience.

The average cell phone user checks their phone nearly 150 times a day. As consumers switch to mobile, people are increasingly using smartphones to reach brands - according to OuterBox, 79% of online purchases were made from mobile devices in 2018, and the number is expected to increase. Here’s how to use this powerful tool most effectively.

(Source: “Mobile eCommerce Statistics (Updated 2019) Percentage of Mobile mCommerce Shopping Trends”, OuterBox, 04/22/2019)

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Bulk text messaging for fashion eCommerce businesses

Bulk text messaging is short and sweet. It forces brands to put their message into 160 characters, making audiences are more receptive to engaging with their messaging. Compared to email, SMS marketing has 4x better open rates and ~15x better CTRs.

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1. Allow customers to track order status

A simple notification to confirm an order or to provide shipping details can significantly reduce the volume of calls or emails to customer care, while significantly improving customer experience.

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2. Win over undecided customers

The average cart abandonment rate in eCommerce was about 78.65% in 2017. Sending an SMS follow-up can encourage customers to complete the purchase - 54% say that they would complete a purchase if the store sent a unique follow-up with a lowered price on items in their cart.

(Source: “Complete List of Cart Abandonment Statistics: 2006-2018”, Barilliance, 02/28/2018)

(Source: “How Discounts Affect Online Consumer Buying Behavior”, Business2Community, 06/19/2016)

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3. Send special deals, offers, and coupons

Consumers love a good deal, and brands can utilize the power of SMS to send well-timed, personalized offers. Since 95% of all purchasing decisions are made subconsciously, it’s crucial to catch your customers at the right time to help boost sales during specific promotions or campaigns.

(Source: “Harvard Professor Says 95% of Purchasing Decisions Are Subconscious”, Inc., 03/26/2018)

Text messages are effective ways to share discount codes, vouchers, and exclusive deals and sales. SMS marketing automation platforms let you automatically segment users based on their prior shopping behavior or interaction with your brand, helping you quickly send customized offers with the best chance of resulting in a sale.

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4. Notify customers about new products or sales

Most retailers send emails to inform customers about new inventory. But email open rates are falling - largely because too many promotional emails are sent. A bulk text messaging solution garners higher engagement from your audience, so you can effectively share useful information like product launches or new stock of their favorite product.

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5. Send payment and delivery notifications with SMS

Businesses can use SMS to send relevant alerts to customers. With Voyage, you can send notifications in every step of the customer journey, from reminders to complete payments to letting them know when an item is ready to be delivered or picked up.

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Case Study - Increased Engagement for Fashion eCommerce brand through Voyage

Voyage worked with a Direct-to-Consumer underwear brand for women that promises better comfort than other lingerie brands. The brand added SMS to its marketing channels to build a larger audience and boost engagement with both new and existing customers. With Voyage, the brand saw an opt-in rate of 9%, a click-through rate of 45%, and a 90% uptick in audience retention.

By utilizing Voyage SMS, the brand was able to reduce customer service costs because they no longer had to deploy a large number of reps to manage requests. Instead, they used text to address common issues and queries with excellent results. They also saved money on expensive advertisements by carrying out more personalized conversations with customers and targeting them with tailored offers and promotions.