SMS stands for short messages service, which is ultimately a text message. If you are planning to launch marketing campaigns or communicate with prospects and customers using an SMS strategy then you also need to choose an SMS server. Choosing the best server for your business comes down to finding one that allows you to create and send the messages the way you want, and has appropriate server options and integration options. When you find a server that meets all of these needs then you have found the right one for your business.
Start by assessing how you are able to create and disperse the messages across the server. For example, you may want to be able to pull up the program on a desktop computer, create the message and schedule it for delivery to the list of recipients. Another preference may be to have online access rather than a program that sits directly on your own computer and server.
Access options also relate to how you receive responses from the recipients of the text messages. Some server options allow recipients to respond to the text message and it shows up in your email management system. Other options include the option of receiving an instant message (IM) or the ability to log in to an online account for the SMS server where there is a depository of responses.
As far as dispersing the messages, you typically have two server options. One popular option is to have a modem in your office that connects you to the SMS server. You can use the modem-server set up to send and receive text messages using one text message phone number. The other option uses two different numbers, so one number is for sending and another one is for receiving. Using one phone number aids in integrating text messaging with your custom business applications and website.
The final consideration you should make has to do with the options that the SMS server offers for integration. Find out if you are just able to create and send out text messages or if you have the ability to send meeting alerts, alerts to administrators or emergency messages to groups set up on your server list. You should also look into whether two-way forms of integration are possible.
For example, if you host events, you may send out invitations using the SMS server. In order to complete the loop, you may also want the recipients to be able to register for the event directly from the text message they receive. Surveys, contests, promotions and remote log in are other integration options you may want to consider when deciding which server is the best for your business.
