How to Choose SMS Gateway

As the numbers of people using mobile devices are increasing with every passing day, companies are making use of SMSs to promote their services and products and increase their sales. To make the most of any SMS marketing campaign, it is necessary to make use of an effective SMS gateway solution that allows in dispersing bulk SMSs within a short time. While there are plenty of SMS gateway providers in the market, the right solution expert can make a major difference in your business by providing you with the most effective solutions.

There are a number of factors that you should consider while choosing the Best SMS Gateway Provider for your business.

Firstly, you will need to ask yourself the following questions:

• What is the cost for every SMS?
• Are there any monthly usage or minimum purchase requirements?
• Are there any kinds of hidden costs involved?
• How good and efficient is the network coverage of the SMS provider?
• What is the network quality of the service provider?
• What is the expiry date for the SMS packs?
• What are the payment options that the SMS Gateway Provider accepts? 
• Is the API of the SMS gateway provider easy to use and well documented? Will the service provider offer any sample code?
• Does the SMS application require a 2-way SMS messaging service?
• Does the provider of SMS Gateway Solutions offer any free SMSs for testing?
• How reliable is the customer support service of the SMS gateway provider? 

The next thing that you will need to evaluate is the account management system of the SMS gateway provider. Most companies will provide you with a web-based system for managing your account. You can log in to your account and check the SMSs that are left for a current period and even buy new SMS messages or credits online. It is also necessary that the user interface of the account management system is intuitive, easy to use and fast. It should also provide users with these following important features.

Access via HTTPS protocol:

It is always good if your account management system is accessible through a HTTPS protocol. The HTTPS connection helps to make sure that all data transmitted between the computer and web server are encrypted and therefore secured.

Detailed reports:

The Mobile VAS Solution provider should also provide you with detailed reports of all the SMS messages that have been sent and received. Sometimes some programs do not immediately offer such reports but they are still available on request. You can ask for reports for any date or specific period ranges. The reports cover fields like the number of messages received or sent, the time and date of all the individual SMS messages, as well as the mobile phone number in which the SMS was sent to or received from. The reports can be downloaded in the form of CSV or MS Excel files. These reports eventually help the management to take important business decisions.