Choosing the best business short message service (SMS) doesn't have to be difficult. Many factors can contribute to your decision on a service provider, but most business owners tend to consider how, where and when business SMS messages are delivered. Making sure that a target audience will receive business SMS messages from a reliable service provider is one the main goals of anyone involved in SMS marketing.
To start, make sure that your SMS messages can be delivered to your intended target audience. You'll want to verify that a potential SMS provider can deliver messages to any mobile operator and work with protocols such as Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), Third Generation (3G) and general packet radio service (GPRS). These protocols are extremely popular and are found on many of the mobile handsets you'll want to reach.
Keep your business brand in mind. A big part of running any business is supporting a brand. Find an SMS provider that is capable of branding each text message with your company name. Target audiences can be put off by anonymous SMS messages, but many people will put more trust in a message that obviously is a business SMS message. You might find that branded SMS messages can significantly increase your conversion rates.
Look for a service provider that can send out bulk messages instead of one business SMS message at a time. The success of SMS marketing often will depend on how many people read your messages at a specific time. SMS providers that can send out bulk messages also can, theoretically, bring you more customers.
Choose a business SMS provider that has tools that you or your employees are comfortable using. Many SMS providers have tools that can be operated using desktop applications or web-based systems. Your preferences and business needs likely will determine which type you'll opt to use. Desktop applications might give you more control because they require downloads, but web-based systems can be easier to access and to maintain.
To make sure that you select the best business SMS for your needs, ask all potential service providers for demonstrations of their products. They should gladly provide you with demos and offer tutorials on how to operate SMS applications, if you need them. Be sure that service providers give you a chance to test-run applications by sending test messages to intended countries, mobile operators and phone numbers. This will give you the perfect opportunity to test out the network quality, as well. To be safe, ensure that the business SMS provider that you want to choose has good technical support systems in case you run into any problems.
