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Discover SMS gateway for companies, startups and the public sector. See how SMSAPI can boost your sales and keep the conversations going.
A professional text messaging platform is a communication tool for companies to reach customers on mobile devices. The SMSAPI bulk SMS system allows sending text messages to all GSM operators worldwide.
SMS marketing features like branded SMS, receive SMS online, open SMS API, and link shortener help to engage and reach customers legally and in a GDPR-compliant way. Discover SMSAPI – a professional global A2P provider for companies.
SMSAPI is one of the best SMS gateway providers
Looking for the best SMS gateway providers to streamline your messaging services? You’re in the right place. We’re SMSAPI – a top SMS gateway provider known for reliability, security, and exceptional delivery rates. Whether you’re a business aiming to send important notifications, marketing messages, or transaction alerts, we’ll make your messages reach the audience seamlessly.
One of the primary benefits of choosing SMSAPI as the SMS provider is the assurance of high deliverability rates. We employ advanced routing algorithms and redundant networks to guarantee that SMS messages are delivered promptly and reliably.
Moreover, we offer robust APIs and user-friendly Documentation that make integration and management a breeze, catering to businesses of all sizes and industries.
In addition to outstanding deliverability, SMSAPI prioritizes data security and compliance. We implement industry-standard encryption protocols and adhere to strict data protection regulations, ensuring the confidentiality and privacy of your messages and customer information.
With competitive pricing and 24/7 monitoring, SMSAPI empowers you to optimize your SMS communication strategy while keeping your messaging costs in check.
Do I have to pay for an SMS gateway?
Although they are still available, free text messaging gateways are becoming obsolete and slowly disappearing. Bulk SMS messages to all operators have been limited to business SMS providers with established positions and credibility.
Commercial SMS gateway – pricing
SMSAPI is a professional SMS gateway. We send bulk SMS globally and fast. The account is free, so go ahead and test it away.
Check the current price listing for SMS messages. We have a clear and flexible SMS pricing policy: you pay as you go.
If you are looking for a way to send SMS online – look no further. SMSAPI is a commercial texting gateway with a global reach. Our services are dedicated to companies, startups, the public sector, NGOs and brands. This business-only approach provides our customers with the highest quality, privacy, and security.
How do you configure the SMS gateway for the SMS marketing services? Video tutorial
Business SMS gateway – fundamentals
Business SMS gateway is an online solution (SaaS) that provides companies with access to bulk SMS. Commercial SMS platform comes with a multitude of other tools, like SMS campaign management system, notifications, 2-Way SMS numbers, free API, SMS integrations that, for example, allow to send SMS notifications in e-commerce or services. Above that, SMSAPI has a set of invaluable, GDPR-compliant tools that make collecting contacts for your customer database a breeze.
Access to open SMS API (application programming interface) lets you connect the SMS gateway with all systems, e.g., e-commerce, marketing automation or CRM software. This makes the list of possible applications for SMS communication even longer.
Such connections, called integrations, are ready-to-use fragments of code or plugins that are usually easy to implement. You just need to copy and paste the API key or install an extension in the desired system in most cases, and you are set to send SMS messages.
SMS solutions mean reliable messaging
All industries benefit from mobile communication and SMS marketing. Rocket’s high open rate, quick read time, and exceptionally high CTR (click-thru rate) make text messaging a unique tool for marketers.
One of the most significant advantages of SMS is offline availability. You don’t have to buy the newest smartphone to receive messages – it’s a default function of every phone. A text will reach even the oldest devices with very low network coverage. SMS is a low entry point standard, thus suitable for users of all ages and skills.
Best SMS gateway for companies – applications and popular tools
Text messages accompany clients from the start until the last step of the customer journey (and even further!). SMS services help to generate leads, boost sales, support customers and even authorize data and transactions. Here’s a short list of SMS marketing tools to make your communication consistent and profitable. As a side note, you can quickly expand it using open SMS API and programming libraries.
Three basic applications of text messaging for business
SMS gateways have robust messaging capabilities, yet three main categories can group them:
- Sales: SMS marketing campaigns (targeted and personalized messages)
- Customer service: SMS notifications, appointment reminders, SMS alerts
- Security: SMS authentication (2FA)
How do you send bulk SMS online using an SMS gateway service?
The advantages of bulk text messages are well-documented. Brands use it around the globe to run cost-effective mobile marketing ranging from lead acquisitions, remarketing and cross-sale campaigns. Furthermore, it is a go-to channel for notifications, authorization and other customer service processes.
Our SMS service has global coverage. Bulk SMS campaigns are available from a web-based Customer Portal, mobile app (for iOS and Android) and linked system (via SMS API). The delivery can be instantaneous or delayed (depending on mobile networks).
