Why Your WooCommerce Store Needs SMS Marketing in 2025

Mobile usage is very high and we know that people check their phones more than 100 times a day. As a result, mobile notifications from WooCommerce stores are one of the easiest ways to reach your audience.

On the other hand, email requires internet access, and the high volume of spam, along with irregular checking, presents a challenge. In addition, about 90% of SMS messages are read within the first three minutes, significantly boosting customer engagement.

SMS has become a must-have tool, driving real results. Imagine how easily an SMS notification can convert an abandoned cart into a purchase, increasing sales for a WooCommerce store or how discount SMS messages can increase customer engagement.

However, conducting SMS marketing requires the use of appropriate tools. A tool that can automate the SMS sending process and has the ability to send personalized SMS messages that are tailored to business goals.

Therefore, in this article, we will first introduce the best SMS marketing strategies for WooCommerce stores, and then introduce WP SMS as one of the best SMS marketing tools and provide a complete tutorial on how to use it.

Benefits of WooCommerce SMS Marketing

SMS marketing gives your WooCommerce e-commerce a direct connection to customers. Messages get read fast, often within minutes. Let’s break down three key advantages.

1. Abandoned Cart SMS Recovery

Cart abandonment can hurt sales but SMS notifications for abandoned cart fixes this. When shoppers leave items behind, a timely SMS reminder can bring them back.

You can send a quick, simple, and friendly nudge 30-60 minutes after a customer leaves and recover sales you would otherwise lose completely. This isn’t spam; it’s a helpful reminder because sometimes people really forget.

Also, sometimes the abandoned cart SMS can be accompanied by a discount code to make the user more eager to return; sometimes the purchase does not occur due to the high price of the products, even though the customer really wants to.

It is one of the fastest ways to increase sales with SMS. Setting up abandoned cart SMS is simple with the right plugin. With a plugin, you can control when messages are sent and personalize them, allowing you to fully automate the process.

2. Transactional SMS for WooCommerce

Transactional SMS messages keep your customers instantly informed. For example, you can send an automatic order SMS alert as soon as someone makes a purchase through your WooCommerce store.

You can then follow up with SMS order tracking updates when their package ships or is out for delivery. This reduces “Where’s my order?” support calls significantly.

These SMS notifications build trust by showing professionalism and care. We also recommend fully automating this process. Automating these updates saves you time on routine inquiries and lets you focus on more important tasks.

3. Enhancing Customer Engagement through Personalized Promotions

SMS is perfect for running discount campaigns and special offers. It’s better to send targeted promotions based on what customers actually buy and personalize them to make messages feel relevant, not spammy. You can offer special deals to specific groups, like former buyers and send them birthday discounts or early access to sales.

Plus, you can create urgency with limited-time deals sent directly via SMS. This drives immediate clicks and purchases.

Personalized SMS marketing strategies build excitement and loyalty. Customers appreciate exclusivity sent straight to them. However, remember to always get consent first for GDPR-compliant SMS for WooCommerce.

Effective WooCommerce SMS Marketing Strategies

Running SMS campaigns may seem simple, but you need to use the right SMS marketing strategies for your WooCommerce store to achieve the desired results.

Discount Campaigns

One of the best SMS marketing strategies is running SMS discount campaigns for your WooCommerce store to create excitement and urgency.

Send special offers like “24-Hour Flash Sale: 10% OFF your next order!” directly to subscribers’ phones. Because SMS gets seen fast, these limited-time deals drive immediate clicks and purchases.

In addition, offering discounts to customers who have not bought lately can convince them to interact with you again. Also, do not forget to reward loyal customers with exclusive codes. Always remind them that you appreciate their loyalty so they remember you and recommend you to others.

A well-timed, relevant discount is a powerful way to increase sales with SMS.

Abandoned Cart Flows

Set up a flow where a friendly reminder SMS sends 30-60 minutes after a customer leaves your site without buying. Keep it simple:

It is better to personalize your abandoned cart SMS messages if possible (“Still thinking about those blue sneakers?“). Additionally, sometimes it is okay to send more than one SMS. However, you should test this with your customers and get feedback. For example, send a second SMS the day after a customer leaves the website.

Eventually, the best thing to do is automate your SMS notifications for abandoned carts by choosing the right SMS gateway and plugin, like WP SMS.

SMS order tracking

Keep your customers informed via SMS messages. This not only improves the customer’s purchase experience, but also can reduce your workload. Fewer support tickets mean your team has more time for complex issues or growing the business.

Customers also appreciate receiving instant updates on their order status. It makes them feel valued and helps reduce any anxiety about their purchase.

An order tracking SMS message can be like: “Your order #123 is confirmed!“, “Your order has shipped! Track it here: https://post.com“, and “Your package is out for delivery today.” This way you will not get any more calls or emails about “Where is my order?”

Segmentation

Never ever send the same text message to everyone. Segment your subscribers for better customer engagement.

Group contacts based on what they bought, how often they shop, or their interests. Send different messages to new customers versus loyal ones, or target fans of specific product categories.

Someone who bought running shoes gets SMS about new sneakers, not kitchen gadgets. This also prevents opt-outs and it may even encourage others to opt-in to receive personalized offers.

Monitor SMS campaign performance

Track how your SMS marketing is performing. Look at metrics like delivery rates, open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. See which types of messages (discounts, restock alerts, cart reminders) work best.

Use this data to improve your SMS marketing strategies for your WooCommerce store. If cart recovery messages get lots of clicks but few purchases, test changing the offer or timing. If your welcome texts have low open rates, check your timing.

Monitoring helps you get the most income at the lowest cost and have more satisfied customers.

