When it Comes to eCommerce Interactions Gen-Z Prefer Texts Over Emails

This week, research has been released that explored the preferences different audiences have when interacting with eCommerce businesses. Mitto is a leading provider of global omnichannel communication solutions and conducted this survey in May 2022 in the USA. The survey found that 90% of consumers find it important for eCommerce brands and businesses to interact with them on their preferred channels, whether that is SMS, social media, or chat apps.

The research did notice a difference between the preferred communication channel and the type of communication the user was experiencing. For example, quick questions or confirmations, including two-factor authentication (2FA), 46% of survey respondents said they preferred text messaging over email. This number was even higher when looking at Generation Z and Millennials as more than two-thirds of them preferred SMS.

“The level of communication that consumers are requiring from brands can only be completed successfully with a full omnichannel strategy,”

“Through the use of omnichannel communications, eCommerce brands can meet customers where they are already spending their time. By going one step further and integrating fintech and payment tools that already leverage popular digital communications channels like SMS and WhatsApp, eCommerce brands can deliver a positive experience throughout the consumers’ entire journey.”

Andrea Giacomini, CEO, Mitto.

The Importance of SMS for eCommerce

As the popularity of eCommerce continues to grow, pay-by-link options remain an untapped market as less than half of the survey respondents said they had used this method, but those who have reported it to be both quick and easy. SMS is the preferred channel for pay-by-link payments with 30% favoring this over email due to faster response times, which was a priority for 27% of all respondents and almost 70% of Generation Z and Millennials.

Key findings:

• Speed is especially critical when it comes to 2FA as 58% of consumers expect a 2FA text message immediately and if they have to wait to receive this, 41% would consider abandoning their purchase.
• 86% of individuals would prefer that brands confirm their identities for large purchases, with 47% wanting confirmation for all purchases greater than $200.
• More than half believe SMS is the best way to communicate during these confirmation exchanges.

The findings from this survey certainly show a strong correlation between younger customers and their expectation for faster communication from eCommerce businesses. Whereas older generations seemed a lot more hesitant to share their cell phone numbers, the same is not true for some millennials and gen-z.

As the younger generations get older and will start becoming a larger portion of eCommerce businesses’ audiences, the store owners who recognize this and start putting technology in place that resonates with them are the ones likely to succeed.

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