At BackInStock, our mission is simple: help Shopify store owners capture lost sales when their products are out of stock. Gone are the days of hiding out-of-stock products on Shopify. Instead, we wanted to give shops a way to ping their customers faster, more directly, straight to their pockets. So, we developed SMS notifications for Back in Stock to supercharge your SMS marketing campaigns and customer winback strategy.
When your inventory falls below a certain level, Back in Stock notifies your customers through SMS when your product is available again. We'll show you how to set up BackInStock notifications for your shop in this post. So, stay in stock - and keep your customers happy!
Table of Contents
- Did you know that Back in Stock has SMS notifications?
- How SMS Marketing Works
- What are the Benefits of SMS Marketing?
- Getting Started with SMS notifications for Back in Stock
- Six SMS Marketing Messages to Try Out
- Frequently Asked Questions about Shopify SMS notifications
Did you know that Back in Stock has SMS notifications?
If one of your customers wants to know when your product is back in stock, they can choose to be notified via email or by SMS.
You might routinely miss an email if you’re anything like us, but a text message is almost impossible to ignore. So, SMS notifications allow you to notify your customer more directly.
How SMS Marketing Works
SMS (Short Message Service) marketing is a type of mobile marketing that allows businesses to send text messages to prospective and existing customers. This can be used to promote sales, new products, or special offers. SMS marketing is a great way to market to your target audience and keep them apprised of the latest happenings in your business.
SMS marketing is similar to email marketing in that SMS marketing strategy is outbound and is also fully in the hands of the business. That means you actually own the SMS subscriber list, unlike Facebook followers on your brand's Facebook page. However, even though you "own" the subscriber list, you must ask for consent from customers before sending them marketing messages.
SMS messages have shortcodes equivalent to a URL or company email address. Usually, the shortcodes are five digits, like 123-45, as an example. The shortcode is the address or phone number where the marketing texts are sent. Customers can opt-in to receive your SMS messages by texting a keyword (it could be anything: CATS, VIOLINS) to the shortcode you provide.
It's easy to turn on Shopify SMS messages. All you need to do is log into your SMS Notifications page (Account > SMS Notifications) and follow the instructions to enable the feature. As long as you have SMS marketing consent, you are free to send messages and build up your SMS list.
What are the Benefits of SMS Marketing?
There are many benefits of SMS marketing. Some of the most notable benefits include:
Reaching a wider audience
With SMS marketing, you can reach a wider audience than you would with other marketing channels. PewResearch estimates that around 97% of Americans own a cellphone of some kind. That's approximately 300 million potential subscribers for your SMS opt-in list! America is a land of opportunity, after all.
Cost-effective
SMS marketing is cost-effective when compared to other marketing channels. This is because you only have to pay for the texts that you send out. There are no monthly fees or set-up costs.
Time-saving
SMS marketing saves you time as it allows you to automate responses to key words or phrases that customers text in. This way, you can save time while still providing superb customer service.
Trackable results
SMS marketing is easy to track as you can use Shopify's built-in analytics to track your campaigns and see which ones are performing the best. This way, you can easily see what's working and not and make adjustments as needed.
Low unsubscribe rates
With SMS marketing, unsubscribe rates are low (usually less than 5%). This means that your subscribers are highly engaged and interested in hearing from you.
High Open Rates
If you don't want your customers to delete the message before seeing it, SMS messages are the way to go. Marketing texts messages have an open rate of 98%. To compare, Mailchimp found that marketing emails have an open rate of 17.38%. A difference of more than 80%!
High Response and Engagement Rates
SMS marketing text messages also have a high response rate to complement the high open rates. In fact, texts have a 209% higher response rate than phone calls, emails, or Facebook posts.
With SMS marketing, you can quickly and easily reach your target audience with personalized messages. This type of marketing allows you to stay in contact with your customers and keep them updated on your latest products and promotions. Additionally, SMS marketing can help you boost sales and increase customer loyalty.
Getting Started with SMS Notifications for Back in Stock
BackinStock.org is the SMS marketing app. It's a Shopify application that allows eCommerce businesses to send SMS stock notifications to their customers when items are back in stock. It's a great way to increase sales and keep customers happy!
How does it work?
When you sign up for BackinStock.org, you'll be given a unique phone number to use for your business. Customers can text this number to subscribe to your notifications. Then, when an item is back in stock, you can simply send a text message to all of your subscribers.
What are the benefits of using BackinStock.org?