WooCommerce SMS marketing best practices

Always respect your customers’ space. Getting it wrong can hurt trust and even break laws. Following best practices keeps your SMS efforts effective, legal, and welcome.

Keep in mind that customers who opt-in expect value, not spam. Every message should feel helpful or timely.

Get Explicit Consent

GDPR-compliant SMS messages start with a clear “yes” from the customer. Never add people to your SMS list without their direct permission. Pre-ticked boxes or hidden sign-ups are also illegal.

Make opt-in obvious and simple. Use checkboxes on checkout pages or dedicated signup forms saying exactly what they’ll get:

Double opt-in is the gold standard. After they check the box, send a text asking them to reply “YES” to confirm. This proves consent and ensures accurate numbers. Keep records of when and how they agreed.

Test Your Campaigns

Don’t send messages blindly. Start by testing small segments first. Send your discount SMS campaign draft to 5-10% of your list. Check delivery rates, open rates, and click-throughs. See what drives action before sending it to everyone.

Also, test different message styles by A/B testing. Try short vs. slightly longer texts. Test including an emoji or not. See if questions (“Need help finishing your order?“) work better than statements for abandoned cart SMS.

Plus, test the timing. Test sending SMS order alerts and abandoned cart SMS messages immediately vs. a short delay. See what generates the most recovered sales without annoying people.

Include a clear opt-out

Every SMS must include clear instructions on how recipients can opt out. It is the law (TCPA, GDPR). Add simple instructions like “Reply STOP to unsubscribe” in every SMS campaign or notification.

Make opting out instant and easy. The moment someone texts “STOP,” your system should automatically remove them. No delays, no questions asked. Continuing texts risks heavy fines and destroys your reputation.

Remember, even transactional messages (like order tracking SMS) still need an opt-out option.

Mind Your Message Frequency

Too many texts feel like spam. You should find the right message frequency for your store. However, for promotions, 2-4 messages per month is often safe and for automated SMS notifications (orders, shipping), send only essential updates.

You can even ask subscribers to choose. Ask them how often they want texts (e.g., “Weekly deals”).

Finally, monitor complaint rates. If unsubscribe requests spike after a campaign, you’re sending too much or the wrong content.

How to add an SMS marketing plugin for WooCommerce

To have effective SMS campaigns, you need to look for the best SMS marketing tool; that is, a WordPress SMS marketing plugin that supports many SMS gateways, integrates with many other plugins, and is easy to use.

WP SMS delivers exactly that: a powerful solution for all your store’s SMS needs. It handles necessary SMS marketing integrations, turns complex tasks into automated workflows, and sends various SMS messages, such as targeted discount campaigns and transactional SMS updates, while ensuring GDPR-compliant SMS practices.

Install WP SMS

To install WP SMS, simply search for the name “WP SMS” in the WordPress plugins section and install the plugin.

Then, from the plans page, select one of the free or Pro plans of this plugin and complete your registration in WP SMS.

So far, you have easily taken the first step, which is installing the plugin. The next step is about choosing an SMS gateway.

Choose an Appropriate SMS Gateway

Choosing an SMS gateway is one of the most important tasks for sending SMS messages, because SMS gateways provide you with the infrastructure for sending SMS messages. Its inappropriateness can lead to a decrease in the quality of your SMS campaigns.

We recommend that you check the list of SMS gateways supported by WP SMS on the “gateways” page. There you can have a complete list of these SMS gateways based on your geographical location.

Set Up Your SMS Gateway

Then you need to visit your SMS gateway’s website and register there. Each SMS gateway gives you credentials and other details of its APIs to let you configure it.

To use WP SMS, you have two options to configure the SMS gateway on your dashboard. You can set it up manually or use the setup wizard for configuration.

In the first option, navigate to SMS on your WordPress dashboard, and then go to SMS → Settings → SMS Gateway.

You must choose your SMS gateway from the list and paste the required credentials. Finally, click Save Changes.
To do it using the setup Wizard (WP SMS v7.0 +), you need to go to the same path, click Re‑run Setup Wizard, and follow the guided steps to configure the SMS gateway.

Verify Activation

Finally, try to double-check everything using the Gateway Overview panel and make sure that the SMS gateway status shows as active.

Start Sending SMS Messages

With WP SMS activated, your WooCommerce store unlocks a complete SMS marketing toolkit. You can automate your messages effortlessly and set up order confirmations and abandoned cart reminders flawlessly forever.

Plus, using WP SMS, scheduling SMS messages is possible. You can plan flash sales or holiday offers days in advance.

But generic text messages waste potential. That is why segmenting subscribers is necessary. Group customers by purchase history, location, or loyalty status. Send restock alerts only to those who bought a product before, or VIP discounts to high-spenders.

You can make the personalization even more professional with the help of WP SMS by integrations. WP SMS syncs with WooCommerce, CRMs, and membership plugins, letting you tailor messages using live customer data.

Also, using WP SMS, you are able to go beyond broadcasting and receive text messages from your customers.

Finally, WP SMS makes GDPR compliance very easy for you.

Conclusion

SMS marketing is no longer an option for WooCommerce stores in 2025, but a necessity. It can easily convert abandoned carts into purchases, send SMS notifications of customer order updates, send personalized offers, and overall, put you ahead in the market.

A reliable SMS marketing plugin makes these tasks simple. It can automate transactional SMS messages, schedule discount SMS campaigns that increase sales, segment customers, and send personalized text messages tailored to customers’ needs and data via integrating with other plugins.

Hence, in this article, we introduced WP SMS plugin; an SMS marketing tool that can do all these things easily and can be connected to many SMS gateways. No matter where you are in the world, for whatever you want to send SMS, just install WP SMS, set up your gateway on it, and start sending messages.