A properly configured client database is a key to high-conversion text message campaigns. Additionally, values like name, address or favourite product category let you personalize the content. It will help you to prepare better-targeted communication.
Customer database for SMS communication
The database is an essential part of your SMS marketing. According to GDPR, it should be created and managed with respect to receivers’ privacy. What it means is that before sending SMS messages, you must acquire voluntary consent (opt-in) from each client. We equip you with tools that will make it easier and quicker.
Read more about GDPR in SMS marketing
The SMS Newsletter widget is a basic yet powerful solution for phone numbers and consent gathering. This deceptively simple tool has been designed especially for this purpose by our developers.
One of its many advantages is the ease of customization. You can freely adjust it for almost any layout and colour scheme. Effortlessly edit all elements of the form in the SMSAPI Customer Portal. Lastly, its installation is equally straightforward – just copy and paste the code on your website. You can even use it in retail by placing a tablet with SMS Newsletter near the checkout.
There are many ways of collecting consent to SMS communication: 2-Way SMS numbers, pen and paper forms or built-in solutions of CRM, e-commerce or marketing automation platforms. Pick the one that best suits your needs!
SMSAPI is a bulk SMS service provider
Create a free business account and send text messages to your customers. Use the two way messaging and other SMS API services. Test the best SMS gateway provider – SMSAPI.
SMS Branding – text messages with a company name instead of a number
One of the essential tools of enterprise text messaging is SMS branding. Thanks to it, a company can replace telephone number with brand name in recipients’ inboxes. It’s how companies send SMS with a name.
How to replace a number with a business name in a text message?
The SMS sender name format is specified by GSM standard and mobile phone networks. Only some alphanumeric characters are allowed in the sender field, and it’s limited to 11 letters, numbers or symbols. Most special chars are not allowed.
Local law and SMS messaging providers determine the availability of SMS branding in each country. The SMSAPI support team also verifies every sender name. We check for fraudulent claims that may danger the brand image and other sensitive topics, impersonations and other fraud attempts. We suggest using the SMS sender name similar to your company name. It’ll make the verification process quicker.
Full list of characters allowed in SMS messages name field:
- small letters: a-z (no local diacritics)
- large letters: A-Z (no local diacritics)
- numerals: 0-9
- symbols: . & @ – + _ ! %
- space
Remember that your customers won’t be able to reply to SMS messages sent with alphanumeric SMS sender names. If you’d like to receive text messages from your audience, there’s always 2Way SMS communication. You can also set your phone number as a sender name!
Further reading
Receive SMS online using SMS gateways
Enterprise SMS messaging platform is more than a simple tool to send SMS from a computer. Among many other features, it allows you to receive SMS online. To get messages from your clients, you need an SMS receiving number in two formats: long and short. Besides their lengths, they are different regarding recommended applications and local availability.
No additional fees for your customers
Your customers writing to a 2-Way SMS number won’t be charged extra. Regular GSM operators’ fees apply.
Messages sent by your clients can be opened and read in an online SMS gateway or any other integrated system. You have to configure a callback address to transfer and receive SMS text messages between systems, though.
Types of receiving SMS numbers (Virtual Mobile Numbers)
Pick the right tool to receive text messages from your customers:
- Long code is a standard length number (9 digits); it’s most commonly used in printed media, during events, online and everywhere else where your audience has time to memorize or type in a long string of digits.
- Shortcode is a 4-, 5-digit long number used mainly in a fast-moving environment where you have only a moment to get through your message. That’s why most brands use it for SMS campaigns in radio, TV and outdoor media.
Short link in SMS messaging
The 160 characters of a text message might be a limitation, especially when you want to go beyond simple text and send, for example, graphics, video, sound files or simply longer messages. Although SMS works independently of an internet connection, it can direct your clients to online materials. You need to add a URL address to the website or file.
Compared to e-mail campaigns, bulk SMS marketing campaigns have a higher open rate and faster read time. It also translates to higher CTR (click-thru-rate) of links included in text messages. Conversion of an SMS campaign is undeniably higher than that of the beforementioned mailing. Still, it’s hard to compare these two mediums since both serve different purposes and have other, yet sometimes similar, applications.
If you want to get the most from the SMS campaign, preparing a URL address is best. Pasting a long link looks unprofessional, takes a lot of 160-character quota and, most importantly, lowers text message effectiveness. It’s especially true with complex URLs with parameters. A well-placed link drives sales for small businesses and large corporations alike.
That’s why it’s best to shorten your links when sending SMS to clients. Many services will help you make links shorter, but I advise using one integrated with your commercial SMS gateway.
