If you aren’t already using WooCommerce SMS messaging as part of your 2025 sales strategy, you’re missing out on an affordable and effective way to increase revenue for your brand. SMS texts are direct, highly engaging, and offer unparalleled response rates compared to other digital advertising mediums.
So, how can you take advantage of SMS marketing for your WooCommerce store? In this guide, we’ll explore how WooCommerce SMS messaging can benefit your business, how to set it up with tools like Omnisend, and the best practices for creating SMS campaigns that convert.
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The benefits of WooCommerce SMS marketing
Some ecommerce businesses are hesitant to add SMS marketing to their communication strategy. After all, if you don’t get it right, you might end up annoying customers.
The reality is that SMS marketing has far more upsides than downsides, which is why companies are using it more and more. In fact, our 2024 report found that brands sent 31% more SMS messages in 2024 than the year prior and US brands generated over $25 million in SMS sales alone.
So SMS is clearly bringing big returns to businesses, but why? Let’s answer that question by exploring some of the driving factors that make SMS marketing so effective.
It provides direct and instant communication
When you send an SMS message, it literally lands directly in the customer’s pocket. Unlike emails that might get caught in spam filters or relegated to the often-overlooked, crowded promotions tab, texts are seen and opened within minutes.
Why? Our phones go everywhere with us and we check them constantly. In the US, it’s one of the first things people do each day, and they check them at least another 143 times before falling asleep every night.
Unlike email and social media, texts don’t rely on recipients having an internet connection. Whether someone is in a busy city center or hiking in a remote wilderness, as long as they have cell service, SMS messages can reach them.
It increases engagement and conversions
SMS marketing excels at encouraging quick customer responses. Personalized texts with clear calls to action can inspire immediate clicks, driving more traffic and boosting sales. Also, because people have to opt in to texts, they may even be anticipating your messages.
For instance, the number one thing people like about SMS texts from brands is getting shipping notifications, and 45% of consumers also love receiving sales and promotional offers from their favorite retailers. The conversion rate statistics back this up, too.
Conversion rates for SMS text messages are anywhere from two to four times greater, on average, than email. Some studies report average conversion rates as high as 29% for SMS marketing.
It’s a complement to email marketing
SMS marketing doesn’t replace email — it enhances it. Use SMS for urgent updates and time-sensitive reminders while reserving email for more detailed content.
Not only can SMS marketing replace some of your email messages that are better served by a more immediate communication channel, but you can also pair texting and email as part of a funneled marketing approach.
For instance, you might send an email to a customer announcing a new course that includes details about the topic, length, included materials, live meeting times, cost, and registration requirements. If the recipient opens the email but doesn’t sign up, you could send a text reminder 48 hours before the registration cut-off.
Then, if they purchase your course, you could send them a text with a link to the course details as well as a follow-up email recommending related courses after they’ve completed the course they just purchased.
As you can see, SMS marketing and email can work together for a more comprehensive strategy that keeps your customers engaged on multiple fronts.
It’s ideal for time-sensitive offers and urgent communications
We’ve talked a lot about the immediate nature of SMS marketing and mentioned some examples of how you can use it in tandem with email to amplify your brand’s messaging. However, at its core, SMS marketing is best used for time-sensitive communications.
The biggest reason people get annoyed with SMS marketing is because businesses message too frequently — especially about things that are redundant or not that important to them.
Limit text messages to urgent communications such as shipping updates, offers that expire within 24 hours, and important deadlines like event registration.
How to add an SMS marketing plugin for WooCommerce
Integrating SMS marketing into your WooCommerce store is easier than you think, especially with tools like Omnisend. The Email Marketing for WooCommerce by Omnisend plugin seamlessly connects your Omnisend account with your WooCommerce store, so you can immediately start encouraging customers to subscribe and engage them with personalized SMS messaging.
When it comes to WooCommerce SMS marketing, Omnisend stands out as a top choice for growing ecommerce brands. Omnisend’s plugin for WooCommerce helps you collect leads and create targeted segments based on purchase history, website activity, and more. You can even create and manage SMS messages and emails directly from your WordPress dashboard.
Adding Email Marketing for WooCommerce by Omnisend to your store is straightforward, so let’s quickly walk through the installation process.
1. Open your WordPress dashboard and go to Plugins > Add New. Search for “Omnisend for WooCommerce” and click Install Now.
2. Once installed, click Activate and follow the prompts to connect your WooCommerce store to Omnisend.
3. You’ll be redirected to a screen prompting you to log in to your Omnisend account or create a new one if you’re just starting.
4. Once you’re logged in, approve the connection, and Omnisend will automatically sync your store data.
5. After completing the installation, you’ll be redirected to the brand assets page. Omnisend will automatically pull your logo, color palette, and typography from your store, if that information is discoverable.