There are many benefits of using BackinStock.org for your eCommerce business, including:
1. Increased Sales: BackinStock.org allows you to reach out to your customers when they're most likely to make a purchase - when an item they want is back in stock! This can lead to a significant increase in sales for your business.
2. Improved Customer Satisfaction: Customers will be happy to finally get their hands on the items they've been waiting for! This will lead to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty.
3. Reduced Costs: BackinStock.org is a cost-effective way to reach out to your customers, as you only have to pay for the text messages you send (which are very affordable). There is no need to hire additional staff or invest in other marketing channels.
4. Easy to Use: The BackinStock.org platform is straightforward to use, so you'll be up and running in no time!
5. No Contracts: There are no contracts or monthly fees associated with BackinStock.org. You can cancel at any time.
6. Cart recovery: BackinStock.org can also be used for cart recovery. If a customer abandons their shopping cart, you can send them a text message to remind them to finish their purchase. This can lead to more sales and happier customers!
How much does it cost?
Text messages are an affordable avenue as far as marketing campaigns go, and there are no monthly fees associated with BackinStock.org. You only pay for the text messages you send out to your customers.
Ready to get started? Here's how.
Ensure your customers know when your products are back in stock with our BackInStock Shopify SMS Notification integration.
To enable SMS notifications
1. Go to your Back in Stock dashboard.
2. Click Account.
3. Click SMS notifications.
4. Enable 'Show phone number field in popup form' and 'Deliver SMS notifications.'
5. Click 'Save settings.'
Once you enable SMS notifications, a popup form displays on your product pages. It will begin to collect phone numbers from customers who opt-in and send SMS messages to them automatically once the item is back in stock. You can also ask for your customers' consent at checkout.
Back in Stock also allows you to view real-time information about sent SMS notifications from the Notification Report in your dashboard.
This report shows all notifications created by a phone number when the SMS message was received.
Six SMS Marketing Messages to Try Out
1. The Announcement: Have a new product or promotional offer that you want to let your customers know about? Send these product announcements via text message! Be sure to keep it short and sweet, and include a link to learn more or make a purchase.
2. The Contest: Text-to-win contests are a great way to increase engagement and grow your list of subscribers. To enter, customers have to text a keyword to a shortcode. Then, you can randomly select a winner (or winners) from all of the entrants.
3. The Poll: Engage your audience and get valuable feedback by sending a poll via text message. Ask customers to text in their vote for their favorite product, flavor, design, etc. You can even offer a prize for participating!
4. The Tip: Share a helpful tip or piece of information with your subscribers that they can use in their everyday lives. This could be anything from a cooking tip to a money-saving hack. Be sure to keep your tips concise and relevant to your audience.
5. The Q&A: Have a frequently asked question that you get from customers? Use SMS to share the answer with your subscribers! This is also a great way to start a conversation and get feedback from your customers.
6. The Back in Stock: What would a Back in Stock SMS article be without mentioning the back in stock SMS marketing message? The Back in Stock SMS notification alerts your customers when an item on their wishlist is back in stock! Combine this feature with coupon codes or additional strategies to entice your customers to purchase and increase conversion rates.
Frequently Asked Questions About Shopify Back in Stock SMS Notifications
How do I enable SMS notifications for my customers?
Easy! Log into your SMS Notifications page (Account > SMS Notifications) and follow the instructions to enable the feature.
How much does it cost?
SMS notifications will cost $0.015 per message in addition to your monthly plan and count toward your allotted monthly notification limit. Usage charges will appear on the same Shopify invoice as your monthly payment.
Can I send Shopify Back in Stock SMS notifications to customers in any country?
Yes, absolutely!
Can I test out Shopify Back in Stock SMS notifications and then turn it off if I want to?
Sure, try it out and see how it goes! You can always turn it off if it’s not working for you. If the SMS feature is enabled and then disabled, however, any pending notifications that haven't yet been sent will not send when your product is back in stock.
How do I see how many SMS notifications I’ve sent (to gauge popularity or cost)?
Your account's Notification Report will show all notifications created with a phone number and exactly when they were sent.
Can I turn SMS notifications on for existing notifications?
No. Existing notifications were created with the customer's email address and a phone number is required to send it by SMS.
Conclusion
If you're not currently using Shopify SMS message notifications, we suggest giving them a try. They can be a great way to communicate with your customers and let them know when your products are back in stock. Plus, they're hard to ignore, so you can ensure that your customers will see the notification before sending the message to the bin!
