Texting has come a long way since the days of T9 keyboards and Motorola Razrs. In just under three decades, it’s gone from passing fad to the undisputed lingua franca of our digital age. (Translation: 💬🤨🔜🔥🤩)
But there’s more to the art of texting than just a well-placed emoji or choice GIF. For today’s business owners, it’s also become a vital tool for customer outreach and communication.
Why should you consider texting from your business number, and how do you do it? In this article, we’ll explore these questions and more. We’ll look at…
- The benefits of texting from your business number
- How businesses are using texting to boost sales
- How texting can drive and improve customer satisfaction
- How to get started with texting from your business number
The benefits of texting for your business
It’s no secret how important proper phone etiquette is to your customers. But did you know that most consumers now expect that same level of service over text as well? These recent statistics from G2 highlight just how text-ready your customers or clients are:
- 60% of people want the option to send and receive texts from a business.
- 60% want the ability to text businesses regarding customer support issues.
- 43% of people say they have proactively reached out to businesses over text.
Unfortunately, not every business or brand out there meets these expectations:
- One in three consumers has tried to text a business and never gotten a response back.
- Only 13% of businesses currently allow customers to respond to their texts.
- 83% of customers prefer to receive appointment reminders via text, but only 20% of businesses have reached out to them this way.
Texting provides your customers with a convenient way to contact you with their questions and concerns. And it’s you they want to talk to—74% of consumers prefer getting help from another person rather than a bot.
Plus, business texting can increase sales. As Elijah Masek-Kelly writes over at business.com, texting “allows people to communicate whenever they have time,” which makes business texting a great option “to reach out to customers and potential customers” who don’t respond to sales calls.
None of this means you should be handing out your personal number (in fact, you definitely shouldn’t). Instead, we recommend using a customer communication solution to send texts from a business number.
Ways to text from your business number
There are numerous options for business texting. Here are just a couple:
- SMS apps are dedicated software programs for sending and receiving texts. They vary in terms of price, capabilities, and use cases, so make sure any options you consider fit your budget, industry, and needs. For instance, not all apps allow for two-way communication—a key capability if you value authentic conversations with customers and prospects. Not sure where to start with SMS apps? Check out Zapier’s list of recommendations.
- Some business communication tools and services offer business texting as an optional feature. Our friends at Grasshopper, for example, make it easy for businesses to send and receive texts. Like apps, every solution is different; depending on the platform you use, texting may be available for free or at an additional (one-time or recurring) cost.
Did you know you can use Ruby for business texting? It’s super simple and cost-effective. A Ruby-hosted business number lets you easily chat with customers over text while keeping your personal number private. Let’s look at how it works.
How to text customers using your Ruby business number
When you sign up for Ruby, you have the option to host your business number with us, or port over your existing number. This not only eliminates your business phone bill but also makes texting a breeze. All text communication to and from your business number will take place in your Ruby mobile app, giving you the freedom to keep personal and business conversations separate—while still using a single device.
Here’s what to expect:
Two-way SMS texting
Ruby’s texting feature and stored text threads ensure you’re always in the loop when it comes to customer communication. Any multimedia content (photos, videos, weblinks, etc.) will come in as a hyperlink that you can easily click to view in your phone’s browser.
Company-wide visibility
Text messages sent through the mobile app are visible to everyone in your company with texting permissions. This makes handing off or delegating client communication between team members a breeze!
Contact storage and identification
Always know who’s on the other end of the conversation by storing customer information in your Ruby Contacts. You can also catch up with your existing contacts by syncing your device with your Ruby account.
Automatic activity updates
We make sure you never accidentally leave a customer on read. Whenever a new text comes in, it’ll bump up in your call records and be the first thing you see at the top of your activity screen!
Interested in using a business line to better serve your customers? Reach out to us today, or head over to our plans and pricing page for more information!
