How to improve your eCommerce marketing strategy with accurate phone number validation

In e-commerce, every decision, large or small, produces a ripple effect on customer satisfaction and the growth of your business. While decisions pertaining to product assortment, website design, and promotional methods often receive the majority of attention, there is one area that many people overlook, which can have a significant impact: consistently entering customer phone numbers. 

Customer phone numbers are useful for verifying orders, sharing live delivery updates, and sending tailored SMS marketing campaigns that actually convert.  If this small detail starts to fall off, it leads to miscommunication, wasted advertising spend, and dissatisfied customers.

Why do accurate phone numbers matter more than you think?

Running an e-commerce business often hinges on small details, such as having the correct customer phone number. In terms of making sure that deliveries go smoothly and having accurate data for your marketing campaigns, we can't stress enough about the importance of phone number validation. 

Key issues you need to know

1. Missing deliveries:  

Customers with incorrect phone numbers can lead to missing packages since the drivers are unable to reach customers, and communication problems arise, resulting in delays and higher shipping costs.

2. Customer service overwhelm: 

When the contact info is invalid, there is potential for frustrated customers to reach out for information regarding their orders, which can lead to overwhelmed support teams and higher operational costs.

3. Untapped marketing opportunities: 

Sending SMS campaigns to invalid phone numbers can waste marketing dollars while also making it difficult to track campaign effectiveness and limiting future ROI opportunities.

For example, a case study from RingCaptcha features Salina Cosmetics, an eCommerce brand. Salina reduced its order return rate from 9% to 1% by enabling phone number validation, which also led to fewer customer support inquiries and more accurate deliveries, demonstrating the real impact of maintaining clean, verified contact data.

So, fixing phone numbers isn’t merely a task on the technical checklist; it’s simply a good business practice because once you are in place, it enables you to fulfill efficiently and enhance customer experience. Now, let’s look at how phone number validation relates to your marketing strategy and its potential to affect your bottom line.

What is phone number validation?

Phone number validation is the process of verifying whether a customer-entered phone number is properly formatted, active, and capable of receiving calls and/or SMS messages. This process is not an internal technical check; it is a first line of defense against pinged deliveries, wasted marketing, and fraud. 

In the eCommerce world, validating a phone number means the business is connecting with a real customer who can be reached. Validating phone numbers allows you to text customers with order updates and SMS promotional savings. This is a critical value add for any business and will make a difference for the customers you engage with.

Benefits of phone number validation:

1. Improved communication

When you have validated phone numbers, you can be confident that your important communications, such as order confirmations, shipping notifications, or delivery changes, actually reach your customers.

2. Increased marketing efforts

When phone data is accurate, your SMS marketing will be far more effective. A clean contact list improves delivery rates, engagement, and reduces wasted messages.

3. Fraud prevention

Phone validation tools will identify fake or disposable numbers to reduce fraudulent sales and chargebacks.

Validated phone numbers enable better communication, improve customer experiences, and increase the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. A 2023 report by EmailOversight showed that an eCommerce business improved its SMS deliverability by 35%, its customer engagement with click-throughs and replies by 25%, and reduced its messaging costs by 55%, all by verifying contacts’ phone numbers were valid. Each business’s results vary in this regard, but the consistency of validated numbers in improved results is reliable.

Additionally, validation helps improve communication and campaign performance, while also serving as a first line of defense to reduce fraud by identifying fake or temporary numbers before they enter your systems. It doesn't add much to your customer data-gathering process, but it can deliver some significant advances to the way you operate as a business.

Let's now explore how these benefits can have a meaningful impact on your overall eCommerce strategy.

How do these benefits translate into real impact for your eCommerce strategy ?

When it comes to eCommerce, being able to keep your customers happy and keeping your operational costs low is essential to your competitiveness. Phone number accuracy, customer contact information in general, is often considered the least important aspect of the e-commerce experience. By simply adding a phone number validation feature, eCommerce businesses will realize far-reaching benefits that extend beyond simply verifying someone's phone number. These benefits will lead to an improved customer experience, increased engagement, and cost reductions across multiple operational touchpoints.

Key impacts on your eCommerce strategy

1. Reduced operational costs:

By validating phone numbers, eCommerce companies can optimize their delivery approach. By validating a customer's phone number is valid, the delivery drivers are able to reach the customers more effectively, which ultimately will lead to fewer missed deadlines. For example, an online retailer that specializes in electronics could reduce the costs of missed delivery attempts completely. This can save time on the back-end, as it will make safety and delivery pressures easier, and allows the retailer to keep the original order and delivery timing, thus making the entire operation even better to manage overall.

2. Improved marketing campaigns:

By using correct phone numbers, eCommerce brands can be confident that their SMS marketing campaigns will be far more effective. If the phone numbers have been validated, they can be assured that promotional offers, promotions, and specific messages will go to the desired audience and limit their chances of being opened and engaged with as a customer. For example, an online clothing store can send an exclusive offer or a message regarding an upcoming sale to customers who are also likely to open the message. This can help them drive better results and increase the return on their marketing spend.

3. Enhanced customer satisfaction:

Confirming the accuracy of customer contact information is crucial for ongoing communication during the shopping journey. When a customer provides a phone number that is actually valid, businesses can inform customers about order status, shipment tracking, and can respond more quickly to questions. For example, an eCommerce home goods store can use an accurate phone number to send the customer quick and timely, pertinent information about their delivery, as to when it would arrive. Giving customers accurate delivery updates will quell their apprehension, establish trust, and heighten the chance for repeat business and loyalty.

Adding phone number verification into your eCommerce plan can greatly affect how you do business. When you guarantee dependable contact information from customers, your part to enhance customer satisfaction increases, but so does efficiency in delivery, marketing and communications which helps long-term growth for your company.

Conclusion: 

Having valid customer phone numbers is incredibly valuable for eCommerce businesses. It's a simple way to boost engagement, increase efficiency, and get more out of your marketing budget. Phone number validation prevents delivery delays and customer service overload, ensures your marketing reaches the right people, and maximizes your marketing effectiveness. Maintaining accurate contact information allows you to quickly reach customers with relevant updates, eliminate wasted spending, and foster stronger customer relationships. Ultimately, using a phone number validation tool leads to smoother, more efficient customer experiences, which in turn creates happy, loyal customers.