How to integrate SMS into WooCommerce checkout process


Are you looking to integrate SMS into your WooCommerce ordering process? This is a great move! Indeed, SMS has become an essential tool in communicating with customers, especially for e-commerce sites. In this article, we will show you how to set up an SMS system on WooCommerce, which plugins to use, and how developers can leverage Twilio to create personalized SMS notifications. We will conclude with some recommendations to maximize the impact of this feature on your business.

Why integrate SMS into your ordering process?

SMS has an impressive open rate, averaging 98%, which far exceeds emails, which have an open rate of around 20% to 30% according to studies. Plus, with a high response rate and increased mobile usage, SMS offers a unique opportunity to stay in touch with your customers, especially after the purchase. By integrating SMS into the WooCommerce checkout process, you can:

  • Inform your customers of the status of their order in real time,
  • Send reminders or delivery confirmations,
  • Offer special notifications (promotions, coupons).

How to integrate SMS into WooCommerce?

There are several ways to integrate SMS notifications into WooCommerce. You can opt for a plugin solution or go through a custom integration via an SMS service API like Twilio. We will explore both of these methods.

1. Using plugins for WooCommerce

If you don't have any development skills or prefer a quick and easy solution, there are several plugins that allow you to add SMS to WooCommerce. Here are some popular plugins:

Twilio SMS Notifications for WooCommerce :

This plugin allows you to send automated SMS messages to customers when order status changes. It uses Twilio, an API service for sending SMS messages, and allows you to customize the messages sent. Twilio SMS Notifications for WooCommerce: The Twilio SMS Notifications for WooCommerce plugin is a powerful and flexible solution that lets you send SMS notifications to your customers at every important step of the order process. This includes order creation, order status changes, and shipping notifications. This plugin leverages Twilio’s API, a well-established cloud communications service, to provide seamless integration with WooCommerce.

Why use Twilio for WooCommerce?

Twilio is an omnichannel communications platform that allows you to send and receive SMS, voice calls, and more through a simple API. It is known for its reliability, speed, and international reach. Integrating Twilio into WooCommerce via this plugin has several advantages:

  1. Reliability : Twilio has global coverage, which means you can send SMS messages to your customers no matter where they are.
  2. High delivery rate : With Twilio, you can rest assured that your SMS messages will reach your customers quickly, thanks to optimized routing and priority sending features.
  3. Personalization : You can fully customize the messages sent, adapting them according to events or the type of order.
  4. Tracking and Analysis : You have access to a comprehensive dashboard to track the history of messages sent, analyze performance and adjust your strategies accordingly.

Key Features of Twilio SMS Notifications for WooCommerce

  1. SMS Notifications for Every WooCommerce Event : The plugin allows you to set up notifications for every change in order status. Whether the order is pending, processed, shipped or cancelled, an SMS can be automatically sent to the customer.
  2. Message Personalization : You have the ability to personalize the messages sent to customers. For example, you can include the order number, customer name, or other order-specific details. This makes each SMS relevant and informative.
  3. Multi-language Support : If your WooCommerce store is multilingual, the plugin supports multiple languages, allowing you to send SMS in each customer's preferred language.
  4. Admin Notifications : In addition to customer notifications, you can set up SMS notifications for yourself or your store administrators. For example, you can receive an SMS every time a new order is placed or when an order requires special attention.
  5. Address Book Management : The plugin ensures that SMS messages are only sent to valid numbers. It verifies that the customer has provided a phone number when ordering, and ensures that the number format is compatible with Twilio.

How to configure Twilio SMS Notifications for WooCommerce?

1: Install and configure Twilio
  1. Create a Twilio account : If you don't have a Twilio account yet, sign up at Twilio.com . You'll receive a free credit to start testing.
  2. Get your SID and Auth Token : Once your account is set up, go to your Twilio dashboard and retrieve your Account SID and Auth Token . This information is required to connect WooCommerce to Twilio.
  3. Choose a Twilio number : You will also need to purchase a phone number through Twilio, which will be used to send SMS messages. This number can be local or international depending on your needs.
2: Install the WooCommerce plugin
  1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to the plugins section.
  2. Search for Twilio SMS Notifications for WooCommerce , install and activate the plugin.
  3. Once enabled, go to WooCommerce Settings and click on the SMS Notifications tab. There you will find the fields to enter your Twilio SID , Auth Token and Twilio Number .
3: Configure notifications
  1. Customer Messages : In Settings, you can define which events will trigger SMS notifications for customers. For example, you can choose to send notifications when the order is pending, processed, shipped, or refunded. You can also customize messages for each status.

