How SMS marketing Can Impact Your Online Sales. A steady growth in SMS marketing sales is promising in both markets and evinces the importance of using SMS marketing strategies to augment but not replace traditional online sales tactics. That eCommerce sales through traditional online mediums still outweigh sales via mobile devices. eCommerce sales for Q3 2013 were at $47.5 billion—a 13% growth over last year Q3. eCommerce spending on smartphones and tablets was at $5.8 billion in Q3, indicating a 26% increase from last year.
One effective way of using mobile to supplement eCommerce sales is by offering SMS online offers via mobile text marketing. Companies can always send text blasts to offer a discount when customers show their text message to the cashier at the time of purchase. However, text marketing offers certainly aren’t limited to in-person purchases. Text messages can of course contain a link, which allows customers to navigate directly to the mobile web site to make a purchase. Additionally, brands can get creative in using text marketing campaigns to help boost desktop sales. Text campaigns may contain a product code to enter into the web site for an exclusive product or service, offered only to marketing list subscribers; or texts may disclose a special promo code to plug in during web checkout for a discount. Text marketing is a simple but highly effective and personal way of communicating with a consumer base; hence, it is a fantastic way to drive more customers to the web site by incentivizing special offers and VIP treatment.
In the growing mobile economy, while still considering how significant desktop spending remains, brands must find innovative and effective ways to integrate their various purchasing platforms to both support and bolster sales across channels. Continuity in branding, ease-of-use, entertaining content, special incentives, and valuable information are all aspects to consider when building a cross-channel marketing strategy.
That growth in online spending will far exceed that in brick-and-mortar stores. For most brands, that means the Q4 holiday rush will require robust online and SMS marketingstrategies—offering intriguing content and valued products and services that stand out among the crowd of competing brands. The companies that will stay ahead of the curve are focusing on where people now tend to do most of their shopping: their phones and computers. That’s why it’s crucial now more than ever to get mobile and desktop working together to maximize online revenue.
