Businesses can use email, WhatsApp and SMS to send order confirmations, shipping updates, and promotional offers to their customers. These channels also allow for targeted and automated communications that can improve customer engagement and encourage repeat business.

But how is this field of communication changing in 2023? We asked some subject matter experts to give their opinions on what’s next for ecommerce messaging this year.

Filippo Casavecchia, Underground Ecom

Hi Filippo! In short: who are you and what do you do?

I’m Filippo, a B2C email marketing specialist. I became interested in email marketing some years ago when I discovered it allowed me to combine my curiosity, creativity, and love of data and statistics.

My role as Client Manager at Underground Ecom, one of the world's premier email marketing agencies, allows me to use these skills to lead a talented team in improving retention for the fantastic brands we serve.

What should ecommerce merchants focus on in 2023 to stand out among the crowd and stay ahead of competition?

At the heart of successful marketing is the ability to connect with your target audience on a deeper level and foster an emotional bond. 

While some brands may have a natural talent for this, others have to optimize every customer touchpoint to create a memorable experience. By collecting and using first-party data, brands can personalize customer journeys through tactics such as quizzes, surveys, and personalized email or SMS campaigns. The options for personalization are endless.

In addition to acquiring new customers, it's important for brands to focus on retaining their existing ones. Implementing a VIP program and nurturing relationships with high-value customers can be an effective way to increase their lifetime value, especially as acquisition costs rise.

Which ecommerce messaging trends have you identified this year? Which ones will be mainstream and which ones will die out in 2023? 

There has been a growing focus on post-purchase flows, which are essential to a positive customer journey and often convert well. These flows are often overlooked, but they present a valuable opportunity to connect with customers and educate, reassure, or even cross-sell relevant products when appropriate. 

With open rates as high as 90% on post-purchase emails, it's no surprise that more and more apps are focusing on optimizing this stage of the customer experience.

Moreover, in an increasingly competitive ecommerce landscape, brands that fail to offer value to their customers beyond heavy promotions or neglect the importance of a strong inbox placement risk falling behind. 

How do you think email / SMS / WhatsApp marketing for ecommerce will evolve next year?

While other channels may experience fluctuation and uncertainty, email remains a consistent and preferred method of communication with subscribers. 

WhatsApp has the potential to be a highly appealing channel for brands, particularly in regions outside of the US where SMS costs can be prohibitive. This can lead some businesses to turn away from SMS and instead explore the reach and convenience of messaging apps like WhatsApp.

Lydia Ford, Quincy

Hi Lydia! In short: who are you and what do you do?

My name is Lydia Ford and I’m the founder of Quincy, a Klaviyo-partnered agency that specializes in email marketing for ecommerce businesses. 

Our goal is to help ecommerce companies improve and grow their online sales through email automation and targeted campaigns. 

We work with clients to create customized strategies and use powerful tools like Klaviyo to deliver results that drive customer engagement and increase revenue.

What should ecommerce merchants focus on in 2023 to stand out among the crowd and stay ahead of competition?

As we move into 2023, it's important to continue prioritizing personalization and customer loyalty in our efforts. By building a strong email list and consistently engaging with subscribers, we can foster long-term relationships and drive repeat business. 

Segmenting our audience based on their interests and behaviors allows us to create targeted marketing campaigns that are more effective at driving sales. 

It's also crucial to ensure that our website and marketing efforts are optimized for mobile, given the growing trend of mobile device usage for shopping. This includes having a responsive design and a seamless checkout process.

Which ecommerce messaging trends have you identified this year? Which ones will be mainstream and which ones will die out in 2023? 

The demand for personalized and targeted messaging is expected to continue, but the challenges of cookie-less browsing, privacy laws, and customer reluctance to share personal information may make this difficult to achieve. 

However, the use of AI tools is expected to grow in popularity and may help address these issues. In 2022, we saw the emergence of these types of tools, and I expect that they will continue to evolve and become more widely adopted in the coming year.

How do you think email / SMS / WhatsApp marketing for ecommerce will evolve next year?

We can expect to see an increase in the popularity of AI tools like ChatGPT. These tools are particularly useful for ecommerce businesses, as they can assist with tasks like generating product descriptions, creating marketing copy and responding to customer inquiries. 

By leveraging these technologies, ecommerce businesses can improve the customer experience and drive sales.

Adam Kitchen, Magnet Monster

Hi Adam! In short: who are you and what do you do?

My name’s Adam and I’m the co-founder of Magnet Monster, an ecommerce retention marketing agency specializing in email, SMS, direct mail & push notifications.

What should ecommerce merchants focus on in 2023 to stand out among the crowd and stay ahead of competition?

