Text messages get read. 98% of them, within minutes. But send too many, ignore legal requirements, or blast generic promotions, and you’ll burn your list faster than you built it (and nobody recovers from that easily).
As an email marketing consultant who has helped hundreds of businesses recover millions in abandoned revenue, I’ve prepared this guide ecommerce SMS marketing guide, covering:
- High-converting automation flows
- Platform selection for your tech stack
- Measurement frameworks proving incremental revenue
- Legal compliance keeps you out of $1,500-per-message fines
- Timing rules for a channel that lives in personal space
- List building beyond basic pop-ups
Let’s explore how to launch a compliant SMS program that complements email, drives repeat purchases, and proves its value to your CFO.
TLDR: Ecommerce SMS marketing fundamentals at a glance
The table below summarizes everything you need before sending your first text.
| Element | What you need to know |
| Consent requirement | Prior express written consent required for promotional texts (TCPA enforced, $500-$1500 fines per violation) |
| Click-through rate | Benchmarks vary — 20-35% range reported by major vendors (rely on CTR, not “open rates” which carriers can’t measure) |
| Recommended frequency | 4-8 promotional messages monthly — transactional messages sent as needed |
| Quiet hours | Respect 8 AM – 9 PM recipient-local time (evolving case law for consented texts; some states have stricter rules) |
| Top-performing flows | Welcome series, cart abandonment (within 1 hour), shipping updates, browse abandonment |
| Average ROI | Forrester studies report 132% for Twilio Messaging, 181% for Attentive; revenue attribution varies widely by brand |
| Character limit | GSM-7: 160 characters; Unicode (emojis) — 70 characters; messages split into segments when exceeded |
| Must-have compliance | Process STOP/HELP — disclose opt-out at opt-in and regularly; double opt-in is optional but recommended; 10DLC registration |
Your emails need to land before SMS can follow
SMS works brilliantly as a follow-up channel when your emails actually reach the inbox.
But if your primary channel keeps hitting spam folders, you’re building on shaky ground (and wondering why your omnichannel strategy keeps disappointing).
We’ve seen this dozens of times. Brands invest in SMS platforms, build lists, write great copy, and then can’t figure out why results fall flat. The culprit is their email deliverability, which was broken from day one.
EmailWarmup.com fixes this foundation before you add SMS to your stack:
- Unlimited deliverability testing
- Dedicated consultants handling SPF, DKIM, and DMARC setup
- Personalized email warmup mirroring your actual sending patterns
- Free email spam checker extension showing real-time inbox placement
Let us audit your setup, show you what needs fixing, and get you ready for omnichannel success.
Why does SMS outperform most marketing channels?
Text messaging occupies a unique position in your customers’ lives.
Their phone sits within arm’s reach 24/7. Notifications appear on locked screens. Texts land among messages from friends, family, and urgent personal communications.
The channel’s effectiveness extends beyond marketing.
Columbia University research shows SMS nudges reliably change real-world behavior (doubling smoking quit rates in UK trials, improving medication adherence in Kenya).
If texts can influence health decisions, they can certainly drive purchase behavior.
The engagement advantage
Within three minutes of delivery, many vendors report that the vast majority of recipients have read your message (though carriers don’t provide definitive open tracking).
Compare this to email, where someone might see your subject line hours later (or never).
Click-through rates range between 20%-35% depending on offer quality and audience segmentation, according to major SMS platform benchmarks. Response rates hit 40-45% in many vendor studies.
However, you need to stop believing one myth right now. That “98% open rate” statistic isn’t something practical.
Twilio’s technical documentation explicitly states that “SMS does not have the capability to provide this statistic” because carriers don’t expose open data.
The number gets repeated across vendor blogs, but it’s modeled, not measured.
Nope.
Focus on metrics you can track — click-through rate, reply rate, conversion rate, and revenue per message. Those numbers don’t lie, and they’re what your CFO cares about anyway.
Traceable revenue
When you run holdout tests properly (keeping 10-20% of your audience from receiving SMS), the incremental revenue becomes clear. Forrester’s Total Economic Impact studies report 132% ROI for Twilio Messaging and 181% ROI for Attentive’s platform because they measured actual lift, not last-click attribution.
Revenue attribution varies widely by brand, offer, and measurement approach (use holdouts for truth).
According to Attentive’s 2024 analysis of 25+ billion SMS messages, specific content elements (scarcity language, product mentions, offer formats) correlate with stronger performance. You’re not guessing anymore. There’s real data showing what works.
Some brands generate significant revenue from SMS (we’ve seen programs contributing 15-20% of quarterly revenue when measured properly).
The flows doing the heavy lifting are cart abandonment, back-in-stock alerts, and VIP early access. We call this the Triple-Threat Stack:
- Recover abandoned revenue
- Capture pent-up demand
- Reward loyalty
Building loyalty through conversation
Seth Godin’s permission marketing framework defines effective communication as “anticipated, personal, and relevant.” SMS checks all three boxes when you respect the value exchange (and don’t treat it like a broadcast megaphone).
