Top 8 Questions About Business Text Messaging + Bonus FAQs
Business text messaging is one of the most effective ways to connect with customers and keep them loyal to your brand.
With high open rates and immediate reach, text messaging stands out as a form of communication when it comes to how a business builds relationships with its customers.
In this blog post we will address top questions retailers have about business text messaging and give you insight on Ikeono’s philosophy and decision-making.
We'll explore why you should consider incorporating text messaging into your communication and sales strategy, break down our pricing structure, differentiate between conversational and promotional texting, discuss Ikeono’s integration with Stripe, and more.
Whether you operate a single store or manage multiple locations, these answers will break any barriers that are in the way of introducing business text messaging to your business.
#1 Why Should Businesses Start Text Messaging Their Customers?
About 97% of Americans walk around with a smartphone in their pockets with the ability to receive text messages.
Every one of those Americans checks their phone about 344 times a day. If a business is not texting their customers, they are missing out on one of the fastest and easiest ways they can get their attention.
Therefore, it’s no surprise that over 53% of business owners and marketing managers are investing in text messaging. Let’s look as to why it’s worth the investment.
Because Phone and Email Are Not Going to Cut It Anymore
While phone calls are still great for those lengthy conversations and emails still have their place in business, they have become increasingly more inconvenient and less personal.
Phone calls often come at inconvenient times and are seen as disruptive because they require immediate and undivided attention that busy consumers can't always provide.
Emails are frequently overlooked as they tend to be more perceived as promotional, they have low open rates, and after being around for so long they have become the catch-all mode of communication for businesses.
On the other hand, when a business puts in the effort to build a relationship with customers via text message not only are they benefiting from higher open rates and quicker responses from customers, but they are also simultaneously building trust.
Text messaging is also more personal, which is why for most it is more commonly used as a form of communication with friends and family.
When it comes to interacting with businesses, texting finally gives the power to the customer and allows them to respond at their convenience – and fits seamlessly into their on-the-go lifestyles.
Because Your Customers Are Already Texting You
Data shows that 58% of consumers have followed a missed phone call from a business with a text message — but that text message never reached the business because their phone number was not text-enabled.
Whether the customer is reaching out with a sales question or needs customer support, then their chances of being able to reach you via text message will always be higher than phone or email.
Also, it’s not just about sending and receiving text messages, the beauty of this two-way interaction is that it can actually lead to a sale through the power of text-to-pay which we will cover in the next section.
Because When the Door to Text Messaging Opens, Three New Opportunities Await
And in this case, we are talking about reviews, web chat, and text-to-pay.
If there’s one thing retailers know all too well is that consumer behavior is always shifting. In a recent survey from Google, it was reported that about one-third of consumers say they’re now doing more research on purchases.
More specifically they are focusing on online reviews, the information they can find on your website, and comparing prices.
Being able to grow your reviews, communicate with leads browsing your website and being able to make a sale during any interaction makes text messaging more than just a communication tool, it also becomes a sales tool.
Google Reviews & Google Business Profile Integrations
Although the path to purchase will continue to evolve for consumers, one thing that will remain constant is the research that happens before the purchase.
Part of this research will always include reviews – take into consideration the new AI tools released by Google. One of the factors they take into account before making recommendations is taking reviews.
Consumers continue to prioritize businesses with higher volumes of reviews, they also expect to see both negative and positive reviews, but most importantly they are looking at whether or not the business is replying to those reviews.
By actively seeking out and responding to reviews, businesses are slowly but surely building trust and transparency. It becomes one of the building blocks of the big picture when it comes to brand trust.
Engaging with customers through reviews can turn negative experiences into positive ones, and shows a dedication that potential customers will notice and appreciate.
Text-to-Pay
Text-to-pay is another crucial solution in adapting to changing consumer behavior. Not only can it be used to collect payment at any point of a conversation with customers, but it is also a great tool to use when chatting with potential customers that are browsing your website.
There’s a small window of opportunity during the customer’s research journey where you can close the sale after answering their questions. We highly recommend checking out this interview we did with BikeSource Charlotte that covers a real life interaction that led to an $8,000 sale.
Text-Based Webchat
We like to say that not having web chat is like leaving your online store empty with no salesperson to answer any questions a customer might have.
Even though you might have all the information you think customers might possibly need, there’s a chance potential customers that are browsing your website have a small question standing between them and the ‘add to cart’ button.
With web chat you can provide instant support, help customers navigate the website, and find product details.
The beauty of text-based web chat is that neither you or the customer needs to sit and wait – you can answer at your convenience (but still in a timely manner) and they can walk away from the computer and continue the conversation on the go.
Together, these strategies address the evolving ways that consumers shop, which in turn help you build a community of loyal customers and drive sales.
#2 Why Is Your Pricing the Way It Is?
We believe in straightforward pricing that is fair for our customers, and fair for us. We offer competitive rates while continuously reinvesting in innovation.
We are not fans of marking the price up, only to negotiate it down for each business. This is a sales tactic that is widely used that we do not endorse.
We are not fans of sizing a business up before providing a price.
Ikeono Pricing vs. The Market
Straightforward pricing means no additional monthly fees, no setup fees, and no hidden prices. