This ensures that when a marketer sends an SMS, it would definitely reach the mobile phone of the recipient. Most mobile users read the SMS they get or at least have a look at it. Studies show that 90% of all SMS are read within 3 minutes of receipt. This ensures that SMS mobile marketing is the most effective way of reaching out to existing and potential customers. It is a great tool for marketers to use.

The power of SMS marketing

There are many reasons for the popularity of SMS marketing. These include:

• SMS marketing is less intrusive than a telephone call. A customer who is busy with his/her work may not like receiving a phone call from a marketer. The customer may even block the marketer. On the other hand, an SMS is non-intrusive, since the customer has the option not to read it.
• The possibility of a customer reading an SMS is much higher than the possibility of a customer opening an email or receiving a call from a marketer. This makes it a very powerful tool for marketers.
• The response rate for SMS marketing is around 45%, making it one of the best promotional tools using digital technology. Even Google search results do not have such a high response rate.
• SMS marketing is much more effective than email marketing. It ensures six times higher response than email marketing.

All these benefits demonstrate the power of SMS marketing.

How SMS marketing is taking over all industries?

It is not just one type of industry where business SMS marketing is being used. Marketers from all industries and service sectors use it. The benefits explained above are the reason why all industries use this form of marketing.

The following are some instances of how SMS marketing is being used in different industries:

• The restaurant and fast food industry are using SMS marketing to promote offers. It can be used to make a customer order food (like a pizza or burger) by projecting an offer. A well-designed SMS with a call-to-action can effectively help restaurants get orders quickly. They can launch targeted campaigns to produce better results.
• The retail sector is using SMS marketing very effectively. This would be especially useful to reach out to leads who had not completed an order. Enquiries who had shown interest but had dropped out at the last minute can be contacted through SMS. A special offer to help them decide and make a purchase and be executed effectively through SMS marketing. This is a good way to convert leads that seem to have been lost.
• E-commerce sector is using SMS for marketing very effectively. A new customer can be acquired through SMS marketing by sending new offers and benefits of registration. Offer codes can be sent through SMS, which a customer can use while placing an order to get discounts. If a customer has products in the cart but not checked-out, a special offer message can be sent to motivate him to complete the order. SMS marketing can be used to launch campaigns for repeat sales to existing customers.
• The financial sector is also using SMS marketing. Earlier financial advisories and other companies used email marketing, which was not effectively because of advanced spam filters. SMS marketing allows bulk marketing, whereby they can send details of their services to prospective customers and the possibility of response would be high. Personalized messages to investors can be sent using SMS software.
• Business to business firms are finding SMS marketing highly useful. They cannot just send promotional messages but can also use SMS to send alerts to existing customers. For example, based on order history, a supplier can send an alert reminding a customer to re-order goods so that it does not fall below danger levels. Business customers would appreciate the professional way in which SMS marketing works.
• The training and education sector can use SMS marketing effectively. They can send information on start of new courses or start of a batch. Details of batch start date, scholarships or discounts offered can be sent easily through SMS. This is being used by large schools and colleges and by small institutions for marketing promotion.

As can be seen, every industry is adopting SMS marketing. It is truly a great way of promotion and highly effective in the results produced.

2016 was a turning point for ecommerce as large retailers who had more than $50 million in annual sales saw an increase from 10% to 100% in their online revenue.

That is not a surprising turn of events because smartphones changed the online shopping game considerably. Nowadays, some 33% of online shoppers use their smartphones as opposed to 31% who use their laptops and 27% who turn to their desktop computers to shop online.

However, another exciting development happened in ecommerce, and it soon became one of the crucial points driving the sales—online reviews. 45% of Americans use their mobile phones to search for online reviews of specific products or even to look for better deals.

So, what is it about the online reviews that appeal to us so much? Better yet, why do we trust perfect strangers to such a degree that we allow ourselves to be so influenced by their opinions and are willing to buy a product we have never used before?

In a nutshell, people trust other people. They trust their opinions and experiences.

The Undeniable Power of Online Reviews

Most people need about 10 reviews before they decide to buy or not to buy a particular product. Considering that the latest data indicate that more than 90% of people turn to online reviews before they decide to buy something, the power of online reviews is not to be neglected by online businesses.

Even if customers are familiar with the fact that some of the posted reviews are fake, they will still turn to reviews. Predominantly, Yelp is an online review forum, and many use it for guidance during their decision-making processes.

Positive Online Reviews

Naturally, if your business receives positive online reviews, you are more likely to increase your sales as shoppers feel confident and will be more willing to spend their money. Most, if not all, online businesses encourage their customers to spend some time and leave a comment or a review describing their products and their shopping experience.