61% of customers expect to be able to reply to texts and get human responses because that’s how texting works in their personal lives.
Two-way dialogue transforms customer service entirely.
Instead of hunting for your email address or waiting on hold, customers can text “Where’s my order?” and get an instant answer.
SMS remains an owned asset, less exposed to algorithm shifts than social media or search.
Facebook can slash organic reach overnight. Google can adjust search rankings. Apple can implement tracking restrictions.
But your SMS list allows you to have more direct access than most third-party platforms (though carriers and CTIA still set filtering rules and can suspend programs).
What should you actually text people?
Not everything belongs in a text message.
The 160-character constraint forces clarity, but more importantly, the intimate nature of the channel demands respect (send the wrong thing at the wrong frequency and people will unsubscribe immediately).
Promotional campaigns (reserve for what matters)
Promotional texts should feel exclusive, urgent, or valuable enough to justify interrupting someone’s day.
Save these for moments that truly warrant immediate attention, not just because you haven’t texted your list in a week.
Flash sales work because SMS delivers instant visibility.
A 24-hour sale announced via text at 11 AM gets seen by lunch (email might not get opened until evening, if at all).
New product launches benefit from text alerts because you’re reaching people who explicitly asked for updates. Holiday promotions like BFCM require SMS coordination because competitors are flooding email inboxes.
Personalized recommendations based on past purchases convert well because they feel relevant rather than pushy.
“Love your new running shoes? These socks pair perfectly: [link]” works because you’re solving a problem, not pushing random inventory.
Transactional messages (the trust builders)
Transactional texts reduce customer anxiety, lower support ticket volume, and build trust that makes promotional messages more welcome (when people know you’ll keep them informed, they tolerate occasional sales pitches better).
- Back-in-stock alerts for high-intent customers
- Order confirmations are sent immediately after purchase
- Shipping updates (when the order ships, out for delivery, any delays)
- Account notifications (password resets, failed payment methods)
One client reduced “where is my order?” support tickets by 40% after implementing shipping SMS.
That’s hours of team time saved weekly, plus happier customers who aren’t sitting around wondering where their package is.
Conversational SMS (where relationships happen)
Two-way texting transforms SMS from a broadcast channel into a conversation.
When customers can reply and get real answers, loyalty increases dramatically because it feels like talking to a friend, not a faceless brand.
Customer service via text feels natural.
Feedback requests work well because they’re low-friction (nobody wants to fill out a 10-question survey, but most people will reply with a number from 1-5).
The welcome series sets expectations and delivers the promised incentive immediately. VIP updates make your best customers feel recognized instead of just another number in your database.
Message formats and costs
You need to choose between standard SMS, MMS, and the emerging RCS format.
The table below breaks down character limits, cost implications, and when each format makes sense — highlighting the difference between RCS, SMS, and MMS:
| Format | Character limit | Cost | When to use |
| SMS (GSM-7) | 160 characters | Lowest | Most campaigns, transactional messages |
| SMS (Unicode) | 70 characters | Same as GSM-7 | Messages with emojis or non-Latin characters |
| MMS | ~1600 characters + media (varies by carrier) | 2-3x SMS cost | Product launches needing visual impact |
| RCS | Variable | Variable | Rich interactive experiences (Android and iOS 18+) |
Messages exceeding character limits are split into multiple segments, increasing cost.
A 161-character message becomes two messages on your bill (which adds up faster than you’d think across thousands of sends).
Subway’s A/B test showed RCS drove 140% higher conversions than SMS for one deal and 51% higher for another because rich media (images, buttons, carousels) reduce friction and increase engagement.
With Apple’s iOS 18 now supporting RCS alongside Android, testing rich messaging makes sense for your entire audience (rollout varies by region and carrier).
But start with SMS.
Testing consistently shows text-only messages often outperform image-heavy MMS in click-through rates (probably because they load faster and feel more personal).
How do you build your list legally and effectively with SMS?
Your SMS list is smaller, more engaged, and significantly more valuable per subscriber than your email list.
Building it requires explicit permission (not the implied kind that gets you sued), strategic incentives, and multiple collection points across the customer journey.
Consent isn’t optional
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act doesn’t mess around — fines range from $500 to $1,500 per message sent without proper consent.
The FCC tightened robotext rules in 2024, targeting lead-gen consent abuse. Pull up your calculator and multiply $1,500 by the number of people on your list. Yikes.
That’s why consent documentation matters.
What counts as valid consent
Explicit written consent means someone must actively check a box, text a keyword to your shortcode, or click a confirmation link.
Purchasing phone number lists is illegal because those people never consented to your messages specifically (they consented to whoever originally collected the number, if they consented at all).
Pre-checked boxes at checkout don’t count (the box must start unchecked, requiring the customer to actively select it).