Example of a personalized message for a shipped order:

 Bonjour [Nom du client], votre commande #[OrderID] a été expédiée. Vous la recevrez sous peu. Merci d'avoir acheté chez [Nom de la boutique] !
  1. Notifications for Admin : You can also choose to send SMS to the store admin for certain events, such as receiving a new order or requesting a refund.
4: Testing and optimization

After setting up notifications, it’s important to test your integration. Place a test order on your WooCommerce store to verify that SMS messages are being sent. Make sure that customer phone numbers are in the correct format (e.g. +1 for US/Canada numbers).

Twilio Pricing

Twilio operates on a pay-as-you-go model. This means you only pay for the SMS messages you send. Costs vary based on the destination and volume of messages, but are generally very competitive. You can track your spending directly from the Twilio dashboard.

YITH WooCommerce SMS Notifications :

This plugin offers a complete solution for sending SMS to customers. You can choose which events will trigger an SMS, such as order creation, status update or delivery. YITH The YITH WooCommerce SMS Notifications plugin is a powerful solution to add an extra layer of communication to your WooCommerce store. By automating the sending of SMS notifications to customers, this plugin allows you to inform your customers about the status of their orders without them having to check their emails or log in to your site. Unlike other solutions that focus on API integrations like Twilio, YITH WooCommerce SMS Notifications offers increased flexibility. It allows you to integrate with multiple SMS service providers. Because of this, you can choose the one that best suits your needs and budget. Let’s dive deeper into this plugin and how you can use it to boost customer engagement.

Why choose YITH WooCommerce SMS Notifications?

YITH WooCommerce SMS Notifications is for those looking for an all-in-one solution, without having to deal with complex technical configurations. Here’s why this plugin stands out:

  1. Multi-provider compatibility : YITH WooCommerce SMS Notifications connects with multiple SMS services. This means you are not limited to a single provider like Twilio or Nexmo. You can choose the one that offers the right rates and services for your region.
  2. Ease of use : With a clean and intuitive user interface, the plugin is easy to set up. Therefore, you don’t need to be a development expert. Just select a provider, configure the messages and automate the sending.
  3. Flexible Event Customization : YITH WooCommerce SMS Notifications allows you to configure notifications based on different specific events:
    • from order creation to status update,
    • to shipping notifications. You have the freedom to choose exactly which events will trigger a notification.

Key Features of YITH WooCommerce SMS Notifications

  1. Notifications for multiple order statuses : This plugin allows you to send SMS not only for created and shipped orders, but also for events such as pending, processing, cancelled or refunded orders. This granularity allows you to keep your customers informed at every stage of the purchasing process.
  2. Advanced SMS Personalization : With this plugin, you have full control over the content of the messages sent. You can customize the SMS text based on the order status and add dynamic variables like customer name, order number, or amount paid. For example, a message for an order in processing could be worded like this:
 Bonjour [Nom du client], nous traitons actuellement votre commande #[OrderID]. Nous vous tiendrons informé lorsque celle-ci sera expédiée. Merci pour votre achat chez [Nom de la boutique] !
  1. Multiple Notifications : This plugin also allows sending SMS to multiple numbers at once. For example, in addition to the customer, you can notify the administrator or key employees when important events occur (like a canceled order or a refund request).
  2. Tracking Sent Notifications : YITH WooCommerce SMS Notifications has a built-in tracking interface that allows you to view all sent notifications. This gives you a clear overview of the SMS history, letting you know if the messages were successfully delivered, failed, or are pending delivery.
  3. Opt-in and Opt-out Features : The plugin integrates a feature where customers can choose whether or not to subscribe to SMS notifications. This helps comply with data privacy regulations while maintaining a clean and voluntary contact list.
  4. Multi-language and multi-currency : If you run a multi-language or multi-currency WooCommerce store, YITH WooCommerce SMS Notifications automatically adapts to the customer’s context. It can send SMS messages in the correct language and currency, depending on the customer.

