Maybe your WooCommerce store is buzzing with potential, but something’s missing. Customers browse, add items to their carts, and vanish.
What if you had a strategy to grab their attention, reel them back in, and turn casual shoppers into loyal fans?
That is where SMS marketing for WooCommerce comes in, and believe us when we say it is a game changer for your online store.
In this blog, we’ll show you how SMS marketing syncs with WooCommerce, the awesome benefits it brings, and the great tools to use.
Why is SMS Marketing Essential for Woocommerce?
If you have been hesitant about adding SMS Marketing to your list of Woocommerce strategies due to fear of getting it wrong, then it’s time to switch things up.
An e-commerce survey in 2024 reported that popular brands collectively increased SMS by 31%, far more than previous years combined.
But the question remains; why does the strategy work? Let’s find out.
1. Click-through Rate
SMS messages, especially personalised ones have been proven to have high click-through rates, as high as 36% which is far more than that ofpush notifications and in some instances, emails.
This is not surprising as SMS messages feel more personal, even when not personalised to suit the customer’s details.
2. Personalised Texts
We already know how cool personalised messages are. The main issue many ecommerce business owners have with personalisation is the time and work they think would be put in to customise messages to suit each customer’s taste.
However, there are software marketing tools that can do this and fix other details in record time.
3. Fast Delivery
Messages sent via SMS are far more reliable to be delivered. Recipients do not need to be connected to the internet as is the case with emails, and they do not need to create accounts to receive them.
Every mobile device comes with an inbuilt SMS app or software, and delivery speed to recipients is so much faster than most other means.
4. Open Rate
Emails can be swiped off the screen without being read and they go on to live a lonely life with other mails on the inbox. Push notifications can be ignored as well.
SMS messages on the other hand are usually opened due to how direct they seem. The open rate for SMS messages is as high as 98% and that’s no exaggeration.
5. Metrics
With SMS marketing, it is super easy and convenient to measure success and conversions, even failures as well.
This will enable you to tailor your strategy better and get a higher yield the next time you employ the SMS marketing strategy.
6. Cost Saving
Although this is debatable in many ecommerce business circles, SMS messages seem to be far cheaper than other outreach means like emails.
This ensures you can redirect funds to other needed requirements to boost your business.
How to Add SMS Marketing Plugin for WooCommerce
Before going further, we assume you must have a WooCoomerce store by now. That being done, here is a generic guide on how to integrate SMS marketing in WooCommerce.
First, pick an SMS service or plugin you can easily adapt to. There are multiple SMS services with awesome tools you can adopt.
We suggest you choose one that seamlessly integrates with your WooCommerce platform like Omnisend or even Klaviyo.
After making your choice, add the plugin to your WordPress dashboard, connect it to your SMS provider via API keys, and set up sender details.
Done with the installation and configuration? Now set up automated SMS triggers for events like order confirmations, shipping updates, or abandoned cart reminders.
The next logical step is to design promotional SMS messages (e.g., discounts, flash sales) and ensure they’re concise due to the 160-character limit.
Then add an opt-in checkbox at checkout or on your site to comply with regulations like TCPA or GDPR, ensuring customers agree to receive SMS.
Popular WooCommerce SMS Plugins
There are lots of plugins readily available today, and you might find it hard to choose one or more due to an excess of options.
Should that be the case, here are some we recommend and summaries of what they offer.
1. SMS Customer Notifications for WooCommerce
This connects with providers like Twilio or ClickSend and offers automated order updates, opt-in features, and customizable messages. Ideal for transactional notifications.
2. FunnelKit Automations
The plugin is a robust tool for both transactional and promotional SMS. Integrates with Twilio or Bulkgate, supports abandoned cart recovery and allows personalization with merge tags.
3. WP SMS WooCommerce Pro
The pro version enables SMS campaigns, mobile verification, and abandoned cart reminders. Great for stores needing advanced marketing features.
4. Twilio SMS Notifications
Twilo is popular for its Simplicity and reliability. It sends order status updates, admin alerts, and is perfect for basic SMS needs with global reach.
5. BulkGate SMS Plugin
BulkGate Supports SMS, Viber, and WhatsApp messaging. It also offers order notifications and bulk marketing campaigns with AI-assisted message creation.
What are Effective SMS Marketing Strategies for Woocommerce?
Using the right plugins and knowing why SMS marketing works for WooCommerce is not enough. You need to know tips and when to apply them. Here are some to implement.
1. Keep Things Concise and Short
SMS messages may have high open and click-through rates, but sending extensive lettered texts will only annoy recipients and get your messages pushed to the recycle bin or deleted.
Lengthy, wordy messages don’t just clog up screens. They clog up patience, too. Customers crave quick, snappy, to-the-point communication in their texts, something they can skim in seconds and act on instantly.
Sending a full article will risk turning your hot lead into a cold shoulder.
2. Add CTA
Apart from adding a link to your online store at the tail end of your SMS, also spread them through the body of the message, including the beginning as well. Start strong by dropping a link right at the beginning, to catch their eye before they even scroll.
Sprinkle another in the body of the SMS to keep the excitement going, and conclude with one at the tail end for that final push.
It is all about giving your customers multiple doorways to your online store, no matter how they skim your message.
By spreading those links like breadcrumbs, you are not just pointing them to your store, but practically making it effortless for them to shop and explore.
3. Time Perfectly
Timing is everything in SMS marketing for your WooCommerce store, and we have a recommendation for you. Aim to send those messages between 9 AM and 6 PM.
However, you have to factor in the time zones of your target audience. After all, a perfectly crafted text blasting at 3 AM their time isn’t winning you any fans but will more likely earn you a spot on their block list.
4. Tweak to Perfection
Several factors influence how much sales, conversions, etc take place on your ecommerce platform.
This explains why what works for an e-store similar to yours does not work for yours and vice versa. The solution to this is to test and tweak these strategies till you find the perfect balance.
Once you get this right, your conversion rate will make up for the losses incurred while experimenting.
5. Measure Success
Use relevant metrics to find out what works and more importantly, why it works.
Why does this matter? Because understanding the why behind the numbers is your secret sauce for levelling up. Metrics aren’t just stats, but also your roadmap to smarter decisions.
By decoding what works for your platform, you’ll fine-tune your next batch of SMS messages to hit harder, connect deeper, and rake in more sales.
6. Random Exclusive Deals
Dropping exclusive deals, promos, and percentage off sales from time to time will ensure customers try not to miss out on those deals.
You can also send exclusive deals to customers on their birthdays, graduations, etc. This way, you prove you care beyond making sales, while also making sales.
This will make them read all SMS messages sent from your end. Be careful not to overdo this to avoid chipping into your profits by mistake.
7. Post-Purchase Check-Ups
Take your time to check on customers after they make a purchase.
Ask them how the product or products they bought is working, and how satisfied they are with the product’s utility.
This can even be an opportunity to cross-sell related products which leads to even more sales for your ecommerce store.
Also Read – SMS Marketing for Ecommerce
Conclusion
With the tips, explanations, plugins and other examples given on how and why SMS marketing works for WooCommerce, applying them should not be difficult.
Remember the aim is to reach out and convert as many customers as possible. Hence, it is necessary to tweak these tips and finetune them to get the perfect results.
So, why not book a FREE discovery call with us today to get more strategies on how to move your e-commerce business to the next awesome level?