Double confirmation is a must
After someone provides their number, send a confirmation text:
“Reply Y to confirm you want SMS updates from [Brand]. Msg & data rates may apply. Text STOP to opt out.”
This two-step process ensures you’re reaching real, engaged humans. It also provides documented proof of consent (which matters if anyone ever questions your practices or files a complaint).
Separating promotional and transactional consent
If someone provides consent for promotional SMS, you can generally send them transactional messages as well.
But transactional consent (agreeing to shipping updates) does not automatically grant permission for promotional texts because TCPA treats these as separate categories.
Keep these permissions separate in your system. Track the consent type for each subscriber.
Collection points that convert
Growing your SMS list requires multiple touchpoints across the customer journey. Don’t rely solely on website popups (even though they’re effective when done right).
Website popups
Multi-step forms convert best because they reduce perceived commitment.
Step one asks for an email, and step two requests a phone number. This micro-commitment approach works better than asking for both simultaneously.
Your pop-up should clearly state what subscribers get and how often you’ll text them. “Join for 15% off! We’ll text you 4-6 times monthly with VIP deals, setting expectations upfront (transparency builds trust and reduces early unsubscribes).
Checkout integration
Include an unchecked checkbox near order confirmation:
“Send me exclusive deals and restock alerts via SMS (4-6 messages/month).”
The placement matters because you’re catching people at their highest intent moment.
Email-to-SMS crossover
The fastest way to grow your text list is if you already have engaged email subscribers.
One brand grew its SMS list by 3,000 subscribers in two weeks by sending an email promoting the exclusive benefits of joining its text club (early sale access, text-only discount codes, faster customer service).
Keywords and shortcodes
“Text DEALS to 12345 for 20% off your first order” can appear on:
- Packaging and product inserts
- In-store signage
- Print ads
- Receipts
The friction is low (it takes seconds to send a text), and you’re capturing customers at multiple touchpoints instead of relying on a single collection method.
QR codes in retail locations
Place codes near checkout, on product displays, or on packaging inserts.
Scanning takes customers directly to a sign-up form or pre-populates a text message they just need to send.
Social media tap-to-join links
“VIP Text Club — Exclusive Drops” in your Instagram or TikTok bio converts followers into SMS subscribers. Make the value proposition immediately clear.
Incentives worth sharing a phone number for
People guard their phone numbers more carefully than their email addresses.
Your incentive needs to clear a higher perceived value threshold because texts feel more personal than emails (and people know it).
Instead of generic “10% off,” test specific value propositions that solve actual problems:
- “Get price-drop alerts on items you love”
- “Back-in-stock notifications before public restock”
- “Text-only deals never shared elsewhere”
Track cost per compliant subscriber and 30-day revenue per subscriber across different offers. You’ll quickly see which incentives attract buyers versus tire-kickers.
Exclusive discounts (10-20% off for new SMS subscribers) work consistently across industries — frame it as more valuable than your email signup offer.
Early access to product launches appeals to your most engaged customers without discounting products (fashion and beauty brands particularly benefit from this approach).
Giveaways and contests can rapidly grow your list, but often bring less-engaged subscribers who unsubscribe after the contest ends.
Use them strategically for awareness campaigns, but don’t expect the same long-term value.
How do you write messages that get clicked?
BJ Fogg’s behavior model states that Behavior = Motivation × Ability × Prompt. SMS is your prompt.
Your job is maximizing Ability (make action easy) and Motivation (make offer compelling) within tight character constraints.
Making every character count
Start every message with your brand name so recipients instantly know who’s texting them.
Each text should have a single purpose because you can’t fit multiple offers or explain complex promotions in 160 characters (and trying makes your message confusing).
Get to the value immediately: “Your code: SAVE20 for 20% off [Product]. Shop now: [link]”
Sounds simple? Exactly. Simple converts.
Character economics matter
GSM-7 encoding (standard Latin characters) gives you 160 characters per segment.
Unicode (emojis, special characters) drops you to 70 characters.
A 165-character message becomes two messages on your bill (which multiplies costs quickly during high-volume campaigns).
CTAs that convert
Attentive’s 2024 analysis of 25 billion messages identified content patterns that correlate with higher performance. The table below shows the anatomy of effective SMS messages.
| Element | Purpose | Example |
| Hook | Capture attention with benefit or scarcity | “Last chance: Sale ends tonight” |
| Proof | Add social validation | “4.9★ rated” |
| Specific offer | Show clear value with a price anchor | “Was $59, now $39” |
| One action | Single clear CTA | “Shop now:” |
| Assurance | Reduce friction | “Free returns” |
| Compliance | Brand ID + opt-out | “Brand | Reply STOP” |
Action verbs create urgency that prompts immediate response.
Buy, Shop, Claim, Grab, and Get all work better than passive constructions like “You can view your order,” which weaken the message.
Place your CTA at the end, right before your link, following natural reading flow.
