Many retailers have wondered what the next step in their customer communications will look like. Here’s how RCS and Landing Pages will help to answer that question.
The tools that consumers research and buy products and services has evolved an enormous amount in the modern retail arena. Communication channels such as SMS, web chat and bots have been arriving at breakneck speed – all of which add convenience, speed and intelligence to interactions with retailers.
Retailers should be continually looking to connect with their customers in more engaging ways, which give them the competitive advantage that they’ve been looking for over their competitors. Failure to do so will only result in the next guy doing it – and potentially stealing market share.
So what are the latest technologies that modern retailers should be considering to gain that all important edge:
RCS for retail![]()
RCS is the new kid on the block for retailer/customer communications and is designed to replace our old friend SMS. Retail customers can expect to receive a lot more of their communications through RCS over the next few years if they haven’t already, as providers begin to realise the potential of the channel.
RCS takes all of the best parts of SMS and gives it an upgrade for the modern marketplace. While still being able to capitalise on the magnificent 95% open rate of SMS – RCS brings much more to the party.
Retailers will be able to setup fully automated and branded interactions with their customers, using new tools like buttons, rich cards, and integrated payment facilities. All of this will make it easier to do things like send digital receipts and delivery updates, upsell/cross-sell other products/services, arrange delivery slots/locations, make payments and much more. Service providers will also be able to gain “verified sender” status, which will reassure their customers that their interaction is with a trustworthy source.
Landing Pages for retail
SMS messaging is beautifully simple, but sometimes something a little more visual is required – that’s where landing pages come in. With landing pages, retailers can include images, offer codes and call-to-action buttons to drive customer engagement.
The customer will receive a tailored SMS, with a link to your landing page, which is hosted by a provider like Esendex
The idea is that by removing the distractions of conventional websites the customer remains focused on the action retailers want them to take, and because SMS landing pages are specifically designed for a mobile phone, they avoid the challenges of a responsive website like overly long pages, text which is too small, and difficult to complete forms. If required, retailers can add links from the SMS landing page to their website depending on the action they would like completing, such as purchasing a ticket or booking an appointment.
The Esendex landing page builder is customisable, from your logo to brand colour and even font. We have a range of professionally designed templates that can also be implemented for ease of use. These are tailored to the most common message types and for a range of industries. It is also possible for your in-house team to design the template from scratch to create an entirely bespoke design for your brand.
Click here to Find out how Esendex worked with Four Star Pizza to drive sales and increase engagement
How can retailers get started with RCS and Landing Pages?
Esendex have worked with a range of retailers of all sizes, on various types of RCS and landing page projects.
If you’re interested to know more about how our RCS and Landing Page tools can be used within the retail sector and how Esendex can make it work more effectively for you, please get in contact with our team today on 0345 356 5758 or email us at [email protected].