Ensure your brand’s logo is correct, then customize your brand’s colors, typography, and social media links. You can always tweak it later if you need to.
2. Set up SMS marketing with Omnisend
Once you’ve installed the plugin and customized your brand assets, there are just a couple of setup steps left before you can start sending SMS text campaigns. First, you’ll need to configure opt-in settings and then sync your customer data.
Step 1: Configuring opt-in settings
Currently, SMS opt-in at checkout is not supported on WooCommerce stores. To collect SMS consent, use Omnisend’s signup forms — including popups, landing pages, and embedded forms — which allow you to legally collect SMS subscribers with proper consent. You’ll have fewer unsubscribes and spam complaints if customers choose to receive marketing messages from you.
Step 2: Syncing customer data
Omnisend will automatically sync your store’s products and customer data in real time so you can send messages like abandoned cart reminders, order updates, and promotional alerts. However, you may need to manually resync your contacts if you get disconnected from your Omnisend account or experience another issue with your website that disrupts the syncing process.
To access your sync data and the Resync all contacts option, go to your WordPress dashboard, click Omnisend for WooCommerce, and then select the Sync tab.
From here, you can see how many contacts, orders, products, and categories were successfully synced and manually resync them if needed.
3. Start sending notifications and campaigns
Once you’ve got your list of subscribers and have connected Omnisend with your WooCommerce store, you can start sending SMS notifications and campaigns.
Order status updates (e.g., shipped, completed, or on hold)
Delivery notifications to keep customers informed
Payment confirmations and balance due reminders
Send customer relationship management (CRM) texts such as:
Product review requests
Satisfaction surveys
Registration deadline reminders
Event reminders following ticket purchases
Appointment and reservation reminders
Create promotional SMS campaigns to share:
Flash sales
Cart expiration reminders
Back-in-stock alerts for items on a customer’s wishlist/watchlist
Personalized birthday offers
Early access and time-sensitive VIP offers
Loyalty program updates (e.g., “You’ve reached 5,000 points! Redeem them for up to $50 off your next order!”)
Use Omnisend’s templates or craft custom messages, and pair SMS with email to create omnichannel campaigns that drive engagement.
When creating your campaigns, don’t forget to personalize them and include a strong call to action (CTA) to increase conversions.
Here are some examples of ways SMS text and email can work hand-in-hand:
Sales announcements: Send an email about an upcoming sale with full details, then follow up with an SMS reminder a few hours before it ends
Abandoned cart recovery: Send a cart abandonment email with a countdown timer, then send a text when the cart is about to expire
Cross-promotion of subscription channels: Communicate with customers through their preferred methods by cross-promoting each channel on the other
Post-purchase follow-up: After delivery, send an SMS asking for a review, then follow up with an email featuring product care tips and related product recommendations
4. Monitor SMS campaign performance
Tracking your SMS campaign performance is essential to optimizing engagement and maximizing profitability. Unlike email, SMS doesn’t offer open rate tracking, but key metrics like delivery rates, CTR, conversions, and unsubscribes can help you understand what’s working and where to improve.
High delivery rates indicate that your messages are reaching customers, while CTR, conversion, and unsubscribe data show how engaging and effective your campaigns are.
With Omnisend’s built-in analytics, you can monitor these metrics in real time. Use the insights to tweak your messaging, test different offers, and optimize timing for better results. Consistently analyzing your campaign performance will help you refine your strategy and boost your ecommerce sales.
Ensure your messages include a clickable link so you can keep track of these important engagement metrics.
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WooCommerce SMS marketing best practices
If done right, SMS can be one of the most effective tools for building customer relationships and driving sales. When considering your store’s approach to SMS marketing, remember that the customer comes first. If what you’re sending them doesn’t provide value, they might delete your messages, report them as spam, or simply unsubscribe.
Providing value matters the most — whether through timely updates, personalized offers, or relevant notifications.
So, respect customer preferences and follow these best practices to create SMS campaigns that feel beneficial rather than bothersome:
Encourage customers to actively opt-in to receive text messages — Validity has found that 35% of consumers are annoyed when they receive texts from brands to which they didn’t subscribe.
With Omnisend’s plugin, you can include an email opt-in checkbox during the checkout process:
Be clear at signup
Don’t send customers messages they don’t expect to receive. Be transparent about your marketing intentions right from the beginning — at checkout, in signup forms, and during account registration.
The following example clearly explains to customers what opting in involves:
Make sure your terms are displayed near your CTA or opt-in button and in a readable font size for accessibility.
While Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) don’t specify a minimum font size, “fine print” is often intentionally made very small in order to obscure key details and trick people into signing up for things that might not be in their best interest. Don’t be that company.
A good rule of thumb is to use a minimum of 16px font size when presenting your opt-in terms to potential subscribers.
