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SMS is a simple and effective way to talk directly with your customers. Adding SMS text messaging functionality to your business website gives your customers another way to speak with you on one of their preferred channels. However, a lot of businesses overlook SMS because it’s an older communication channel that’s not web- or app-based. We like to think of SMS as an unsung customer support hero, quietly ready to save the day.
Not sure how popular texting is anymore? SMS use has surged since the start of the pandemic, as consumers look for an easy, contactless customer service experience. According to a 2021 eMarketer report, “pre-pandemic, 51% of US retailers planned to increase their investment in messaging and SMS platforms; by June 2020, that figure had jumped to 56%, above all other technologies.” This report also says that “while getting the exact ROI of an SMS marketing program is difficult, brands can typically see a tenfold to twentyfold ROI from SMS.”
SMS text messaging lets you give customers quick answers to their questions and solutions to their issues. Customers get a lot of satisfaction from getting quick responses. They also like personalization, and text messaging as a customer service tool can offer the level of personalization that customers want. McKinsey reports that 80 percent of U.S. consumers want personalized experiences from retailers. And, according to another McKinsey report, “companies that excel at personalization generate 40 percent more revenue from those activities than average players.”
Now that we know why SMS text messaging can be an effective way to reach your customers, let’s jump into more about it, like:
- What’s SMS text messaging?
- How does SMS text messaging work?
- What’s the best SMS API platform?
- How to add SMS text messaging to your website.
- The benefits of adding SMS text messaging to your website.
- Other ways to use SMS text messaging to communicate with your customers.
What is SMS text messaging?
SMS stands for Short Message Service. SMS text messaging is sending short text messages – 160 characters or less – wirelessly instead of over the internet. The fact that it’s wireless instead of web-based is part of the reason it sometimes gets overlooked as a solution to help your customer service representatives.
How does SMS text messaging work?
Early on, SMS text messaging operated through a complicated network that required text messages to route through lots of processing centers. Now, all you need to do is to choose an SMS API platform to work from.
That seems super simple, right? That simply means that SMS can give your business super customer-service powers, like fast responses, high open rates, and more opportunities to personalize your messaging.
How to add SMS text messaging functionality to your website
You need a customer service platform to add SMS to your website.
Choosing the best SMS API for your website depends on your business needs, and there are many API platforms to choose from. Having said that, we recommend an API platform that adds SMS to your web app and combines all your communication channels in one view.
This kind of platform lets you manage all your communication channels, including SMS, on one screen. With Trengo, you can easily work with all your SMS text messages, Instagram direct messages, Facebook Messenger messages, emails, and more. Working in one view eliminates the time it takes to switch back and forth between platforms. This keeps your communication seamless so you can be more helpful to your customers. It can also save your business time and money.
Benefits of adding SMS text messaging to your website
Remember those super customer service powers? Let’s look at them in more detail.
Respond to customer questions faster
With SMS text messaging on your website, you can answer customer questions and quickly send your customers order status updates and links to their order receipts. You can also send out personalized promotions, and set up segmented SMS marketing campaigns to reach larger customer groups.
As we said, SMS is an unsung customer-service superhero – especially when it has Trengo as a trusty sidekick.
Reach customers everywhere in the world
With Trengo, you can send and receive messages from customers globally from one inbox. You can “add SMS as a contact option in your website widget to easily keep the conversation going after a visitor leaves your website.” You can make your customers happier and keep them coming back.
Connect with customers any time
Trengo’s SMS text messaging support allows you to have back-and-forth conversations with customers during customer service hours. It also allows you to send quick replies to them when you’re not available, like “Hi, you have contacted us outside of business hours. If you need help, please visit our help section at…” With quick replies, you’re still connected to your customer and you can help them find answers to frequently asked questions.
Keep SMS conversations going even when you’re not on your phone
No need to be attached to your phone for any of this. With Trengo’s SMS text messaging functionality, you can manage all of your text messages AND all of your other communication channels from one dashboard on your laptop, tablet, or mobile. This makes you – and your workflows – more efficient and productive.
You can also send SMS text messages to customers using email. All you need is your customer’s phone number and then run their number through a free carrier lookup (which you can find easily in a Google search). That will give you the exact code to use. Then you just compose a new email and in the “To” bar, paste in the code and send it like a regular email.
Be the hero who helps your customers get what they want
As a business owner, you know that customers want to communicate on their preferred channel, whether that’s text, email, or social media. The more channels you offer to them, the more likely it is that they will get to know your business, establish trust, and buy your products or services. You also know customers want fast responses. Adding SMS text messaging functionality to your website makes it easier for customers to connect with you, even when they’re not online.
With Trengo, you can give customers what they want and have access to even more tools to serve your customers well and keep your business thriving.With the Trengo team, your team can easily manage inbound messages and outbound messages coming from all your communication channels – the ultimate solution to great customer service team conversations.
Discover more ways that Trengo can help you build stronger customer relationships, boost customer satisfaction, and effectively manage SMS and your other communication channels in one overview.
