Web SMS platform – why are larger corporate organisations using them?
The increasing requirement for the use of a Web SMS Platform by larger organisations will not come as a surprise to many, with the typical inbox now receiving hundreds of emails a day. It’s not that enterprises have lost faith in the ability of email to deliver important information cost effectively, but it is becoming harder to gain the recipients attention. The readership challenges of email include:
- Email clients, such as Outlook, are dynamically routing emails into specific folders e.g. Focused and Other
- More organisations are moving out of email and into collaborative products e.g. Slack
- Work and personal lives are blending and email accounts are receiving personal and professional content
- Security is increasingly important, due to ransom attacks. Email is therefore becoming harder to deliver to the recipients
With the above in mind, larger organisations are increasingly introducing a slightly more expensive route of communication into the mix, in the form of a Web SMS Platform. Business SMS is, without question, more expensive than the distribution of email. However, if email content is not being consumed or actioned, cost reduces in importance.
The benefits of using a Web SMS Platform as a business communication method
The benefits of utilising a Web SMS Platform can vary, depending on the need of the organisation, but typically the main benefits include:
Not dependent on internet access
Text messages don’t require the use of data and therefore communications are more likely to be delivered and read, in comparison to data dependent email.
Recipients have a higher propensity to respond to SMS
Numerous studies have shown that people are significantly more likely to respond to an SMS message than to an email. Primarily, this is because it’s used less than email, and mobile devices are always with us.
SMS has less competitors
Starting up an SMS communication plan is harder than email and, as a consequence, SMS has less ‘clutter’ competing for the recipient’s time.
Delivery rates are high. Very high.
Telephone number validation is easier to achieve and, therefore, delivery rates are typically 98% and above.
Short and to the point
Time is a challenge for most employees and the character limit of text messages ensures businesses get to the point.
Finding the right corporate SMS solution for your organisation
There are hundreds of Web SMS Platforms available to the corporate user, but selecting the right one is not an easy task. Establishing a criteria for evaluation can be difficult and dependent on your needs, but we recommend starting with the basics:
1. Where is your data going to be stored?
If you are a UK company you should ask where your data will be stored.
2. Can you access a free trial of the Web SMS Platform?
Be brave and try a few Web SMS platforms out and speak with the provider directly. Web SMS Platforms differ significantly, so spending some time upfront could prevent you from wasting your budget on features you’ll never use.
3. Does the provider understand your business?
Speak directly with the SMS solution provider to get a feel of whether or they understand your business, its sector and the challenges you are facing. Understanding the SMS technology space is great, but the real value is added when the provider can share its experience of working with similar organisations such as yours.
4. Can the SMS solution be triggered by other databases?
Utilising a Web SMS Platform manually is a good starting point, but as your requirements evolve you need to ask whether the application can support the deliver Enterprise SMS solutions.
5. Ask about pricing but when you do ask about the network delivery.
Some SMS solution providers will offer cheap SMS pricing but neglect to inform you that some of your traffic will be routed through another network. Ask for details surrounding the delivery of your SMS messages and the SLAs that surround them.
Web SMS Platform – Final thoughts
It’s clear that SMS has an important role in communicating important information. Challenges such as email overload, the rise of collaborative productivity tools and security are all driving its popularity amongst corporate organisations.
The benefits of using a Web SMS Platform can also vary significantly depending on the clients objectives and goals, but, typically, the high read rates, the lack of dependence on internet access and the concise nature of SMS communications all counter act the challenges faced by B2B and B2C consumers.
Finally, there is no definitive criteria for the selection of a Web SMS Platform, but some basic questions such as does the provider understand your business and sector, can the platform be expanded to deliver Enterprise SMS solutions, will all your SMS traffic be sent via a single network and where will your data be stored, should all be asked early on in the relationship? Getting the basics right upfront will put you in a very strong position to select the right SMS solution to meet your requirements and ensure you don’t buy features you will not use.
For more information on how to integrate SMS into your apps or business systems, download the brochure below, call 0330 998 0022 or email info@toucantext.com.
ToucanText Brochure - SMS Services for Business
Our global network enables you to connect to over 7 billion people, across 195 countries, via 1600 direct-to-carrier and Tier 1 connections, guaranteeing global outreach..
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