As you prepare to choose an SMS gateway provider for your company, keep in mind that it will be one of the most important decisions you will make in terms of marketing and ultimately profits. Since you will be relying on this system to help you reach thousands and perhaps even millions of current as well as potential customers, it’s vital you take the following factors into consideration as you make your decision.
Sufficient Network Coverage
First, you should always make sure the provider you have in mind offers a network coverage area that will be large enough to reach current and potential customers. To find out about this, always go to the provider’s website and do a detailed check of the coverage area. While doing so, make sure the map has been updated to reflect the current coverage area.
A Cost-Effective Option
Since your goal is to use this form of messaging to help your company make a profit, carefully compare the cost of various providers before making your final choice. With many providers, you will have a choice between using a credit-based system or one that is based on messages alone. Using a credit-based system means the gateway provider will let you purchase a certain number of credits that can be used to send your messages. With this system, messages that go abroad may cost more than those sent within the United States. As for a message-based system, this will let you send messages anywhere in the world for the same price, which in most cases will be more cost-effective for your company.
Offering Test Messages
One benefit you should definitely look for when selecting your online SMS gateway provider is being given the option to have test messages you can use to see if the provider will indeed be a good fit for your organization. Test messages are usually free to you and will allow you to see if the provider’s network coverage area is what you expect, if the messages are easy to send out to customers, and if any technical issues arise along the way. By taking advantage of this benefit, you can test multiple providers and compare and contrast the results.
Reliable Technical and Customer Support
Should you or your customers have any questions, concerns, or problems along the way concerning your messaging system, working with a provider that has a reliable tech and customer support department will make life much easier for everyone. In most cases, it will be best if you select an SMS gateway provider that has 24/7 support, rather than one that offers support only during normal business hours. By doing so, you can ensure that if you or your customers have questions that need immediate answers, there will be someone available to solve any and all problems.
Read the Reviews
While any SMS gateway provider can claim to be the best, you can usually find out for sure which ones are ahead of the competition by reading online reviews from their customers. When scanning the reviews, look for any problems customers may have had with network coverage, delays in sending out their messages, and problems concerning payments. If you find a provider you like but notice a variety of negative reviews in multiple areas, you should cross them off your list and move on to others you have under consideration.
Paying for the Service
Last but not least, always make sure the provider you select makes it easy for you to pay for the messaging service. Even though you may assume that in today’s high-tech digital world all businesses offer the ability to make online payments, that is not always the case. Along with this, look for providers that offer multiple ways to pay that include credit cards, PayPal, and more.
When you know the most important factors to consider when selecting an SMS gateway provider, the process becomes much easier than you expected. If you take full advantage of test messaging, pay close attention to customer reviews, and ask pertinent questions about the provider’s network coverage area, you can select a provider that will give you peace of mind as your text messages reach your customer’s phones.