How to Increase Website Traffic with SMS Messaging

There are a lot of reasons to use SMS messaging. One of the best ones is to use SMS messaging to get people to your website. Or to get them to your website again.
Here are a few ideas on how to reach out to anyone on your opt in list that’s already made a purchase from you, shown interest in your products or services, or signed up for special deals. But before I get to some examples remember to follow good SMS messaging protocol:
Keep it short, relevant to the receiver, and always include opt out instructions.
The body of the SMS message should include a shortened URL that gets them to your website so you can market to, or inform, them again. Without further ado, here are just a few suggestions when to use a URL in a SMS message:
- Send them to a special offer page – the landing page could include discounts, buy one get one free offers, or special deals limited to text message customers
- Send them to a video – for customers who’ve already purchased from you, think about sending them to a how to video on your website for the product they just purchased
- Provide a quick link to restock supplies – send a reminder to them to purchase refills or accessories for a previously purchased product and include a direct link to the refill or accessory.
There are endless variations on the theme here, but the idea is to get them back to your website so you can keep yourself fresh in their mind. Also while they are visiting, they may find something else to purchase. At the very least they will be thinking about your brand.
Bear in mind also that the landing page you send people too has to be mobile-friendly. You are not going to get many visitors responding to your SMS message from any device other than a phone so make it good!
You can also make it a little more fun if you’ve got the budget. I signed up for special deals from a cinema. This summer they’ll send a SMS message each week that directs me to a special page on their website with a “scratch-off” discount ticket. I rub my finger over the ticket on the screen and my discount or free code appears. But the destination for the URL in your message doesn’t have to be that fancy – just be sure it is a direct link to something useful, not your home page. Have you used SMS messages to get people to your website? If so leave a comment sharing how you got on.
Related Articles
Two Companies Using SMS in Surprising Ways
In many ways, SMS messaging is so commonplace people don’t think about it. They just do it. For example, using SMS for mobile marketing in retail is a fairly standard use case whether you’re a company or the consumer. But there are always exceptions – those who innovate when it seems there’s nothing new to be had. Here are two examples of companies from the US using SMS in ways no one else is – yet.
Use All The Data You Can When Personalising Your SMS Messages
It’s said over and over that SMS is one of the most personal forms of communications today. That’s mainly because people guard their mobile numbers and only give them out to those they think worthy of them. So anyone who has opted into your SMS messaging has indeed invited you into their personal world.
How SMS Can Help Your Local Business Optimise Your Local Campaign
One of the great advantages of SMS: it's completely trackable so you know exactly how your campaigns are engaging your opted in customers and clients. And if you’re a small business, operating in a specific geographical location, then that local knowledge can be invaluable in targeting your campaigns to a local audience.
How to Use SMS Messaging to Improve Customer Service
Global brands are increasingly taking advantage of a Short Message Service (SMS) to connect to customers and improve customer communication and engagement. This trend is taking root amongst small companies too, as they grasp the potential to not only communicate effectively in real-time but use SMS to save time and money in their customer relations procedures.
Do Your Customers Trust You?
I think for much of the last decade, people used the Internet and then mobile devices, without giving too much thought about what they were doing. Or more accurately, what other people were doing with their information. But then came Edward Snowden in 2013 who revealed governments were collecting and using our personal data in ways we hadn’t imagined.
mCommerce Summit 2016. Wine, Red Noses, and Mobile Marketing?
Imagine this: Someone wears a red nose, wine glasses filled before noon, and everyone’s talking about mobile marketing. That was the Mobile Marketing’s 6th mCommerce Summit in NYC last week. I’ll get to the red nose and wine a bit later. First I’ll share some takeaways about mobile marketing from the presenters by sharing it with you the way I saw it.
3 Best Types of CTA for SMS Marketing
One mistake some marketers make is assuming people will know what to do when they read an SMS message. After all, they’re short and to the point right? How confusing could they be? On the other hand, when writing every other form of marketing they know that calls to action need to be clear. So, just because you don't have much room, it doesn’t mean you get to leave out your call to action! Saving space and being brief is important though, so take a look at three of the best SMS marketing CTAs you can use.
3 Reasons Why SMS Marketing Is Perfect for the Holiday Season
Everyone knows the holiday season is a peak time for making sales and marketing. Predictions are that the UK will spend £73B in retail stores before the season is over. Find out three reasons you’ll want to use SMS marketing to get those shoppers into your store.
Why SMS Marketing is Like Facebook Marketing, But Better
Facebook is a popular place. According to Statista, they had 1.44 billion active users in the first quarter of 2015. It’s no wonder then that businesses are flocking to advertise there. But big isn’t always better. SMS marketing is similar in many respects to Facebook advertising, and for some uses it is actually better. Let me explain and see if you agree.
Marketing Review for 2015 Holiday Season
Comparing SMS and email marketing results for the 2015 holiday season, this article taps into reports from Expedia and Adobe to share important insights.