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20 ideas to include transactional SMS in your sales processes

An important part of your Marketing and Communications strategy in any eCommerce is using SMS. Text messages allow for quick and direct communication, transmitting reliability, which is basic when purchasing. That is why today we want to talk about transactional SMS (those which are sent in key moments in the relationship with clients and have notifications or alerts). These are usually SMS that require a specific action (such as the confirmation of a received delivery) and that is why they are so useful. 

If you are thinking about including transactional SMS in your sales strategy, don’t stop reading because we will tell you why they are so efficient, how they can help you, and we’ll give you some ideas on how to use them correctly. Let’s start, shall we?

Transactional SMS: useful to build loyalty, increase sales, and decrease returns

First, it’s important to know that using transactional SMS has many advantages for any eCommerce, no matter the field. They are a powerful weapon to build loyalty (especially to get more purchases), to increase sales and decrease returns. But what are the features that make them so interesting?

• Programming schedules: You know your client better than nobody, that is why you know when and how you should send them a message to be efficient. Transactional SMS allows you to adjust the sending, making it exactly at the time you choose.
• Personalization: we know that personalizing the relationship with the client is important in any purchasing process. Transactional SMS are completely personalizable so they are 100% efficient.
• Automation: you can automate the sending process so, once you define the parameters, you don’t need to worry about anything else. That’s practical, right?
• Direct and immediate: There’s no other way of communication more direct or immediate than this one. Especially when considering we live in a time when the smartphone is essential for most users.
• International and universal: without frontiers. Send SMS for eCommerce in any country quickly and efficiently and reach a wider audience.

How can I use transactional SMS to make the most out of them?

Interesting, right? When reaching this point, you may be asking yourself how to include transactional SMS in your sales process. Well, you can do this in many different ways. These can be useful to reach your client and prevent your message from being lost between hundreds of emails (something that can happen when using emails). In this first article, we have gathered 20 ideas that will surely be useful when registering and buying and in your plans of building loyalty.

Ecommerce management: SMS for your business every day

• 1) A welcome message when creating an account: a welcome SMS will make your client feel safe while transmitting trust in your eCommerce. 
• 2) Confirmation of a parcel: Your client just purchased and receives an SMS where they are informed about their registered order. This is an excellent way to keep them informed and to generate trust and proximity.
• 3) Notification of a change of status: the registered order has been prepared or just left the warehouse. Why not send an SMS to inform the buyer. These are messages that give valuable information while making the company look serious. 
• 4) Sending a tracking number of a parcel: giving people this type of information gives them a good purchasing experience and you only have to send an SMS.
• 5) Imminent delivery: in the same vein as the previous point, inform your client that their parcel is about to arrive and keep them happy (while maintaining a good company reputation). 
• 6) Ask for feedback or an opinion: nothing makes you more reliable than the opinion of others who have already bought from you. That is why, if you want to include this type of review in your eCommerce, transactional emails are a great way to ask for them to your users or buyers.

Security: offer guarantees using transactional SMS

• 7) Notification of issues: when an issue occurs, information is key to minimize the situation and avoid complaints or crisis. Have you thought that a quick and direct method such as SMS can be very useful in these cases? The truth is that text messages work very well to keep people informed while the problem is solved. 
• 8) Following a return process: Managing returns is key for any eCommerce. Transactional SMS can be great allies to accompany and guide the client in the whole process. 
• 9) Sending a payment link: SMS are safe and 100% reliable. That is why they are perfect to send a payment link. This is a direct and quick way to guide your buyers into purchasing from you. 
• 10) Confirmation of received payment: transactional SMS can help you go an extra mile. That is to say, when they have paid, you can let your clients know you have received the money. This is a type of direct and quick communication that will give your clients peace of mind. 
• 11) Renewal alert: you can send a notification SMS of renewal in the case of subscriptions and recurring purchases.

SMS as a tool to build loyalty: don’t stop using them

• 12) Reminder of abandoned carts: abandoned carts are most companies’ best allies. Transactional SMS are good tools to remind your users that they have pending objects to pay for so you get more clients.
• 13) Birthday congratulations and other special dates: loyal clients can become 75% of an eCommerce. An excellent way to build loyalty and trust with your habitual users to congratulate them on their birthdays and other important dates. Have you thought about doing it through SMS? Include a promotion to make the message even more effective and to get more conversions. 
• 14) Inform about new stock: it’s always a bit disappointing not to find your size of a T-shirt you love or look for something that doesn’t have stock. That is why SMS are good to keep your clients informed about what you have and what you don’t. They go directly to the mobile, so people will surely read them.
• 15) Information about the advantages of being a client: if you have a system of points people can exchange for gifts and discounts, transactional SMS are the best way to inform your clients of all your actions here.
• 16) Send a link to polls: do you usually do polls to know more about your potential clients? Do it with an SMS, in a quick and direct way by sending a link so people can access your surveys. 
• 17) Sending bills or documents:  Try to notify people of available bills by including a link to the document inside the SMS. 
• 18) Subscriptions to catalogs, categories, or news: let people know they have subscribed to something can be more comfortable via SMS than via email, as most inboxes today are saturated with emails from many companies. 
• 19) Links to events, presentations, or webinars: it’s more and more common for users to follow events or webinars through their mobile devices. That is why sending invitations via SMS is an excellent way to guarantee their attendance.
• 20) New products or news in general: communicate the news about your company through an SMS to build loyalty and have a good relationship with your clients for future purchases.

These are just some ideas for using transactional SMS in eCommerce, but the truth is that there are many more. In the following articles we will tell you about some other ways of including them in your strategy. Don’t miss out on them!