Link shorteners preserve character space and avoid suspicious-looking long URLs that carriers might flag as spam (most SMS platforms include built-in link shortening with tracking).
Test branded short domains versus generic shorteners and measure click-through rate.
Branded domains (like yourbrand.com/shop instead of bit.ly/xyz) typically perform better because they look trustworthy.
Personalization beyond first names
Including someone’s first name is baseline personalization.
Deeper personalization based on behavior drives significantly higher conversion (10-15% higher revenue according to testing data).
Behavioral triggers send messages based on specific actions.
Browsing a product twice signals interest. Abandoning a cart with high-value items shows purchase intent. “Still thinking about those [Product]? They’re 20% off today only: [link]” proves you’re paying attention.
Purchase history relevance suggests complementary products. “Love your new [Product A]? Pair it with [Product B] (15% off for VIPs): [link]” works because the recommendation is helpful rather than pushy.
Location and lifecycle stage allow geographic and timing-based personalization.
“Chicago friends: Our pop-up opens tomorrow! [address + hours]” targets by location. “It’s been 90 days since your last order (here’s 20% off to welcome you back)” targets based on engagement recency.
When should you hit send (and how often)?
Timing mistakes kill SMS programs faster than bad copy.
Text someone at 6 AM or send five promotional messages in three days, and you’ll watch unsubscribe rates spike while your carefully built list evaporates.
Frequency shouldn’t burn your list.
Four to eight promotional messages monthly is the recommended range (roughly one to two per week maximum). Reserve SMS for what actually matters:
- A limited-stock product drop
- Your biggest sale of the quarter
- An exclusive offer for SMS subscribers
96% of consumers say they’re willing to receive texts from brands at least once weekly.
But “willing to receive” doesn’t mean “eager for.” The gap between tolerance and enthusiasm matters.
You want subscribers looking forward to your messages, not merely tolerating them until the next unsubscribe-worthy send.
Transactional messages (order confirmations, shipping updates, account notifications) don’t count toward your promotional frequency.
Send these as needed because nobody unsubscribes when you tell them their package was delivered.
Monitor your unsubscribe rate closely. If it jumps above 2-3% for a particular campaign, you’ve messaged too frequently or sent irrelevant content. Course-correct immediately before the damage spreads.
Respecting the clock
CTIA’s May 2023 Messaging Principles and TCPA regulations enforce quiet hours — never send promotional messages before 8 AM or after 9 PM in the recipient’s local timezone.
Courts and the FCC are actively reviewing how quiet hours apply to consented texting (litigation surged in 2025), and some states have stricter “mini-TCPA” rules worth checking.
A text at 6:30 AM wakes people up. A text at 10 PM interrupts evening routines.
These violations trigger immediate unsubscribes and potentially complaints to carriers (which can get your number filtered or blocked entirely).
Testing your send windows
Research suggests two reliable timeframes, but your specific audience might behave differently:
- Mid-day (11 AM to 2 PM): lunch breaks or slow work moments
- Early evening (6 PM to 8 PM): people wind down and browse recreationally
Run a “fast four” windows experiment to find your optimal timing. Test 4 send windows (10:30 AM, 1:00 PM, 4:30 PM, 8:00 PM local) over 4 weeks with holdouts. Track incremental net revenue per send and complaint/unsubscribe rate for each window.
Your SMS platform should enforce quiet hours automatically (because accidentally texting 5,000 people at 6 AM is a mistake you can only make once before serious damage occurs).
Coordinating with email
SMS and email shouldn’t compete for attention or cannibalize each other’s results.
They should complement each other with distinct roles. We call this Channel Choreography — sequence your messages so each channel does what it does best.
Email delivers detail with beautiful product images, comprehensive descriptions, and brand storytelling. SMS delivers the “it’s live now” alert with a direct link that gets someone to your site immediately.
Email creates anticipation by announcing your big holiday sale 48 hours in advance (giving people time to browse and plan their purchases). SMS creates urgency when the sale starts: “Black Friday starts NOW (30% off everything): [link]”
Stagger your sends instead of blasting both channels simultaneously.
Try sending an email first with comprehensive information, then following up 30-90 minutes later with SMS to people who opened the email but didn’t click.
Building hybrid abandonment flows
Use both channels in sequence to maximize recovery without overwhelming customers. Cart abandonment might look like:
- SMS sent 1 hour after abandonment (high urgency, short message)
- Email sent 4 hours later if they didn’t convert (detailed reminder with product images)
- Final SMS 24 hours later with a discount incentive
Each touchpoint increases the recovery rate without making any single channel feel spammy.
Holdout groups are critical for proving SMS value beyond last-click attribution.
Keep 10-20% of your customers from receiving SMS (they get email only) and compare purchase behavior between groups over 30-60 days.
The difference is your true incremental impact (not what platform attribution claims).
Which automated flows should you launch first?
