Top SMS Use Cases for Retail and E-Commerce in 2021

Business SMS (Short Messaging Service), otherwise known as bulk messaging, is a proven communications solution for retailers and e-commerce enterprises of all shapes and sizes.

With digital sales on the rise and smart retail services being adopted in greater numbers around the world, SMS offers powerful, two-way communications dynamic and versatile enough to facilitate intra-team and intra-company coordination as well as engagement with shoppers, employees, and retail and delivery partners at multiple points of contact.

In addition, SMS is widely accessible and globally standardized, making it convenient for businesses and individuals alike. Indeed, not only is it among the most affordable ways to communicate, it’s also easy to use and natively supported by every mobile phone on the market.

In this blog post, we’ll address the top five SMS use cases for retail and e-commerce businesses in 2021. However, if you’d like to learn more about Pareteum’s Messaging Solutions and how retail enterprises are currently using them, feel free to peruse our website or set up a meeting with one of our experts!

With that, let’s begin…

Top SMS Use Cases for Retail and E-Commerce

1. 1. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) / Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
      Multi-Factor Authentication refers to a digital authentication practice that grants users access to sensitive information or systems only after they provide multiple pieces of identificatory evidence. More succinctly, MFA requires users to confirm their identity in two or more ways (via passwords, SMS verifications, biometrics, etc.) before granting them access to sensitive information.
      From an e-tailer’s perspective, SMS can be deployed as an extra security layer in 2FA and MFA environments to optimize digital safety for online shoppers. And because SMS is independent from the internet, it’s perfect for preventing hacking incidents, reducing cases of identity theft, limiting unwanted purchases, etc.
   2. Track Order Status
      SMS is also a great way to improve customer experience. For instance, it can be used to keep shoppers informed of the status of their online orders. Retailers can send real-time SMS notifications announcing when orders have been received and confirmed, when packages have left the store or warehouse, when they re out for delivery, and even when they’ve arrived at their destination.
   3. Confirm / Update Delivery Times
      The beauty of SMS is that it’s a great two-way communications solution. This means that consumers can interact with retailers just as easily as retailers can engage with consumers. A byproduct of this is that it enables retailers to confirm delivery times with recipients.
      For example, let’s say a shopper is set to receive a delivery at 10:30 AM on a Monday. The retailer that shipped the order can send them an SMS with this ETA and include the option to delay the delivery to a later date or time. This not only makes things more convenient for customers, but also decreases the likelihood of failed deliveries.
   4. Order Updates and Other Customer Queries
      Likewise, the two-way nature of SMS means that customers can use it to contact retailers and e-commerce businesses directly for a variety of reasons. These include updating or cancelling pending orders, activating promotional codes, redeeming coupons or vouchers, inquiring about store hours, and more.
   5. Re-engage / Reactivate Customers
      Finally, SMS can be used by retailers to re-engage shoppers who may have lost interest or forgotten about a service or product. Indeed, one of the most valuable aspects of SMS marketing is that it’s super easy to personalize. It also boasts open rates as high as 98%, far outpacing its email marketing counterpart. Moreover, because it comes standard on practically all mobile phones, customers won’t need to install an extra application or open a browser to read messages.
      As such, SMS is a perfect tool for promoting things like flash sales, last-chance-to-buy opportunities, real-time pricing updates for items of interest, and other exciting opportunities that shoppers won’t want to miss.

How can Pareteum’s Messaging Solution improve your retail or e-commerce business? Contact one of our experts today!

About Pareteum

Pareteum is an experienced provider of Communications Platform as a Service solutions. We empower enterprises, communications service providers, internet service providers, mobile operators, full MVNOs, light MVNOs, early-stage innovators, developers, IoT (Internet of Things), and telecommunications infrastructure providers with the freedom and control to create, deliver, and scale innovative communications experiences.

The Pareteum platform connects people and devices around the world using the secure, ubiquitous, and highly scalable solution to deliver data, voice, video, SMS/text messaging, media, and content enablement.

For more information on Pareteum’s Messaging solution, set up a meeting!