Private Label SMS Platform: Should Online Retailers Use One?

Private Label SMS Platform

AvidMobile offers a private label SMS platform for mobile website, smartphone app and text marketing campaign development. Learn more at www.avidmobile.com.

The term “SMS” refers to Short Messaging Service, which is a way of sending texts via mobile handset or specialized computer program. Marketers can think of this as a more accessible form of email that arrives wherever customers happen to be, rather than in an email inbox at home. SMS works like a newsletter, where consumers can sign up of their own volition and opt-out if they so choose. A private label platform provides marketers with the opportunity to reach people with motivating promotions in real-time to affect store traffic. Yet, is there a benefit for online retailers who aren’t trying to move bodies into their stores?

A World of Opportunity

Did you know that more than 72 percent of all mobile users send and receive SMS text messages?

In other words, there are 170 million people texting!

Outside of the USA, it’s estimated there are 2.4 billion active texters!

Clearly, there is much potential here!

But what does all this mean to e-commerce and online businesses?

Well, for one — smart phones are rapidly replacing computers as the hottest way to hop online. That means many prospects of online businesses are accessing the sites through their mobile phones. It makes sense, then, to deliver a promotion directly to the user’s handset instead of making the user check his or her email inbox.

Companies like Sears and eBay have adopted the private label SMS platform as a great way to promote their website through embedded URLs within the message. Often they alert users of abandoned shopping carts to remind them to finish their purchasing process. Dutch Brothers coffee chain sends out deep discounts (like $5 coffees for $1) via text to inspire purchases, which can easily be done for online retailers too.

Over a third of SMS recipients respond to the ads they receive, which is a much better response rate than conventional email campaigns.

How To Get Started…

1. Build your SMS subscriber list as you would an email list.Create an opt-in offer that encourages online shoppers to sign up for exclusive offers or special rewards. Some users will offer a $1 off coupon at checkout for people who join the SMS list, for instance. Once the shopper enters a valid mobile number, the coupon code is sent via text.

2. A text marketing campaign will take one of three directions:

Most e-tailers send out special coupons or discounts to shoppers, which motivates them to visit the site.
Surveys to get feedback are another popular SMS use recommended by mobile advertising companies.
Reminders of special occasions, sales or abandoned shopping carts are a third use of mobile messages.

3. Once the business owner identifies his or her objectives, it’s time to find a technology provider.