At SMSAPI, we have the cut.li URL shortener. The short link will look like this: cut.li/suffix (this one will lead you to our sign-up page), where the suffix is added randomly or set individually by the SMS sender. Our link shortener is free of charge and available to all verified accounts.
Short URL in a company domain
We have also created a new solution that allows companies to create short links in their domain. Contact us if you’d like to know more.
SMS campaign effectiveness analysis
So, you want to send messages to your customers’ mobile phones and then measure the effectiveness of SMS solutions? Start with the content templates and how to prepare conversion-oriented short text messages. Below, you’ll find a quick guide on best SMS practices. Furthermore, learn how to schedule messages and check message delivery reports.
Short links are the easiest way to measure the effectiveness of your bulk SMS campaigns. Links are essential for the analysis since there is no technical way to measure deliverability and open rate. All other data and statistics can be sourced to GSM operators and SMS gateway providers.
There are at least two methods to check the results of SMS marketing. For starters, you can monitor the click counter of the cut.li shortener. It’s, of course, not so precise, as it only provides you with basic knowledge of the number of clicks, their date and time, device type and its operating system. Luckily, there’s a way to measure mobile marketing results directly in Google Analytics (or a similar tool with embedded analytics capabilities).
And it’s super easy! All you have to do is add the UTM parameters to the short link. This way, each click will be visible and trackable in Google Analytics. You’ll see how many of your clients clicked the links, and you can see their sessions on your website. This data allows you to plan your SMS campaigns better using the website traffic information.
With the right tools, adding UTM parameters to addresses is quick. I recommend using the free Campaign URL Builder from Google. Paste the generated code at the end of the URL and shorten it with cut.li.
SMS campaign advanced analytics
Reports and delivery history
Every professional SMS gateway has a reporting system that helps to track single and bulk SMS campaigns. At SMSPAI, it’s done with a couple of clicks in the Customer Portal. Just pick the date range and campaign type. After a while, our system will create a PDF file with all useful statistics about account activity.
Open SMS API and integrations
At the same time, the most crucial feature of a commercial SMS gateway is access to API. SMS can be sent from a web browser via the Customer Portal (web interface) or from an integrated system. Application Programming Interface (or API in short) allows systems and applications to exchange data, requests and commands.
Using API might be daunting because it can be complex and tedious, but you need little knowledge to benefit from it. More advanced solutions will require extensive know-how. I suggest reading the A2P gateway developer guide for beginners to understand the most basic applications.
SMS API – resources for developers
Get more out of the text marketing gateway using the SMS API integration. Read the Documentation, including code snippets.
Global enterprise SMS gateway provider
One last thing: SMSAPI provides a global SMS service. We guarantee deliveries to almost every GSM operator around the globe, thanks to agreements with mobile networks. Furthermore, we offer high deliverability in the shortest possible time.
SMSAPI also has high bandwidth, exceptionally low downtime, years of experience and uncompromising security standards. We are one of the SMS API providers of LINK Mobility Group.
Create a free test account
SMSAPI is a worldwide SMS gateway provider.
- Free business account
- Test SMS package
- Full technical and marketing support
- Open SMS API (rest API)
- Detailed delivery reports
- Tons of integrations
Story of SMS messaging over the years
“Merry Christmas” – such wishes were sent on December 3 1992, to Rica Jarvis, director of Vodafone, on his Orbitel 901 from British engineer Neil Papworth. It was the first SMS sent in history. How has this old-schooled communication channel become this popular worldwide?
High prices of messages and unavailability of services between telecommunications network providers caused in 1995 a typical mobile phone user to send 0.4 SMS per month. Since mobile operators observed an increasing interest in communication based on a short text message from year to year, they gradually reduced fees. Today, it is almost 23 billion SMS sent annually worldwide each day.
The story of the SMS was not so simple. There were, and still are, those who announced the death of SMS, claiming that they would share the fate of VHS tapes as outdated, unnecessary technology.
Although the SMS has already celebrated its 30th birthday, and since its inception, many new mobile apps (WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Signal) have appeared. Best SMS gateways are still appreciated for their simplicity, effectiveness and ease of access.
SMS gateways are the future of text messaging
The future of text messaging holds exciting possibilities in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. As messaging apps continue to dominate communication, the way we send and receive text messages is transforming.
For example, AI-driven algorithms will tailor messages to individual preferences and behaviours, providing more relevant and timely content. Moreover, as 5G networks become widespread, text messaging will become even faster and more reliable, enabling seamless global communication.
Stay tuned for a future where text messaging continues evolving, shaping how we connect and communicate in the digital age.