Omnisend’s 2024 ecommerce benchmarks show automated SMS flows significantly outperform one-off campaigns (sometimes by 3- 4x) because they trigger based on behavior, not arbitrary send schedules.
Manual campaigns require constant attention and planning. Automated flows run in the background, generating revenue while you sleep.
Welcome series
Someone just gave you their phone number.
The welcome series is your chance to deliver on your promise immediately (delay even 5 minutes and engagement drops).
Message one arrives immediately (within seconds of signup):
“Welcome to [Brand]! Here’s your 15% off code: WELCOME15. Use it on anything: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out.”
Message two (sent 2-3 days later) sets frequency expectations:
“Quick heads up: We text 4-6 times monthly with VIP-only deals, new arrivals, and restock alerts.”
Message three (sent 5-7 days later) can showcase bestsellers:
“Our customers love [Product]. See why: [link]”
The welcome series should feel warm, deliver value quickly, and make subscribers glad they joined. Don’t waste it on excessive brand storytelling that belongs in an email.
Cart abandonment (your highest ROI flow)
Cart abandonment texts can recover 15-25% of abandoned carts when sent within the first hour (results vary by brand, offer, and audience). The urgency window is tight (the longer you wait, the less likely recovery becomes).
Send your first cart abandonment text 30-60 minutes after someone leaves your site with items in their cart.
They’re still in buying mode, probably got distracted by a phone call or meeting, and the nudge brings them back when purchase intent is still high.
Your message should be short and helpful: “You left something behind! Your cart is saved (for now): [link]”
Testing offer framing
Test whether incentives increase recovery rates enough to justify the margin impact.
Try percentage off (“20% off your cart”), dollar amounts (“$10 off orders $50+”), or free shipping (“Complete order, ship free”). Some audiences need the extra push; others would have purchased without the discount.
Track recovery rate and margin impact across different offer types. You might find that high-value carts (over $200) convert without incentives, while smaller carts ($50-100) need the nudge.
Legal requirements matter
Your consent language must disclose that customers will receive abandoned cart reminders.
Your privacy policy should explain how you’re tracking browsing behavior using cookies because CTIA’s May 2023 Messaging Principles explicitly address transparency requirements.
CTIA permits no more than one abandoned cart notification within 48 hours per shopping event. More than that crosses into aggressive territory (and risks complaints).
Shipping updates
Proactive shipping texts dramatically reduce “where is my order?” support inquiries by giving customers the information they want before they have to ask.
Order confirmations go out immediately after purchase:
“Thanks for your order, [Name]! Order #[1234] is confirmed. Track it here: [link]”
Shipment notifications trigger when the carrier picks up the package:
“Good news! Your order just shipped and will arrive on [Day]. Track it: [link]”
Out for delivery alerts go out the morning of delivery:
“Your package is out for delivery today! Track: [link]”
Delay notifications should be proactive if shipping issues arise:
“Heads up: Your order is delayed by 2 days due to weather. New arrival date: [Date]. Sorry for the inconvenience!”
One client saw support ticket volume drop by 40% after implementing shipping SMS.
That’s hours of team time saved weekly, plus happier customers who aren’t sitting around wondering where their package is or whether it got lost.
Browse abandonment and winback flows.
Browse abandonment targets people who viewed a product but left without adding it to their cart.
Send these texts 2-4 hours after someone views a product page multiple times or spends significant time on it. “Noticed you were checking out [Product]. Still interested? It’s [% off] today: [link]” acknowledges their interest without pressure.
Winback campaigns target customers who haven’t purchased in 90-180 days because former customers already know your brand (re-engagement is easier than acquiring someone new). “We miss you, [Name]! It’s been a while (here’s 20% off to welcome you back): [link]”
VIP recognition flows celebrate your best customers with exclusive perks:
“You’re officially a VIP! Here’s early access to our summer sale (24 hours before everyone else): [link]”
For consumable products (supplements, skincare, pet food), test frequency caps to find the sweet spot.
Try every 21 days, 28 days, and 35 days. Track long-term margin and unsubscribe rate for each cadence. You’ll find the window where customers appreciate the reminder without feeling nagged.
How do you prove SMS works (and keeps working)?
Your CFO doesn’t care about open rates (which don’t exist anyway).
They care about incremental revenue, customer lifetime value improvements, and whether SMS pays for itself after accounting for platform costs.
Metrics that tell the real story
SMS platforms track dozens of metrics, but a handful actually matter for proving value and diagnosing problems.
The tables below show what good performance looks like versus when you need to investigate and fix issues.
Engagement metrics
Major SMS vendors report the following ranges (definitions and measurement methods vary by platform):
| Metric | Good performance | Needs attention |
| Click-through rate | 20-35% | Below 15% |
| Response rate | 40-50% | Below 30% |
| Reply rate | Track for conversational flows | Low engagement signals |
Don’t report on “open rates.” As Twilio’s documentation explicitly states, carriers don’t provide this data.
