While discounts and low prices can be a major driver of sales, it’s also worth remembering the old adage that “you get what you pay for.” Bulk SMS is no exception. Businesses can choose to pay less now and pay more later when problems arise, or pay a little more for better overall service without fail. When selecting a bulk SMS company for your mobile messaging, factors other than price must be taken into account. Consider the coverage, reliability, quality of the network and customer service, as well as the price of your mobile messaging service.

Products and services

Does the bulk SMS company offer a rich variety of features and functions with its mobile messaging service? Besides offering a few different ways to send messages, what really useful additional functionality does it offer? For example, do you provide an HLR lookup service so I can confirm your contact information? Using HLR lookup to double check phone numbers and subscriber identity saves money by removing invalid numbers. Other features to consider are message scheduling and delivery status. Does the bulk SMS company offer two-way messaging so customers can easily track their SMS messages? Having extra features like these can save you money in the long run, since all your mobile messaging data is available.

Coverage and reliability

Most of the bulk SMS companies claim that they have complete coverage anywhere in the world. However, the real question is not just coverage, but also reliability. If your main path is blocked, do you have an equally efficient backup? When choosing a provider, take a good look at the carriers and countries they connect to, and ask if they have more than one route to that destination. Does this backup service come with all the features of the main path? Make sure that the child path provides binary SMS, offers Unicode characters (which will adapt SMS for hieroglyphic languages ​​like Chinese or Cyrillic alphabets like Greek), and concatenates long messages. Even simple things like a local timestamp are important. Remember, the backup routes of any worthwhile Bulk SMS provider will be just as good as your primary route.

network quality

Sometimes when an SMS provider offers to send bulk SMS messages at a very low cost, this is because their network quality is a bit below average, causing the message to be delayed or even lost. in the path. If a text message doesn’t reach its destination, it’s a waste of time and money. In an ideal world, your bulk SMS company would have direct routing, or even its own network, which would shorten the delivery chain. After all, a more direct route provides more reliable routing. If a bulk SMS company offers a free trial, use it to test the quality of your network. It’s also worth keeping in mind that some providers will offer multiple routing options for your mobile messaging, letting you decide whether cost or speed is more important this time around.

Customer service

Although it may seem simple to send mobile messages, add the variables of different mobile operators and geographic locations, and the potential for problems with your bulk SMS messages can increase. The best solution is to use a bulk SMS provider that offers 24/7/365 customer support, either via live chat or email…or both. . This way, you can get help regardless of time zone, day of the week, or national holidays. Low-cost providers usually need to cut corners somewhere in order to discount their service. Unfortunately, it’s often their customer support that suffers. However, this is often the most important component of your relationship with your bulk SMS company. Pay close attention to the level of support offered by bulk SMS providers and look for those that have a written service level commitment that guarantees to provide a certain amount of customer support.

Payment method and minimum orders

Payments for bulk SMS messages are almost always required in advance. Once the prepayment is done, some providers will convert the money into credits, which will be deducted after the text messages are sent. Others simply maintain a monetary account that is debited after the messages are sent. In either case, the SMS provider may require that a minimum number of messages be sent, sometime within a certain time limit. It’s worth remembering that some companies also charge a registration fee. When choosing a bulk SMS company, examine their payment structure and be sure to ask about any additional fees or minimum orders. Similarly, if you plan to send a large number of messages, see if they offer you a better rate.

Credentials

If you are prepaying for your messages, you should consider the bulk SMS provider’s track record. Are they a well established provider within the industry or are they relatively new? Are you happy with an unknown quantity for your mobile messaging needs, or do you prefer someone with more experience? Do they pass as experts in the field? Your website should give you a clue. Could they provide their expertise to help your business develop into new geographic markets?

As you can see, there are several key factors to consider when looking for a bulk SMS provider, only one of which is price. The quality of your service and coverage, along with your commitment to customer service are also vitally important.