The volume of eCommerce business grew by almost 14% in the second quarter of last year, exceeding 13.6 billion euros. A figure that continues to grow year after year and that yields two great conclusions. First, that online commerce is here to stay. And second, that the competition to attract sales is increasing.
That is why today we are going to explain two tools whose use in eCommerce campaigns is growing exponentially: Whatsapp and SMS, and more specifically, the possibilities of these two communication channels applied to the world of eCommerce.: WhatsApp Business API Y SMS services for companies such as SMS landing pages or SMS surveys.
What is WhatsApp Business for eCommerce and how does it work?
is an application programming interface created to make communication between brands and their customers closer and more efficient. It is an adaptation of the popular instant messaging application, aimed at professional use and especially useful for eCommerce.
For example, it incorporates automation tools that intuitively allow you to configure personalized responses to questions that customers ask through WhatsApp. It also allows the incorporation of audiovisual material in these answers to offer more detailed information about the product catalog and improve the customer experience.
There are two modes of use: through its app or through an API. The application works in a very similar way to classic WhatsApp; while with the API you can integrate advanced functionalities for professional uses such as chatbot integration and message automation, integration with a CRMeCommerce platform or other software, in addition to other advantages such as templates or unlimited communications.
3 Advantages of WhatsApp Business for an eCommerce
WhatsApp Business has become a practically indispensable tool for all those businesses that have an eCommerce and need support in dealing with questions from customers interested in their products or who request support. Next, we review some of its advantages.
1. High penetration and multi-format content
It is a well-known channel that is commonly used by most customers, which facilitates interaction. Spain is one of the countries in the world with the highest WhatsApp penetration (above 90%).
In addition, it supports all kinds of formats: images, icons, documents, audio and video, as well as text. This provides infinite possibilities to make the relationship more friendly or attractive, or simply more adapted to what you want your business to project.
2. Communication in real time and with chatbots
As with traditional Whatsapp, messages are sent in real time, which allows the client to resort to this channel at any time. The conversations can be initiated by the user, typical of customer services; or initiated by companies. For example, sending promotional offers that can lead to a two-way conversation.
Likewise, with WhatsApp Business API you can use welcome messages, absence messages and automated responses. If there is a chatbot configured behind it, the response will be immediate and adapted to the client’s casuistry, which improves response efficiency, especially for eCommerce with a higher volume of queries.
3. Deliverability information
When we send a letter by post, unless it is a certified letter, we are not always sure that it has been received and read. This problematic solved with WhatsApp Business API, since you will be able to know at all times if the message has been sent, delivered and when it has been read. In addition, there is a statistics section, which allows you to track marketing campaigns and the impact they have had.
3 SMS services for eCommerce
Other key communication channel for an eCommerce are SMS. As a universal mobile messaging service, its reach is increasing and its use has grown steadily in recent years in professional or business environments. The solutions of they have an impressive open rate of more than 94%, so you can be sure that your message will be read. It’s also very versatile, with the flexibility to receive responses and integrate with your software applications. These are some of the most common uses of SMS to promote an eCommerce:
1.Click&collect
One of the use cases that is growing the most is notifications of “click & collect”. These types of messages are very common in the retail and mass consumption sector. It is a very good option to keep customers informed and retain them. Information on customer pick-up instructions can also be added.
2. Upselling of products or services
It is very common to use the to get additional sales. This technique consists of offering a customer an item or service of higher quality than the one they have already bought. For example, booking a superior room in a hotel at a discount. The more upselling communications are sent, the more possibilities are generated and with it, to increase income.
3.OTP Codes
The OTP codes are single use codes that are used to perform a double check. For example, instead of just entering a password to access an account, the customer enters their password and a unique code sent to the customer in a message automatically at login. The goal is to prevent fraud or identity theft.
Benefits of SMS in eCommerce
SMS generate multiple Benefits for eCommerce. Here we review some of the most important:
customer engagement
The “customer » is one of the great challenges of brands, who aspire to be relevant to their customers despite the enormous competition that exists in the online environment. SMS offers a simple and non-invasive way to obtain valuable feedback that allows companies to adapt and connect with their customers.
One in three organizations say customer engagement is the biggest challenge posed by COVID-19. In Spain, given that 98.5% of the population has a mobile phone, SMS messages can be a great way to interact with your clientele quickly and affordably.
ROI maximization
Compared to other digital marketing channels, SMS is much more profitable, as well as being a cheap and highly effective channel. Therefore, SMS is especially useful for those newly launched stores that need to attract customers but have a limited budget to spend on marketing campaigns.
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