Crafting Conversion Magic: Collecting and Leveraging Phone Numbers‍

Did you know that SMS marketing is becoming more popular as a viable marketing channel? According to surveys, 48.7 million individuals would opt to receive SMS texts in 2020, a 23% increase from 2016.

Collecting phone numbers from clients and website visitors is a tried and true technique to start and build your SMS marketing program. Check out this checklist to assist you in making the high-quality phone calls you've been missing.

How Does Collecting  Phone Numbers Increase Conversions

Phone number collection can boost conversions in a variety of ways, most notably through enhancing communication, trust, and tailored interactions with potential consumers. Here's how phone number collection can contribute to greater conversion rates:

• Direct communication: Phone numbers allow for direct and rapid engagement with prospects. You can use them to immediately follow up on queries, answer questions, and give information, encouraging prospects to take action.

• Personalization: A prospect's phone number enables tailored conversations. You can address them by name, provide personalized solutions, and create a more engaging and relevant customer experience, perhaps leading to better conversions.

• Trust building: When prospects provide their phone numbers freely, it indicates a degree of confidence and interest in your product or service. This trust can lead to higher confidence in your brand, increasing the likelihood of conversion.

• Appointment setting: Having a prospect's phone number makes it easy to plan meetings and demos for firms that require appointments or consultations. Because you can help prospects through the decision-making process, you can increase conversion rates.

• Immediate response: Phone numbers allow you to respond to questions or problems right away. Quick replies can keep prospects interested and discourage them from looking for alternatives, thus raising conversion rates.

• Lead nurturing: Phone numbers enable continuing lead nurturing via phone calls, SMS messaging, or WhatsApp. Consistent communication keeps your brand front of mind and can help prospects progress more quickly through the sales funnel.

• Cart recovery: Collecting phone numbers during the checkout process allows e-commerce enterprises to send SMS reminders and incentives to clients who abandoned their shopping carts, possibly recovering lost purchases.

• Verification: Collecting phone numbers can improve security and confirm the legitimacy of prospects or customers, lowering the danger of fraudulent activity.

• Surveys: Phone numbers can be used to conduct customer surveys or collect feedback, allowing you to better understand client preferences and problem areas and, hence, improve your marketing and sales strategy.

• Event promotion: When you offer events, webinars, or promotions, having phone numbers allows you to send event reminders and updates, which increases attendance and involvement.

• Targeting and segmentation: You can segment your audience based on several characteristics and target certain groups with personalized marketing campaigns by collecting phone numbers, which boosts the relevancy of your messaging and increases conversions.

7 Practices for Collecting Visitors’ Phone Numbers

Keep the following recommended practices in mind when launching effective SMS and MMS opt-in campaigns.

1. Make an appealing offer

Provide an attractive reason for consumers to give you their phone number, whether it's a discount, gift, VIP status, or anything else. Run experiments to see what generates the most opt-ins for your brand.

2. Explain the importance of signing up for SMS messages

You must distinguish the content on your email and SMS channels to get consumers to subscribe and keep them hooked. Are SMS users among the first to learn about new product launches? Do they receive subscriber-only discounts? Tell customers what they can expect if they sign up.

3. Consider utilizing a two-step form 

Use this to collect a subscriber's email address and other information at the same time. Then, you won't overwhelm them by requesting too much information at once. Most brands will initially request an email address from customers. Because the buyer is already opting in, asking for extra information, like a phone number, won't be a problem, especially if the offer is appealing. Not to mention that having additional ways to contact consumers allows you to create trust and (finally) sell to them.

4. Use “next order” messages

If a customer has already purchased but isn't on your SMS list, modify your signup offer for these customers. Instead of displaying the irrelevant "first order" discount, provide a "next order" discount or other inducement.

5. Stop sending messages to those who are already on your list

You don't want to bother someone who is already on your SMS list with a registration offer. Instead, attempt to tailor returning customer ads that demonstrate to customers that you appreciate their business.

6. When someone opts in, send a confirmation message

Obtaining express authorization is critical for maintaining a healthy SMS list and being TCPA compliant. In addition, when someone subscribes, start your welcome series so you can educate them about your company and create trust. ‍

7. Consider acquiring a 10-digit long code (10DLC) 

A 10DLC is a typical US phone number that begins with an area code and then continues with seven digits, whereas a short code is a 5-6 digit number that certain companies use to text from. Shortcodes can be costly and unreliable in terms of delivery. A 10DLC number, on the other hand, is more dependable and adaptable and enables two-way communication.

Conclusion

Having a phone number provides customers and business partners with peace of mind. At the very least, it instills trust in your guests and dispels any "fly-by-night-operation" fears they may have. 

However, it is critical to handle phone number acquisition properly and follow privacy laws. Make sure you have explicit opt-in methods in place and provide prospects with something of value in return for their phone numbers. To create and retain confidence with your audience, always handle personal data safely and under data protection rules.