Merchants should build strategic collaborations, not just with creators prominent in their target industries, but also with brands sharing a similar audience overlap. This is a clear way to offset rising acquisition costs, increase reach and scale data collection in a way that’s mutually beneficial for all that participate.

Which ecommerce messaging trends have you identified this year? Which ones will be mainstream and which ones will die out in 2023? 

The common narrative is that it’s going to be a year to double down on retention marketing. While this has some merit, it cannot be done at the expense of acquisition. Brands need to get creative in lowering acquisition costs and increasing reach. 

I predict that we’re going to see a lot of efforts to merge channels - especially offline with online - to consolidate data and amplify reach.

How do you think email / SMS / WhatsApp marketing for ecommerce will evolve next year?

The obvious trend for email, SMS and WhatsApp marketing is the usage of AI to save time, enhance creativity and increase profitability for brands.

Andreea-Maria Miclăuș, Freelance

Hi Andreea-Maria! In short: who are you and what do you do?

Hi, I’m Andreea-Maria, a digital marketing freelancer based in Bucharest, Romania. My expertise lies in email and SMS marketing. I'm also an official Klaviyo partner in my role as a freelancer. 

After working at the biggest email marketing agency in Europe, I’m now bringing the power of email and SMS marketing back to my home country and helping online businesses increase revenue with these tools. 

I provide full services as I handle planning, strategy, content, copywriting, graphic design and monitoring of planned flows/campaigns.

What should ecommerce merchants focus on in 2023 to stand out among the crowd and stay ahead of competition?

I think the biggest thing now in marketing is personalization. Customers have experienced a lot as consumers, but what they really need to know is how we are different and how we can make them feel different. 

They need custom messages, based on their preferences, and custom interactions. The more detailed the approach, the bigger the chances they are to convert through email/SMS/Whatsapp.

Which ecommerce messaging trends have you identified this year? Which ones will be mainstream and which ones will die out in 2023?

This year I noticed an uplift in types of content getting more animated and interactive, with gifs, videos, moving elements. And I think these are here to stay. Customers need to see something new in every message and as the competition is fierce, the ones that draw the most attention win more conversions. 

Something that I think (and hope) to die soon is extending all the usual holidays to last for almost the entire year. 

Yes, a nice holiday can be a good occasion for a sale, but if we just send promotions and teasers every week, customers will get tired of being constantly fooled that there’s a sale going on.

How do you think email / SMS / WhatsApp marketing for ecommerce will evolve next year?

I think these marketing channels will mostly improve in terms of personalization and automation. Everything seems to be leading to a very custom and personal approach, a familiar voice, that friendly feeling, personal connections etc. Interactive messaging sure plays a massive role in this. 

But I’m sure there will be more impressive innovations I’m not even able to imagine right now. Just like I never imagined before that email/SMS can do what it’s currently doing.

Yasmin Kamal, Freelance

Hi Yasmin! In short: who are you and what do you do?

My name’s Yasmin Kamal, and I’m an independent email marketing manager with the majority of my clients being ecommerce brands who serve customers in Australia, Europe, the US & Canada. 

What should ecommerce merchants focus on in 2023 to stand out among the crowd and stay ahead of competition?

To get a leg up on competition, interactivity is one of the top focuses for ecommerce brands to improve performance this year. Customers are now looking to engage and connect with the brands that align with their daily life and values. 

We can expect interactive emails allowing customers to manipulate them without leaving their inbox or clicking a call to action to a webpage to be frequent methods.  

Some interactive elements in email include quizzes with a slider format, an embedded video they can play straight from within the email or carousel sliders. All of which are highly optimised for a seamless buying experience.

Which ecommerce messaging trends did you identify last year? Which ones will be mainstream and which ones will die out in 2023? 

The main messaging trend I see frequently is community-based content, where brands feature influencers and real customer experiences such as “before & afters”. The idea that someone else in the community loves using x brand, encourages new and repeat purchases. A sense of “FOMO” on this really good item.

The other trend I notice a lot is when brands provide customers the opportunity to do good. Example, every purchase made, an x amount will be contributed to a charity, animal shelter, forest restoration NGOs and more.

An example I noticed is a pet brand that entices customers by telling a story through the eyes of the dog, who happens to be a loyal mutt to their treats product. There, this brand was able to inspire action.

All of the above coupled with non-crowded, non-confusing typography and creatives proved to be the type of messaging that thrived in 2022.

On the flip side, promotions that are too complicated are dying out. 

How do you think email / SMS / WhatsApp marketing for ecommerce will evolve next year?

I think we are starting to see seamless sign up to email, SMS, and WhatsApp across all customer devices. Including using QR codes placed on product packaging to collect customer reviews, new sign ups or first-party data to develop existing subscriber profiles.

Zygfranz Diaz, Freelance

Hi Zygfranz! In short: who are you and what do you do?

