Utilizing Mobile Messaging with E-Commerce
It's hard to find someone who doesn't always carry their mobile phone.
After all, they're travel-friendly, easily accessible, and essentially a pocket-sized computer. Therefore, as a business, we may as well seize this opportunity to access customers whenever possible. Mobile Messaging can do this for you.
According to Braze, “The messages that you send via mobile can be powerful.” “Time spent on mobile devices has surpassed desktop and 80% of app users engage with their apps 15 times a day.” Knowing this, here are 9 different ways to use mobile messaging to increase engagement among your e-commerce customers.
1. Engage customers with an interactive experience
Make customers feel like part of an experience with your brand. If your customers receive a welcome and engagement from you, they will be more likely to keep your business's app or purchase from your business directly from their phone. According to Branch, “62 percent of smartphone users have bought something online using mobile devices in the past six months.” “And in 2016, mobile purchases were 34 percent of all eCommerce purchases worldwide, with this figure predicted to double as of the end of 2017.”
2. Send reminders
Gently remind customers about unopened promotional opportunities or abandoned purchases. Try using push notifications as a way to keep people informed about what's going on and engaged with your business. You can also use welcome and thank you emails to keep users engaged.
3. Offer special promotions
Use targeted promotions to gain engagement and ultimately win over your customers. According to Outerbox, some of the most popular promotions to win over customers are, “free shipping, percentage sales, BOGO, quantity discounts and rewards programs.” These promotions will persuade your customers to stick around.
4. Send out simple satisfaction surveys
Give your customers the opportunity to help improve your approach, product, and customer service. For example, mobile surveys give great convenience to someone on the go. Include simple questions in your survey that get straight to the point so people are more inclined to complete them.
5. Make your customer service mobile-friendly
Give the option of email, text, and phone calls to contact your customer support. Make sure you include choices for every demographic. For example, the younger generation may prefer to text a customer representative, while an older customer base may prefer to talk via phone.
6. Encourage social sharing
Feature your social media prominently in mobile messages to increase overall engagement with your business. Likewise, give customers the opportunity to follow you on all social media channels and share any content they like.
7. Give customers a call to action
Use SMS to drive promotions, updates, customer service, and congratulations on purchases. Keep these messages short and sweet and never send too many at once, as you never want your customer to feel bombarded.
8. Utilize referral emails
Give your loyal customers the opportunity to refer a friend to your business and incentivize them with something like a coupon or exclusive content. This will bring in business from people who may not know about your service and keep your existing customers coming back.
9. Thank your loyal customers
Gratitude is always important. Take the time to say thank you to loyal customers and maybe reward them with a discount or product update. This will help you retain customers who have already shown that they value your business. After all, keeping customers is just as important as gaining new ones, if not more.
Mobile phones are not leaving anytime soon. Make sure you leverage their popularity to engage with your customers. Do you have any other ways you use mobile messaging for your business? Let us know in the comments below!