Rely on click-through, reply rate, conversion, and unsubscribe rate instead (metrics you can actually measure and trust).
Financial metrics
Results vary by brand, attribution window, and measurement method (use holdouts for accurate incrementality):
| Metric | What it means | Target range |
| Conversion rate | % who clicked and purchased | 25-35% for top-performing flows |
| Revenue per recipient | Total revenue ÷ messages sent | $0.09+ (top performers: $0.15-0.25) |
| ROI | Revenue ÷ total SMS costs | 20X+ (verify with holdout tests) |
| Revenue attribution | SMS % of total online revenue | Varies widely by brand (5-20%+) |
Health metrics
Benchmark ranges from major SMS platforms (your results may vary based on list quality and message relevance):
| Metric | Benchmark | Action threshold |
| Unsubscribe rate | 0.5-1.5% typical | Above 3% signals problems |
| Delivery rate | 95%+ | Below 90% indicates filtering |
| List growth rate | Net positive monthly | Negative = acquisition problem |
Testing for incremental lift
Last-click attribution overstates SMS value because it credits the channel with sales that might have happened anyway through email, organic search, or direct traffic. Incrementality testing answers the real question: Does SMS drive additional revenue?
Holdout groups are the gold standard because they measure true lift, not correlation.
Randomly assign 10-20% of your audience to a control group that receives email but not SMS. Compare purchase behavior between groups over 30-60 days. The difference is your true incremental impact.
If your SMS group generates $50,000 while your holdout group generates $42,000, your incremental lift is $8,000 (not the full $50,000 that last-click attribution would claim).
That distinction matters when calculating true ROI and justifying continued investment.
Geo-based experiments are divided by location instead of random assignment.
Run SMS in half your markets, not in the other half. Compare revenue between regions while accounting for market size differences.
Post-purchase surveys add qualitative data: “How did you hear about this promotion?” Options include Email, SMS, Social Media, Website, and Friend.
A/B testing roadmap
Small improvements in conversion rates compound over months into significant revenue gains (which is why top-performing brands never stop testing).
Message copy variants test different value propositions.
Does “20% off today only” outperform “Free shipping on all orders”? Send timing experiments to identify your audience’s peak engagement windows. Test the same message at different times (11 AM, 2 PM, 7 PM) to different segments.
Offer framing tests compare how you present value. Is “20% off” more compelling than “$10 off orders $50+”?
Frequency caps experiment with monthly message volume. Do 4 promotional texts monthly generate more total revenue than 8 texts (even though each individual text performs worse due to fatigue)?
Format testing compares SMS (text-only) to MMS (including images).
Plain text often wins on click-through rate because it loads faster and feels more personal (but test with your audience because product launches might benefit from showing the item visually).
Testing priority — start with fundamentals (message copy and timing), then layer in offer variations, frequency experiments, and format tests. Prioritize tests based on potential revenue impact and ease of implementation.
Which SMS platform fits your needs?
You need a platform that integrates with your ecommerce store, automates flows, segments audiences deeply, enforces compliance automatically, and provides clear attribution (missing any of these will limit your results).
Non-negotiable features
Certain capabilities are mandatory for serious ecommerce SMS marketing.
Ecommerce platform integration with Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, or Magento must be native and real-time because the SMS platform needs instant access to customer data, purchase history, cart contents, and product catalogs.
Without seamless integration, personalization breaks and automated flows fire at the wrong times (or not at all).
Automated flows and triggers should include pre-built templates for welcome series, cart abandonment, browse abandonment, shipping updates, and back-in-stock alerts.
You should be able to customize templates, set timing delays, and add conditions (like only sending a discount code for high-value abandoned carts).
Segmentation depth separates powerful platforms from basic ones. You need the ability to segment by:
- Geographic location and timezone
- Engagement level and lifecycle stage
- Purchase history and average order value
- Custom attributes specific to your business
- Product preferences and browsing behavior
Compliance tools protect you from legal trouble that could shut down your entire program.
The platform should automatically handle STOP/HELP/CANCEL keywords, honor unsubscribes instantly (including fuzzy matches like “Stoooop”), enforce quiet hours by timezone without you having to remember, and maintain consent logs showing when and how each subscriber opted in.
Analytics and attribution controls must track revenue accurately.
Look for multiple attribution windows (1-day, 7-day, 30-day), the ability to exclude certain automation types from revenue reports, and cohort analysis showing how SMS impacts customer lifetime value over time.