What to Learn from Bad Online Reviews

One would probably think that is one of the worst things that can happen to a business, considering the importance of online reviews. In fact, the opposite is true. It is impossible to satisfy everybody. Therefore, it is impossible for all shoppers to be happy with the product a business is selling or to be smitten by the shopping experience. Interestingly, having some bad reviews actually lends credibility to your business since having the perfect reviews makes people think all those positive reviews are fake.

Besides, clever and attentive business owners take bad reviews and turn them into a learning experience. Allowing your customers to have a voice and then working on improving potential shortcomings can only add to the overall strength of your brand. Consequently, you will also show just how important your customers are to you.

Conclusion

It would be careless not to pay attention to online reviews and not to encourage your customers to post them. Yet, it is equally important for online businesses to monitor those reviews and act promptly when their customers are not satisfied. Offering excellent customer support as well as a great product and learning from both good and bad online reviews, can only strengthen your business.

There are many tools and services available to help you through this process, even if your budget is tight. Useful online tools can help you set up an online store and advertize your business. Experienced commercial movers can help you move out of your office with ease and relocate your inventory. But that doesn’t mean the task ahead of you is easy.

Taking your brick-and-mortar business online involves a number of decisions to make and factors to consider. Although every business is unique and has different needs and priorities, some of them are common for all types of business.

Selecting a platform

Choosing a platform is one of those big decisions. In fact, it is the most important step in moving your brick-and-mortar store online. Choosing a platform that is professional, reliable, and user-friendly at the same time is far from simple. As mentioned, every business is unique and your e-store should reflect that.

If you already have a company website, your web hosting service probably has an eCommerce plugin you can add to your website. A plugin that links to your point of sale system (POS) allows for a quick and smooth transition from brick-and-mortar to online store.

In case you don’t have a website already, a point of sale system that links to an eCommerce platform is a great tool to have. It can handle things like inventory updates, payments, and tax collection for your physical (if you still have one) and online store simultaneously. Your existing store inventory will sync with your e-store, which will facilitate the management process across both channels.

If you do not have an existing site or a POS system, there are many great eCommerce platforms to choose from. To narrow your choice, take the following factors into consideration:

• Can you afford the cost of an eCommerce platform, a website host, and a custom domain name? Are there any additional expenses?
• Is the platform simple to use and install?
• How secure is it?
• Does it offer customer support?
• Can it support the growth of your business?
• Is the design flexible enough? You should be able to achieve a look that represents your business in the best way.
• How many products can you add to the platform after moving your brick-and-mortar business online?
• Does it support different devices? Check whether the platform you are interested in has mobile-friendly themes or allows you to use mobile plugins to adjust your online store.

Deciding which products to sell in your online store

Another big decision. Certain products cannot be sold online. There are legal restrictions that prohibit selling some products on the Internet. Also, selling some items online would not make as much sense as selling them in a physical store. People tend to buy some products impulsively when they see them in a store, but they don’t do the same when shopping online. On the other hand, there are products you can sell online that wouldn’t otherwise sell in a physical store.

Showcasing your products online

One of the main disadvantages of moving your brick and mortar business online is that customers cannot interact with the products you’re selling directly. However, you can make up for that with effective photography and great descriptions.

Quality photos should give your potential customers the best idea of what they are buying. Make sure the lighting is good and the photos look professional.

An accurate product description should also help potential buyers make a decision. To encourage customers to proceed with the purchase, avoid mentioning the price or discounts in the product name. Don’t forget to include product dimensions and other relevant details in order to reduce the number of complaints. In addition, it is recommendable to break out your product descriptions into bullet points since many customers have a short attention span.

Packaging and shipping

Although moving your brick-and-mortar business online has numerous advantages, the process of getting a product to a customer may not be one of them. It isn’t as simple as putting a product in a bag and handing it to the customer. When running an online store, shipping and fulfillment are very important elements of your customer service.

You can do the packaging and shipping yourself or work with a third party service. Hiring a third party business to warehouse, pack, and ship your goods directly to your customers can make your job a lot easier. Look for a trustworthy provider that can integrate directly into the eCommerce platform you are using and offer different shipping options. Whether you choose to take care of the shipping yourself or hire a third party service, ensure that your products are handled with care and delivered on time.

Managing your online store

Starting a new eCommerce sales channel requires familiarizing yourself with the technology you’ll be using after moving your brick-and-mortar business online. If you are new at this and you’re not sure you can do the job well from the start, you may need some assistance. Have someone more tech-savvy help you out, at least until you gain a deeper understanding of how the channel works.