SMS and push marketing: choose the channel for the customer’s situation

When is which channel appropriate?

First, describe the purpose of the message. A detailed selection guide may be better suited to an email with images and explanations. A brief, expected availability notification may be suitable for a text message. A notification that leads directly to a feature within your own app serves a different purpose to a general promotional link to the shop.

One example is a sports shop with an app for loyalty cards. A push notification reminds the customer of a scheduled collection time and opens the relevant screen. A non-app user requires a different contact method for this, one which they have authorised. For each channel, note down: the reason, the recipient, the benefit, the desired action and the end of the message. Without this explanation, the technical capability can quickly lead to repeated communication without any discernible benefit.

Check SMS availability specifically for your shop

The current Klaviyo country overview for SMS includes, amongst others, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It does not follow from this that every existing account already has a suitable active sender or that all number types offer the same functions. Check the recipient country, registered sending method, number type and activation status directly in the account being used.

A plan for the DACH region should nevertheless treat the three countries separately. Set up a valid country assignment and test the actual intended pathways for each. Clarify sender identification, reply options and unsubscribe procedures based on the specific configuration. A successful test for Germany does not automatically confirm receipt in Austria. Record any missing activations as outstanding issues before a shared segment is included in a campaign.

Mobile push is not a general browser channel

Klaviyo distinguishes in its Introduction to push notifications between mobile app push notifications and browser notifications. The documented native support relates to mobile push notifications. For this, your app requires a suitable integration and users must enable notifications. A standard online shop alone cannot utilise this delivery method.

Work with the app development team to check how the device and customer profile are linked and where a click leads. After a device change or logout, the message must not point to a different session. A missing or outdated deep link requires a meaningful landing page. Test on actual devices running the relevant operating systems. An editor preview does not show the behaviour on the lock screen or the landing page after opening.

Track consent and unsubscribes by channel

Providing a telephone number at checkout initially explains where a customer can be contacted. It does not yet answer the question of which marketing messages they would like to receive. Design the sign-up process with a recognisable brand, channel and content. Then check the actual profile status. For mobile push notifications, the app’s technical notification authorisation is also required; additional requirements regarding the use of data must also be taken into account for your specific use case.

Test a user with email consent and without SMS consent, as well as the reverse combination. Check for opt-outs and subsequent changes. A suppressed SMS must not automatically trigger an unauthorised WhatsApp message. Document clearly which setting affects which channel. The Klaviyo overview of text message settings also describes the configuration-dependent response and opt-out procedures.

Plan delivery times and contact frequency together

Check Quiet Hours, time zones and delayed-delivery behaviour. An offer limited to the evening must not appear the next morning as though it were still valid. Klaviyo explains delaying or skipping SMS campaign messages during the relevant quiet hours. The required timing rules depend on the recipient market and your configuration.

Record emails, SMS, WhatsApp and push notifications on a shared contact overview. Separate protection windows within the tool do not automatically restrict all channels collectively. You should therefore also specify editorially whether an SMS supplements a previous email or merely repeats it. For the initial test, a simple priority system with clear exclusions is sufficient. Too many additional branches make untested rules harder to understand and create further opportunities for incorrect messages.

Compare costs and results using the same basis

With SMS, language, special characters and length can influence segmentation. Use the current preview and your current plan rather than a flat rate per contact. App push notifications are not automatically effortless either: development, operation, design and evaluation remain part of the channel decision. The Klaviyo billing overview is the starting point for the current cost accounting.

Compare unique responses, orders, unsubscribes and additional costs. Where possible, use randomly formed comparable groups with identical other communications. A separate test could simply supplement the expected availability message, whilst the rest of the email programme remains stable. A higher attributed turnover in the new channel does not prove an additional order if the same purchase would have taken place even without the message.

What checks are required for a new SMS or push notification route?

• The country and sender are enabled in the actual account.
• The recipients have the appropriate channel authorisation.
• Unsubscribing or disabling app notifications will prevent further messages from being sent.
• Language, special characters and message segments must match the preview and calculation.
• Quiet hours, time zone and offer expiry produce a valid message.
• On actual devices, links open the advertised product or the relevant app view.
• A purchase made before the next reminder is taken into account.

Check these workflows first, then other variants. An additional channel should improve a suitable customer scenario and allow for reliable support. Keep actual test receipts and countries or devices still pending separate, so that partial verification is not accidentally treated as full acceptance.