Platform options by business stage
Budget, team size, and technical resources influence which platform makes sense for your situation. The table below compares options across different business stages and priorities.
| Platform | Best for | Starting price | Key differentiator |
| Klaviyo | Brands already using Klaviyo for email | $20/month | Unified customer data across channels, 350+ integrations |
| Postscript | Shopify-focused DTC brands | $25/month | Native Shopify integration, SMS-only focus, AI features |
| Attentive | High-growth, enterprise brands | Custom pricing | AI optimization, RCS support, Forrester-verified 181% ROI |
| Omnisend | Ecommerce automation across channels | $16/month | SMS + email + push in one platform |
| EZ Texting | Small to mid-sized businesses | $25/month | Beginner-friendly interface, excellent support |
| Emotive | Brands wanting managed service | Custom pricing | 5X ROI guarantee, white-glove strategy, and copywriting |
Smaller businesses (under $3 million annual revenue), where simplicity and cost matter most, should consider SimpleTexting, EZ Texting, or Textedly.
Mid-market DTC brands ($8-25 million revenue) needing advanced automation typically choose Klaviyo (if you already use it for email to keep everything unified), Postscript (focuses exclusively on SMS for Shopify brands), or Omnisend (integrates SMS, email, and push notifications).
High-growth brands requiring AI optimization gravitate toward Attentive (serves major brands like Sephora and Coach) or Emotive (offers white-glove service, including strategy and copywriting, with a 5X ROI guarantee).
Most platforms offer free trials. Test two or three options with small campaigns before committing, and pay attention to how easily they integrate with your current tech stack.
Speaking of channel coordination — if you’re planning omnichannel flows combining SMS with email campaigns, both channels need reliable delivery first.
Running an email deliverability test before launching hybrid flows ensures your foundation is solid (because discovering your emails never reached the inbox explains a lot about why your SMS “reminders” aren’t converting).
Technical compliance and deliverability requirements
Carriers filter aggressively based on content patterns, consent signals, and complaint rates. Non-compliance can mean blocking, fines, or a complete shutdown (which kills your program overnight).
United States requirements
The FCC tightened robotext rules throughout 2024, targeting lead-gen consent abuse where companies were buying “consented” lists that weren’t actually consented.
Your consent language must be clear, specific to your brand, and documented with timestamps showing exactly when someone agreed.
CTIA’s May 2023 Messaging Principles requirements are now actively enforced by carriers:
- Age-gating is required where relevant
- Every promotional message must include STOP/HELP keywords
- Content restrictions apply to SHAFT categories (Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco)
A2P 10DLC registration with The Campaign Registry is mandatory for high-volume sending because unregistered traffic risks higher fees (sometimes 10x normal rates), aggressive filtering that tanks your delivery rates, and fines from carriers.
T-Mobile began enforcing non-compliance penalties in 2024, blocking unregistered senders entirely in some cases.
Registration takes 1-3 weeks, so plan before major campaigns. Don’t wait until Black Friday to discover your messages aren’t going through.
International requirements
Compliance requirements vary dramatically by country.
| Country/Region | Key requirement | Authority |
| UK | Specific opt-in consent under PECR | ICO |
| EU | GDPR consent: freely given, specific, informed, unambiguous, easy to withdraw | EDPB |
| Canada | Text messages are CEMs requiring express or valid implied consent, mandatory identification + easy unsubscribe | CRTC/CASL |
Pre-send compliance checklist
Before sending any campaign, verify:
- Link uses a branded short domain
- Campaign registered (10DLC for US)
- Test on real devices (Android and iOS)
- Proof of consent stored with timestamp and source
- Message includes brand ID, clear value, STOP/HELP keywords
- Monitor delivery receipts, click-through rate, replies, unsubscribe rate
- Segment length stays within limits (160 characters GSM-7 or 70 characters Unicode)
Define your channel P&L
Include 10DLC registration fees ($4-15 per brand, $10 per campaign), per-segment costs (concatenated messages multiply charges), and carrier surcharges.
Most brands underestimate total costs by 20-30% by ignoring registration fees and concatenation charges that add up across millions of sends.
Calculate cost per acquisition from SMS, customer lifetime value impact, and incremental margin contribution. Your CFO will appreciate the thoroughness when you present results.
If this SMS program fails, it’ll be because:
Let’s surface the failure modes before you commit. If your SMS program goes wrong, it’ll be because:
- You sent too many promotional messages too fast
- You launched without proper consent documentation
- You skipped the holdout test and can’t prove incremental value
- You never registered for 10DLC, and carriers started filtering your messages
- Your email deliverability was broken from day one, and SMS couldn’t compensate
Avoid these by following the step-by-step approach laid out in this guide
The question isn’t whether to add SMS — it’s how fast you can prove its value
Byron Sharp’s research in “How Brands Grow” emphasizes mental availability and broad reach over narrow targeting. The brands winning with SMS in 2025 aren’t sending more messages than competitors (often they’re sending fewer). They’re sending smarter messages: segmented by behavior, triggered by intent, coordinated with email, and tested for incremental lift.
RCS will likely become the dominant format within two years as Apple’s iOS 18 support drives consumer adoption. AI will generate personalized copy at scale based on individual customer preferences. Conversational commerce via text will handle support inquiries and sales conversations simultaneously (reducing the need for separate customer service teams).
