Use these criteria to judge which bulk SMS platform is right for you if you want to run your marketing campaign using bulk SMS in Nigeria.
So you want to integrate bulk SMS into your digital marketing strategy and you are looking for the best providers to use. You are wondering what the critical criteria are in judging which bulk SMS provider to choose in Nigeria. You don’t need to keep searching on Google or be carried away by the keywords the bulk SMS service providers are optimising for. Use this five criteria to decide which bulk SMS provider in Nigeria is right for you.
- Ease of Use: Some bulk SMS portals are very difficult to use. This shouldn’t be the case. Usability and intuitive design is now a key goal in the development of any web or mobile app. You don’t need to take a full one-month computer training programme just to learn how to find your way around a bulk SMS platform.
- Rich features: Because most SMS platforms use pre-built scripts and plugins, they are usually limited in the features they can provide. Some scripts already pre-define the payment gateways, the user interface and other key features that the portal will have. Since many who operate bulk SMS platforms are not experts in web applications development, they usually install these scripts as the developers sold them and cannot extend beyond their general limitations. This is a big problem with SMS platforms that use scripts like SMS Portal Creator (SPC), Sendriod, etc. Some platforms do not even support saving of contacts, creating of groups, scheduling of SMS etc. When choosing bulk SMS platform to use, go for those that are custom designed. They usually carry additional functionalities and you can always ask for any additional features from the developer.
- Transparent Pricing: Some SMS platforms in Nigeria will claim to bill you N1 per unit only for you to discover that it takes 3 unit to deliver a message to MTN or glo numbers. Don’t fall for this. Go for transparent pricing. The most transparent platform will always bill you in naira. If they charge two naira per SMS, you can always know that N200 will send 100 SMS, period!
- Delivery Report and Tracking: Some bulk SMS portals in Nigeria do not offer delivery reports. Some that offer that, do not do so in real-time. A good SMS platform will not only deliver your message but will also give you the opportunity to track the status of your SMS as they are delivering. They will also let you know the exact reasons, the undelivered ones failed.
- Responsive Support: Another very crucial question to ask is: Do they have a dedicated support phone line? Do they always answer their calls? Do they have a live-chat integrated into their site? Are they always online? Do they respond to queries on their social channels, like facebook? Support is not something to joke with. Check this well before you decide who to trust with this very important part of your business.
