Omnisend, a leading ecommerce marketing platform, has released its annual ecommerce marketing study, revealing how American brands used 11 billion emails, 172 million SMS, and 87 million push notifications to drive $1.4 billion in revenue from 8.5 million sales in 2024.

"Algorithms change. Data shares stop. As seen with TikTok, platforms get banned. Relying on third-party channels makes brands vulnerable. First-party channels, on the other hand, leave brands in control of their customer engagement, making them critical for growing sales," says Greg Zakowicz, Sr. Ecommerce Expert at Omnisend.

The report underscores the growing importance of SMS and push notifications as essential tools for ecommerce marketing. With adoption up 68% year-over-year, these channels are proving to be highly effective for driving customer engagement.

"It's no surprise SMS continues to grow and deliver results. As a ubiquitous channel spanning all generations, and a primary one for many, its adoption for brand communications was inevitable as text-first habits became the norm," says Zakowicz.

"Web push messages are growing due to increased awareness and brands exploring less competitive channels. Unlike crowded, costly platforms like social and paid search, web push offers an inexpensive way to engage and convert shoppers."

1 in 3 people who click on an automated message make a purchase

Automated emails¹ drove 29% of sales, though they represented just 1.5% of email volume. The same trend was noticed with SMS and push notifications campaigns where the ratio was 18% to 7.5%, and 21% to 4%, respectively.

"If brands have been neglecting automated messages to this point, they need to stop. The right automated messages are the cheat code to increase both first-time and repeat sales," says Zakowicz.

The best performing email automations in 2024 were:

• "Back in stock" – 60.43% open rate; 5.89% conversion rate.

• "Abandoned cart" – 49.04% open rate; 2.34% conversion rate.

• "Welcome" – 32.43% open rate; 1.48% conversion rate.

"Back-in-stock emails continue to dominate in terms of open, click, and conversion rates. These messages are a form of social proof – they sold out once and people loved them – and naturally convey a sense of FOMO that generates sales," says Zakowicz.

Health and Games were the best performing industries for email marketing

Health led 2024 with the highest click-to-conversion rate at 13.44%, followed by Games at 12.43%. Health remains the highest converting industry for three years in a row.

Brands in the Apparel industry had one of the highest open rates with a 36.46% average. However, the percentage of people who opened an email and clicked on a link was the lowest across industries.

"For Apparel brands the challenge lies in converting attention into action. Brands should spend time optimizing their email templates by incorporating more social proof, such as customer reviews and enhancing product images to make them more appealing," says Zakowicz.

How can brands improve their marketing strategy for 2025?

To make your marketing budget go further, Zakowicz recommends:

• Use Behavior-Triggered Messaging. Use data to identify customer behavior patterns and send tailored automated messages at key moments, such as post-purchase follow-ups or product recommendations. Personalization based on real-time actions drives significantly better engagement and conversion rates.

• Diversify with SMS and Push Notifications. Combine email, SMS, and push notifications to create multi-touchpoint customer journeys. For example, use SMS for immediate alerts like flash sales, email for detailed product showcases, and push notifications for last-minute cart reminders.

• Leverage Social Proof and Scarcity Tactics. Incorporate elements like customer reviews, back-in-stock alerts, and low-stock notices in your messaging. These tactics tap into FOMO and build trust, encouraging quicker purchasing decisions.

• Analyze and Refine Regularly. Track metrics like open rates, click rates, and conversion rates for each channel. Use these insights to refine your strategies, focusing on what drives the most value for your specific audience.

Find out more here: https://www.omnisend.com/2025-ecommerce-marketing-report