The brands building SMS programs today are establishing the data collection infrastructure, testing frameworks, and subscriber relationships that will give them a massive advantage when these technologies mature and become table stakes.
The window won’t stay this wide forever. Competition will increase. Consumer tolerance for messages will decline as more brands pile into the channel (just like email did).
Start with one flow. Prove incrementality. Scale deliberately.
Frequently asked questions about ecommerce SMS marketing
Here are some commonly asked questions about ecommerce SMS marketing:
B2B SMS works but requires different expectations because response rates are lower (15-20% versus 45% for B2C) and frequency should be more conservative (2-4 messages monthly maximum). Focus on appointment reminders, event notifications, urgent account updates, and time-sensitive proposals rather than promotional offers because B2B buyers don’t want flash sales via text. They want efficiency and convenience.
They’re unsubscribed from all SMS from your brand, including future transactional messages, because CTIA requires that STOP terminate the program’s messages (most platforms implement this globally for that sender across both promotional and transactional). The practical solution is making your transactional messages so valuable that people don’t want to unsubscribe. Include “Reply STOP to stop all messages” only in promotional texts, and keep transactional messages purely functional without promotional add-ons.
Compliance requirements vary dramatically by country because Canadian CASL requires explicit consent with stricter record-keeping, GDPR in the EU treats phone numbers as personal data requiring specific handling, and most SMS platforms handle timezone-based quiet hours automatically, but you’ll need separate consent flows with country-specific legal language.
10DLC has become the standard because it’s significantly cheaper than shortcodes ($50-200 monthly versus $500-1,000+) and still supports high message volumes after proper carrier registration. Shortcodes are mainly worth it if you’re sending > 200,000 messages monthly or running high-volume consent campaigns where brand recognition of a simple 5-digit number matters. 10DLC requires registering your campaign with The Campaign Registry, which verifies your business and intended use. Your SMS platform typically handles registration (approval takes 1-3 weeks).
Yes, but strategy matters because BFCM is actually the best time for SMS (urgency aligns with the channel’s immediacy, and customers expect promotional messages during major shopping events). Provide genuine value with each message: early access for SMS subscribers (12-24 hours before public announcement), truly limited inventory alerts, and exclusive discount codes not available through other channels. Send 2-3 texts maximum across the five-day BFCM period, spaced 24-48 hours apart.
References
- Attentive Mobile. (2024). The anatomy of high-performing SMS campaigns. Attentive.
- Columbia University. (2024). Mobile phone technologies improve adherence to antiretroviral treatment in a resource-limited setting. Columbia University Research.
- CTIA. (2023). Messaging principles and best practices. CTIA Wireless Association.
- CRTC. (2024). Frequently asked questions about Canada’s anti-spam legislation. Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.
- Decision Telecom. (2024). SMS marketing for ecommerce: Best practices and strategies. Decision Telecom Blog.
- Emotive. (2024). SMS marketing ROI and revenue attribution. Emotive Resources.
- European Data Protection Board. (2020). Guidelines 05/2020 on consent under Regulation 2016/679. EDPB.
- Federal Communications Commission. (2024). TCPA and robocall enforcement updates. FCC.
- Forrester Research. (2024). The Total Economic Impact of Attentive. Forrester Consulting.
- Forrester Research. (2023). The Total Economic Impact of Twilio Messaging. Forrester Consulting.
- Gorgias. (2024). Ecommerce SMS marketing guide: Strategy, compliance, and examples. Gorgias.
- Gupshup. (2024). SMS marketing automation for ecommerce. Gupshup Resources.
- Information Commissioner’s Office. (2024). Electronic mail marketing under PECR. ICO (UK).
- Klaviyo. (2024). SMS marketing guide for ecommerce brands. Klaviyo Resources.
- Mailmodo. (2024). Ecommerce SMS marketing: Types, strategies, and best practices. Mailmodo Blog.
- Messente. (2024). Omnichannel messaging strategies for ecommerce. Messente.
- Omnisend. (2024). SMS marketing benchmarks and statistics. Omnisend Research.
- Postscript. (2024). SMS marketing platform features for Shopify brands. Postscript.
- Recart. (2024). SMS marketing strategies for ecommerce growth. Recart Resources.
- SimpleTexting. (2024). SMS marketing for ecommerce: Best practices and compliance. SimpleTexting.
- SlickText. (2024). Ecommerce text message marketing guide. SlickText Blog.
- Subway & Google Jibe. (2024). RCS case study: Subway’s conversion lift results. Google for Developers.
- The Campaign Registry. (2024). A2P 10DLC registration requirements. TCR.
- Textedly. (2024). SMS marketing compliance and TCPA guidelines. Textedly Resources.
- Twilio. (2024). What is GSM-7 character encoding? Twilio Documentation.
- Twilio. (2024). How to maximize your SMS marketing ROI. Twilio Blog.
- Yotpo. (2024). SMS marketing and retention strategies for Shopify. Yotpo Resources.