My name’s Zygfranz, and I’m an email/SMS marketer. I specialize in email marketing platform Klaviyo. 

What should ecommerce merchants focus on in 2023 to stand out among the crowd and stay ahead of competition?

New and trending ways for customer acquisition and retention, for sure. They should also look into AI and innovative 3rd party platforms that give easy, convenient ways to check out or make for a better browsing experience.

Which ecommerce messaging trends did you identify last year? Which ones will be mainstream and which ones will die out in 2023? 

I didn't really think much about 2022 because it seemed like it would be pretty much the same as other years. But one thing that I think is worth looking into is omnichannel. 

Omnichannel is all about giving customers a seamless shopping experience no matter how they choose to buy - whether it's in a physical store, online, through a mobile app or on social media. 

As more and more people use different channels to shop and connect with brands, I think it'll become even more important for businesses to have an omnichannel strategy. So, it's definitely something to keep an eye on in the future.

How do you think email / SMS / WhatsApp marketing for ecommerce will evolve next year?

Yeah, it's definitely gonna evolve. Ecommerce brands are getting creative with their email, SMS, and WhatsApp marketing, and it's leading to some pretty cool innovation for developers and experts.

Right now, you have ChatGPT, but also some other 3rd party plugins like GetFondue and Retextion making a splash in email marketing. There’ll be even more tools similar to these that will come out this year and take email/SMS/WhatsApp to another level.

Costin Floricel, Omniconvert

Hi Costin! In short: who are you and what do you do?

My name’s Costin and I’m an Ecommerce Strategist focusing mostly on retention. When it comes to retention there are many areas you can improve. 

What I love the most is email marketing and this is what I do most days for our clients. Currently I’m working at Omniconvert - which helps global ecommerce companies become more customer-centric through Customer Value Optimization.

What should ecommerce merchants focus on in 2023 to stand out among the crowd and stay ahead of competition?

I think getting back to the basics and building your foundational email marketing flows, campaigns and segments. Why? 

Customer acquisition is becoming more and more expensive. This is not going to change in the future. The ecommerce brands that will stay ahead of the curve are leveraging email and owned channels as the foundation of their growth.

Email and SMS are extremely high ROI channels when managed correctly. Build the foundation, then reinvest the profit to scale your business.

Which ecommerce messaging trends did you identify last year? Which ones will be mainstream and which ones will die out in 2023? 

Last year, most of our clients were sending a mix of educational and promotional emails. I must say, I’ve noticed that promotional emails had a higher frequency. The bulk of the emails sent was during BFCM.

For 2023, I imagine that ecommerce businesses having the most to gain will focus on the following. Using first-party data, building acquisition and retention marketing campaigns based on RFM segmentation, and pairing that with data from customer research.

How do you think email / SMS / WhatsApp marketing for ecommerce will evolve next year?

I hope brands will start to send more email campaigns to targeted segments, as opposed to the entire list. Segmentation and personalization is key here.

I also think more and more brands are trusting SMS as a new owned channel with high ROI, and they will adopt it. Same goes for WhatsApp outside the US.

8. Ryan Turner, Ecommerce Intelligence

Hey Ryan! In short: who are you and what do you do?

I’m Ryan Turner, and I’m the founder of Ecommerce Intelligence. We’re a Klaviyo agency and consultancy specializing in email and SMS marketing for online retailers. We also have an in-depth Klaviyo course which we’re rebuilding to launch again this year.

What should ecommerce merchants focus on in 2023 to stand out among the crowd and stay ahead of competition?

Personalization is becoming more important than ever. Brands who put in the effort to build this into their marketing messaging will see big rewards, especially in competitive markets. 

We’re looking into zero party data a lot right now to aid in personalized marketing for brands. I really like Octane AI for zero party and will be using it a lot more in 2023.

Which ecommerce messaging trends have you identified this year? Which ones will be mainstream and which ones will die out in 2023? 

We saw a lot more brands starting to truly understand the power of SMS in 2022. This trend looks set to continue into 2023 and beyond. During the BFCM period we saw a lot more SMS activity and it performed very well for the brands we work on. 

Retailers that were hesitant are now starting to embrace the channel and seeing great results.

How do you think email / SMS / WhatsApp marketing for ecommerce will evolve next year?

WhatsApp will start to become a more important channel I think. Honestly we haven’t done much with WhatsApp yet because we operate in the US where it isn’t as popular, but I feel that brands will start to become a lot more interested over time. 

First in the UK and Europe where I hear it is growing already, then potentially in the US too. For the other channels I think personalization will be the biggest focus, especially in email. 

SMS seems to be in a growth phase where a lot of brands are still just getting familiar with the basics and starting to actually send campaigns regularly, so it has a way to go yet to reach the complexity of email marketing.

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