Mobile devices are a lifeline for most people these days, but even under normal circumstances, people rely on their mobile devices for all kinds of information. Last year, 69% of people searched for product and service information while inside stores rather than asking a store associate. The use of mobile devices to obtain information has become commonplace, and companies that do not communicate with customers in the way they want risk being left behind.
SummaryConsumers use mobile devices for almost everythingText messages are what customers use and wantHow businesses are using mobile messagingConsumers want mobile messagingCommunication is key
From managing finances to accessing government services, consumers are truly fond of their electronic devices. But, more and more, these smartphone owners want to communicate via text messaging. In fact, 85% of smartphone owners prefer text messages to calls or emails. More than half of smartphone owners completely ignore emails because their inboxes are overloaded. In addition, almost a third never listen to voicemail messages.
Texting is just easier for many people. 90% of people say they open text messages within three minutes, making it an optimal way for a business to communicate with consumers. Text messages have a 98% open rate, as opposed to a 20% rate for email. Response rates are five times higher for SMS than for email, at 45% and 6% respectively.
The response time is even more staggering for SMS. The typical response rate for a text message is 90 seconds, while the typical response rate for an email is 90 minutes. SMS response rates are 60 times higher than email response rates.
In 2019, 68% of businesses used some type of messaging to stay in touch with their customers, and they now rely on this type of communication more than ever.
In retail, mobile messaging is used for a variety of purposes, including sending coupons and sales notifications to customers. Mobile messaging is a crucial part of curbside collection, which has grown in popularity significantly. Mobile messages are used to confirm that an order has been received, tell a customer when an order is ready, and for a customer to notify the store that they have arrived to pick up their order.
Mobile messaging is used in medical offices to remind patients of appointments, check in for appointments, and remind patients of upcoming tests and more. Some offices also use mobile messaging for prescription renewals and physician questions between visits, which has been shown to increase patient satisfaction with their medical providers.
For restaurants, mobile messaging is crucial for a growing takeout business, allowing businesses and customers to communicate quickly and efficiently. Small order changes and order status communication can be easily communicated via a quick message rather than taking the time and resources of cumbersome phone calls.
One in three consumers have sent a mobile message to a business and received no response, and most of the time it's because the business simply hasn't enabled two-way messaging capabilities.
The fact is, customers feel better about a business that uses mobile messaging. 65% of consumers say they feel more positive about a business after a mobile messaging exchange due to a number of factors.
Mobile messaging shows consumers that a company values their time – there's nothing worse than waiting for the phone to ring or sitting on hold waiting for someone to help you. The ability to communicate with a business via SMS messages makes customers more likely to choose that business and increases the chances of recommending that business to friends and family.
For businesses to succeed, communication needs to take place where the customer wants it, and increasingly, customers feel comfortable sending messages instead of making phone calls or talking in person. Mobile communication also gives businesses the power to reach customers who don't physically show up at stores with special offers to attract them back or entice them to use curbside pickup services.
Companies that do not use mobile communication will be left behind. Learn more about the power of mobile communication in business from the infographic below.
Source:SopranoDesign.com
