How to Make Your Business More Text-Friendly

Year after year texting continues to increase in popularity across industries. In fact, 52% of business leaders in North America say mobile is already a major player in their industry.

From sharing information to mobile commerce, customers can do more from their cellphones than ever before. Today, more than half of the total internet searches are conducted on mobile devices!

The power of mobile is undeniable. So, as a business that may or may not be text-enabled yet, what can you do to be more mobile-friendly to customers? 

What Is a Text-Friendly Business?

We don’t often think twice about being able to email or call a business. However, 58% of consumers have tried to reply with a text message after missing a call.

And unless that business is text-friendly, those messages won’t go anywhere. 

To be text-friendly, a business must be able to send and receive messages from customers. 

On a small scale, this could be as simple as having a business cellphone customers can both text and call to reach you. However, this comes with some limitations.

• You can’t reach groups of customers with text blasts
• Messages can be deleted and it can be tricky to track with of your staff members sent what
• Read messages cannot be marked back as unread 
• Messages can’t be scheduled to send ahead
• There are no ways to trigger or automate messages to send

Alternatively, your business could utilize a business texting service that can text-enable your business without the need for a physical device.

We set you up with a text-enabled number and a dashboard, like the one below, that allows you to:

• Send group messages without reply all
• Respond to individual messages in your inbox
• Snooze, sort, schedule and annotate messages within your inbox 
• Create keywords customers can text in to join your subscriber list
• Set up autoresponders to send messages days, weeks, or months after a customer joins your list

Depending on the scale and needs of your business, you’ll decide which is the right solution for you. However, becoming a text-friendly business is a forward-thinking choice that positions you on the path that digital communications are headed. 

Tips to Be More Text or Mobile Friendly

If your business is already text-enabled, there are some things you can do to make it more accessible to mobile visitors. 

After all, another key element to being mobile-friendly is letting customers know that they can text you!

Here are a few simple things you can do to ensure as many customers as possible get connected to you through text.

Utilize a Click to Text Button

Add a click-to-text button to your site that launches your customer’s native text messaging app in a single click. Pre-fill a text message with your keyword or a customer service prompt to drive more conversions on mobile.

Set a Mobile Sign-Up Widget

Similar to a click-to-text button, mobile sign-up widgets are great for gathering contact information for your subscriber list. Simply customize your button, generate your offer on the pop-up, and add it to your site to start collecting contacts!

Update Your Contact Info

Another simple change is to add the line “call or text us” to your contact information. You can also update your organization’s social media pages, Google listings, and review site profiles to include a “text us” option as well. 

[Read: How to Add Text Messaging to Your Google Business Listing]

[Read: How to Add Texting to Your Instagram Profile]

Design With Mobile in Mind

Last but not least, you want to be sure your website is designed with mobile usage in mind. This means:

• Keep designs simple and buttons large for easy clicking
• Utilize Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)
• Test your site with Google’s mobile optimization tool
• Try to make your site load time as quick as possible 
• Make for an easy scrolling experience 

One of the best things about texting is its simplicity. So above all remember to keep your instructions for reaching your business clear and easy. Before you know it, the texts will be flooding in!