If only sourcing the right SMS software company was as easy as finding the lowest price and signing up. As usual, it’s a little bit more involved than that. Companies package their products and pricing in different ways that make differentiating all the possible suppliers a tricky business.
So here’s a list of simple questions that you should be asking of your potential SMS software company. You’re after straightforward, waffle-free answers that give you confidence that they can deliver.
Is the bulk SMS pricing transparent?
We know that some companies have a complicated credit system where it takes more than one text credit to send to a UK mobile. So what on the face of it appears to be a great price could actually cost you up to 50% more. Are there any set up fees, minimum orders of ‘price plans’? You should be able to set up a free SMS account and then purchase as many or as few SMS credits as you need. Also, watch out for expiring credits that get removed if they haven’t been used in 12 months.
Does the company use a direct connection to the UK Networks?
This is a popular topic amongst us SMS software companies and has been covered thoroughly in a previous article. All you really need to know is that non UK SMS gateways suffer reliability problems and often have poor or non existent delivery reporting. So a UK connection is the only option.
Where are the SMS software company’s systems hosted?
How reliable are the servers that your business SMS service will run on? What back up procedures are in place? Are there any guarantees on ‘up time’?
Granted this is all dull technical stuff but it’s important that you can rely on the service being up and running 100% of the time.
Does the SMS service have an opt-out / unsubscribe tool provided at no cost at the point of setting up the account?
The best practice guidelines issued by the Mobile Marketing Association state that you need to have a text opt-out option on your text campaigns. This means that customers who no longer wish to receive your SMS alerts can quickly and easily remove themselves from your list. If the SMS software company is not offering this as standard, then you could find yourself on the wrong side of the law.
What are the payment options?
Flexibility is the key here. You should be able to make payments for SMS text credits online and automatically. Are the text credits added to your account automatically or does someone have to add them manually. Can you pay by invoice if you wish without a price penalty?
What experience does the SMS software company have?
How long have they been about and who have they worked for? Mobile marketing is not just about having an efficient SMS solution but it’s also about getting the advice in getting the strategy right. Choose a company that want to get involved in helping your SMS campaigns succeed.