WhatsApp vs SMS Marketing: Which Channel Works Better for Indian E-commerce?

If you're a D2C brand running an e-commerce business in India, you already know how critical it is to hold on to your customers’ attention. With so many tools available today on digital platforms, getting users to notice your brand takes way more effort and budget than it used to. Especially on social media, where running ads just to get seen and clicked costs more than you expect and definitely more than what most brands want to spend in the early days.

You’ve probably already tried offering discounts, deals, or exclusive offers and pushed them through notifications as part of your marketing efforts. But how often does that actually work? Hardly! That’s exactly why SMS and WhatsApp marketing have become go-to channels for e-commerce businesses in India.

For years, SMS marketing has been the primary channel for ecommerce brands. Yet with the huge growth of WhatsApp in India, brands are now re-evaluating their strategies and asking a key question: between SMS and WhatsApp, which one drives better results for Indian ecommerce? What are the pros and cons? Which one delivers better ROI, clicks, and conversions?

In this blog, we’ll break it down for you and help you choose the right platform to grow faster in 2025 and beyond.

SMS Marketing: A Channel That Still Delivers

Now, we know SMS may sound a little old-school when compared to flashy social ads or viral WhatsApp forwards, but trust us, it still works. In fact, SMS marketing continues to be one of the most underrated and underused channels by Indian e-commerce brands today. Why? Because it’s simple, quick, and straight to the point. No internet? No problem. SMS reaches every phone, even without data, and most importantly, it gets read. Studies say that SMS open rates in India are over 90%, and most texts are opened within 3 minutes.

Even with all the talk around new channels, SMS continues to deliver, especially for things like:

• Order confirmations & shipping alerts
• Flash sale announcements
• Coupon codes & time-sensitive offers
• Abandoned cart nudges
  
  

And unlike emails, SMS doesn’t end up in the promotions tab or spam folder. It goes straight to the customer’s phone, in the default messaging app they check daily.

Yes, there are some limitations like 160-character limits, no rich media, and the risk of being ignored if overused. But if done right, SMS is still a low-cost, high-impact channel for e-commerce marketing, mostly when you want to reach users at scale and get quick results.

Benefits of SMS Marketing in E-commerce

SMS marketing offers numerous advantages for e-commerce businesses looking to boost engagement, drive sales, and build customer loyalty. Here are some of the key benefits:

• High Engagement and Open Rates: SMS messages have incredibly high open rates, often reaching 98%, with most being read within minutes. This is significantly higher than email marketing, which ensures your message is seen and has a higher chance of being acted upon.
• Direct and Instant Communication: Text messages are delivered directly to a customer's personal device, creating an immediate and personal connection. This makes SMS ideal for time-sensitive promotions, flash sales, and important updates like order confirmations and shipping notifications.
• Increased Conversion Rates: The high visibility and urgency of SMS messages can lead to higher conversion rates. E-commerce businesses can use SMS to send abandoned cart reminders, exclusive discount codes, and personalized offers that prompt customers to complete a purchase.
• Cost-Effective with High ROI: SMS marketing is generally more affordable than traditional advertising channels, and its high engagement and conversion rates contribute to a strong return on investment (ROI).
• Personalization and Segmentation: By leveraging customer data, you can segment your audience and send personalized messages based on their purchase history, browsing behavior, or location.
• Building Customer Loyalty: SMS is a powerful tool for building strong customer relationships. You can use it to send VIP customers exclusive offers, early access to new products, or even birthday messages, which fosters a sense of exclusivity and strengthens brand loyalty.
• Versatility and Integration: SMS is a versatile channel that can be used for a wide range of communications, from promotional offers and product announcements to customer service inquiries and feedback surveys. 
• Broad Reach: SMS marketing allows you to reach a vast audience since it doesn't require an internet connection or app installation. This makes it an inclusive way to connect with customers.

WhatsApp Marketing: The Conversational Advantage

If SMS is about speed and reach, then WhatsApp is all about experience and engagement. It’s not just a messaging app anymore; it’s where your customers live. From personal chats to business inquiries, WhatsApp has quietly become the most powerful tool for direct communication in India.

With over 500 million users in India alone, WhatsApp gives you access to a highly active audience that’s already used to interacting with brands on chat. Customers are way more likely to respond to a WhatsApp message than to an SMS or email, simply because that’s where they already are. 

It’s literally like having a two-way conversation with your customer, not just broadcasting a message.

Plus, with features like blue tick verification, business catalogs, and automated replies, WhatsApp Business helps you build trust and look professional, even if you’re a small brand just starting out.

