1. REGISTRATION CONFIRMATION
Some online shopping malls send SMS to subscribers at the point of registration on the website. This SMS contains a verification code to confirm whether or not the phone number registered is valid. This is one of the ways online malls uses bulk SMS.
2. WELCOME SMS
Nigeria’s shopping mall Konga is an example of a mall that sends welcome SMS once you’ve registered and verified your phone number. This allows the registered client to know his/her registration was successful and it’s a nice first impression which they say speaks volumes.
3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF CUSTOMER’S ORDERS
Once an item or a product has been ordered online, online shopping malls send an acknowledgment and confirmation of the order. In the SMS, the name of the product and the identification is confirmed, and also an estimated time of delivery is stipulated.
4. STATUS OF DELIVERY
Once the product is ready for delivery, an SMS is sent to the receiver that the product has been scheduled for a particular date. As soon as the product is also been moved down to the owner, an SMS is sent to the owner to inform that the product is in transit and the estimated time it would be delivered will also be included. A call is also customarily put across as a follow-up. As such the customer is ready for the delivery.
5. EXPLAIN AND APOLOGISE FOR DELAYS
If for a reason or the other the delivery of the order of a customer is delayed, he/she deserves to know. Online shopping malls use bulk SMS for this purpose. Explaining there will be a delay in the delivery period for the order and also apologizing for the delay.
6. COMMUNICATION WITH TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT
There might be an emergency that requires adjustment in the delivery schedule for some products, or there might be important updates or information that must be passed across to those delivering the order. Bulk SMS can be used in getting the information across fast and effectively.
7. ADVERTISEMENT AND MARKETING
Online shopping malls equally use bulk SMS for advertising and marketing their business. Once the phone numbers of subscribers have been gotten, bulk SMS can be sent to such ones to intimate them of new products available, free coupons, discounts, and other promo offers.
8. HOLIDAYS SMS AND OFFERS
During holidays celebration, online shopping malls can use bulk SMS to send goodwill messages to their customers. Included in such messages can be special packages for the holiday season; promos, bonuses, discounts, and free vouchers. It keeps the relationship with the customers stronger.
9. GET FEEDBACK AND FOLLOW-UP
The Nigerian online mall Jumia NG is an example of a shopping mall that uses bulk SMS to get feedback from customers who have just been sold a product. An example of an SMS requesting feedback looks like this; “Hello, we hope you enjoyed our Jumia Nigeria Marketplace order. Were you satisfied with the service from our delivery associate? Kindly reply Yes or No to (PHONE NUMBER)”. Once the reply is sent, the shopping mall can discern who is satisfied with the service and who is not, and can do a prompt follow-up on each class of persons. This helps in ensuring customers' satiety and helps the online business grow.
10. RECRUITMENT
Bulk SMS can equally be used by online malls for recruitment purposes. Interviews schedules, confirmation of employment, and other aspects of the recruitment process can be done through bulk SMS. It has been proven to be cheap and equally efficient.
These are just some of the major ways online shopping malls uses bulk SMS today. With the rapid growth of the online business in Nigeria today, it wouldn’t be long before other additional aspects of this lucrative business come in. When that happens, we can be sure SMS will be there at the first time of asking to help organize the process. Such is the importance of bulk SMS to lots of businesses today.
The online shopping mall is just one of the numerous lucrative businesses in Nigeria today, and just one out of the many that can be effectively managed using bulk SMS. Here at SmartSMSSolutions, we have a bulk SMS platform that works efficiently for use in your businesses, online ones inclusive. Sign up for an account here.
We hope this information has helped. Please use the comment box below to share your opinions.