Pay attention to the frequency of your messages
If you send too many bulk SMS messages, your customers might start unsubscribing or stop shopping with you altogether. In fact, according to Validity’s research, 28% of customers won’t hesitate to quit doing business with your brand if they get irritated by excessive messaging.
On the other hand, failing to reach out regularly enough risks subscribers forgetting about you. It’s a delicate balance. While US shoppers are more open to the idea of daily texts from brands than countries like Australia or the UK, overall, most people prefer receiving texts weekly or only when there’s an important announcement.
If you’re not sure how often to send your SMS messages, try starting weekly. Then, run A/B tests and monitor performance metrics to see what frequency works best for your subscribers.
Text during regular hours of the day
Nobody wants to be woken up by an order reminder, which is why Omnisend automates your messages based on the recipient’s location. This ensures that your customers won’t receive texts at 3 AM, unless that’s your specific intention.
With Omnisend, you can specify a time frame for sending SMS messages to your customers and limit the number of messages sent to those hours in keeping with each subscriber’s time zone.
Image via Omnisend
Keep it concise
Your subscribers are busy, so respect their time by keeping it brief. Here’s an example from FATHERSONS to offer inspiration. Observe how the SMS is under the 160 character limit:
Links, in particular, can cause messages to go over the character limit. That’s why Omnisend automatically shortens links and adds a UTM tracking parameter so each click is tracked.
Always include an unsubscribe link or keyword
Allow customers to unsubscribe to WooCommerce SMS marketing by responding to your text messages with a single keyword like STOP. Check out how this brand provides clear instructions for opting out, in this case by clicking a link:
Send a test message
Before launching a WooCommerce SMS campaign, send a test message for review — ideally by someone other than the person who created the message. Two sets of eyes are always better than one, and everybody needs an editor.
Sending test messages will help you catch mistakes and device-related display issues as well as ensure that the timing is appropriate.
Testing also lets you experience the customer’s perspective and verify that any links or call to action buttons work correctly.
You can test SMS messages directly within Omnisend while creating your campaign.
Image via Omnisend
Personalize your messages
Personalized messages are more engaging and can lead to higher conversion rates. Address customers by their first name whenever possible and ensure your messages are relevant to the recipient, whether it’s an order update, promotional message, or product recommendation.
Here’s an example of a personalized message. Notice how it adopts a conversational and friendly tone:
Provide value
Use SMS to keep customers informed of things that benefit them. This includes updating them on their order progress, arranging delivery slots, offering coupons and pricing discounts, or reminding them of expiring promotions.
You can say anything less time-sensitive (or relevant) via email. Take a look at the way Baking Steel uses SMS marketing to share shipping and order updates:
Respond in real time to have a conversation
SMS is a more personal way to get in touch with your customers. Most people only give out their phone numbers to people and brands they trust. However, that trust can quickly fade when communication only goes one way.
Allowing customers to connect with you in real time over text can help nurture the relationship, reduce wait times for customer service, and make customers feel listened to and valued.
One way to encourage interaction and start a conversation is by using auto-responses through Omnisend. This ensures the subscriber receives an instant response, which you can then follow with a personalized message.
Sally Sue’s Sock Shop (SMS 1): “Hey Jennifer! Looks like there’s some lost socks in your cart. Would you like to complete your purchase? Reply ‘YES’ for assistance or ‘NO’ if you’re all good.”
Customer Jennifer (SMS 2): “YES”
Sally Sue’s Sock Shop (SMS 3): “Sweet! Here’s a link to your cart: otxt1.com/lc/xxxxx Let us know if you need any help with your order by replying ‘HELP’.”
Another way you can use automated text messaging to encourage two-way communication with your customers is by sending appointment reminders. The medical office example below illustrates a simple appointment confirmation automation:
You don’t have to limit the recipient’s response to a single option, either (although you do have to contend with the 160 character limit). In the medical office example, the customer is given the option to confirm, unsubscribe, or call the office to reschedule.
Conclusion
SMS marketing is a powerful addition to any marketing strategy, but it’s especially impactful for ecommerce brands. It’s one of the most immediate ways to engage customers, strengthen relationships, and drive more sales — and customers prefer it over most other forms of communication.
Omnisend empowers WooCommerce stores to manage SMS and email marketing from a single platform. Its intuitive tools for automation, audience targeting, and real-time insights help you build advanced campaigns without the complexities of other platforms.
Ready to experience what SMS marketing can do for your business? Get started with Omnisend today and launch your first WooCommerce SMS campaign.
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Bernard is the Sr. Director of Communications & Creative at Omnisend, with a passion for good research, helping ecommerce businesses with their marketing automation needs, and beating absolutely everyone in Mario Kart 64.
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