In short, if you're looking to turn clicks into conversations and conversations into customers, WhatsApp is the place to be.

What makes WhatsApp powerful for E-commerce:

• Rich messaging: Share images, videos, product catalogs, CTAs, and more
• Verified presence: Build trust with a branded business account and green tick
• Two-way engagement: Let customers reply, ask, and complete actions instantly
• Automation-ready: Set up journeys for cart recovery, order updates, and feedback collection
• Higher CTRs: WhatsApp campaigns often see 2x to 3x better click-through rates than SMS

WhatsApp vs SMS: Head-to-Head Comparison

How ConvertWay Helps Brands with WhatsApp and SMS Marketing

By now, it’s clear that both SMS and WhatsApp can play a huge role in improving your e-commerce performance, from abandoned cart recovery to reducing COD failures and increasing repeat purchases.

However, doing this manually or managing multiple marketing automation platforms can get messy, fast.

That’s exactly where ConvertWay comes in. It’s a marketing automation platform built specifically for Indian D2C and e-commerce brands to manage, automate, and scale their WhatsApp and SMS communication from one single dashboard.

Here’s how ConvertWay helps you turn messaging into real revenue drivers- 

1. Run High-Converting WhatsApp Campaigns

ConvertWay makes it easy to send automated, personalised, and interactive WhatsApp messages, not just plain texts.

• Send product images, videos, clickable buttons, and discount codes
  
  
• Set up automated journeys for abandoned cart reminders, COD confirmations, order updates, and more
  
  
• Manage verified WhatsApp Business (green tick) accounts to build instant trust
  
  
• Track opens, clicks, and replies so you know exactly what’s working
  

Whether you’re nudging a first-time shopper or reactivating a loyal customer, ConvertWay helps you create WhatsApp experiences that drive results.

2. Send Smart, Targeted SMS Campaigns

If you’re still using SMS for transactional updates or flash sale alerts, you’re not wrong. But ConvertWay helps you take it further.

With ConvertWay’s SMS marketing tools, you can:

• Reach 10,000+ users instantly, even without internet
  
  
• Use branded sender IDs so your messages don’t look spammy
  
  
• Segment your audience based on purchase behaviour or location
  
  
• Track delivery rates and CTR in real time
  
  
• Schedule campaigns to hit at the right time (no late-night alerts!)
  

For time-sensitive nudges and high-scale reach, SMS still wins — and ConvertWay makes it smarter.

3. Combine SMS and WhatsApp in One Workflow

The real power of ConvertWay lies in how it lets you use both channels together.

Let’s say a customer abandons their cart:

• Send an SMS after 10 minutes
  
  
• Follow up with a WhatsApp message after 2 hours
  
  
• If they reply, trigger a coupon via WhatsApp instantly
  
  
• Send a final reminder via SMS

Final Thoughts 

If you’ve made it this far, one thing is clear: both SMS and WhatsApp have their place in e-commerce marketing. SMS is still unbeatable when it comes to reach, speed, and simplicity, especially for transactional alerts and urgency-driven nudges.

WhatsApp, on the other hand, offers a richer, more interactive experience, ideal for recovering carts, confirming CODs, sharing product recommendations, and driving real-time conversations with a WhatsApp chatbot.

Instead of choosing one, smart brands are using both. SMS grabs attention fast. WhatsApp turns that attention into action. And with a platform like ConvertWay, you can build automated, personalised journeys across both channels without any tech hassle. To know more about Convertway’s features and how it works for ecommerce brands, you can visit our website or talk to an expert.

FAQs

1. Which is more effective for e-commerce in India: WhatsApp or SMS?
WhatsApp generally offers higher open and response rates, while SMS ensures universal reach even without internet access.

2. Are WhatsApp messages more expensive than SMS?
Yes, WhatsApp campaigns usually cost more per message, but they deliver richer engagement with media, catalogs, and interactive buttons.

3. Can WhatsApp completely replace SMS for marketing?
Not entirely. SMS is still useful for urgent alerts like OTPs and transactional updates, whereas WhatsApp is better for promotions and engagement.

4. What about customer consent for SMS vs WhatsApp marketing?
Both require customer opt-in, but WhatsApp has stricter compliance rules. Unsolicited messaging can lead to account restrictions.

5. How does Convertway measure the ROI of WhatsApp vs SMS campaigns?‍

Convertway provides real-time analytics across both channels, tracking open rates, clicks, conversions, and revenue so brands can see which channel drives better results for each type of campaign.