Configuring YITH WooCommerce SMS Notifications

Step 1: Installation and Activation
  1. Download and install the YITH WooCommerce SMS Notifications plugin from the WordPress plugin directory.
  2. Activate the plugin and go to the WooCommerce dashboard under the SMS Notifications tab.
Step 2: Choose an SMS provider

Unlike more restrictive solutions, YITH WooCommerce SMS Notifications gives you the freedom to choose from several popular SMS providers such as Clickatell, Nexmo, SMSGlobal, and more. This allows you to select the service that fits your needs in terms of pricing, geographic coverage, or additional features.

  1. Choose a provider in the plugin settings.
  2. Enter the credentials required by this provider (e.g. API keys, username, password).
Step 3: Configure events and customize messages

Once the provider is configured, you can choose which events will trigger notifications. You can enable or disable notifications for events like:

  • Pending order
  • Order cancelled
  • Order shipped
  • Order refunded

Then, customize the content of the messages based on each event. You have the option to add dynamic variables to create specific messages for each customer.

Step 4: Enable Admin Notifications

If you want to receive notifications as an admin, you can set up a list of phone numbers to be notified for specific events. This allows you to stay informed without having to constantly check the WooCommerce interface.

Pricing and Support

YITH WooCommerce SMS Notifications comes in both free and premium versions. The free version offers enough basic features to manage SMS notifications, while the premium version unlocks advanced features, such as additional customization options and compatibility with additional SMS providers. The plugin also includes dedicated customer support for the premium version, which can be especially helpful if you need assistance with advanced setup or troubleshooting.

SMS Alert Order Notifications :

This plugin connects with various SMS services and offers easy integration with WooCommerce. It sends SMS notifications to customers as well as the store admin.

2. Integration via Twilio Developer API

You can also Integrate SMS into WooCommerce by choosing an SMS service provider and doing the programming yourself. For a more customized approach, you can directly integrate an SMS API like Twilio into WooCommerce via hooks and actions. Here is a simple example of an integration.

  1. Create a Twilio account and get your account SID , authentication token , and Twilio phone number .
  2. Install the Twilio PHP SDK extension on your WooCommerce site.
  3. Add the following code to your functions.php file to send an SMS when the order status is updated:
 add_action('woocommerce_order_status_changed', 'send_sms_on_order_status_change', 10, 4); function send_sms_on_order_status_change( $order_id, $old_status, $new_status, $order ) { $to_phone = $order->get_billing_phone(); $sid = 'YOUR_TWILIO_SID'; $token = 'YOUR_TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN'; $twilio_number = 'YOUR_TWILIO_PHONE_NUMBER'; $client = new TwilioRestClient($sid, $token); $message = "Votre commande #{$order_id} est maintenant {$new_status}."; $client->messages->create( $to_phone, array( 'from' => $twilio_number, 'body' => $message ) ); }

This script sends an SMS to the phone number associated with the order whenever its status changes. You can customize the messages based on the statuses or add more conditions.

Recommendations for optimizing your SMS system

Although Integrating SMS on WooCommerce is a great opportunity, you need to be very careful when communicating or using it.

  1. Customer Segmentation : Use SMS to send relevant information. For example, inform VIP customers about special promotions or offer discounts to encourage repeat orders.
  2. Limit the number of SMS messages : Don’t overload your customers with too many messages. Avoid sending SMS messages for non-essential information to maintain a high satisfaction rate.
  3. Use calls to action : Take advantage of SMS to encourage customers to return to your site via short links to promotional pages or limited offers.

Conclusion – Integrating SMS on WooCommerce

Integrating SMS into WooCommerce is a great way to boost customer engagement and improve satisfaction. With tools like WooCommerce plugins or API integration via Twilio, you can automate this process easily. Don’t forget to follow our recommendations for using SMS wisely and effectively.

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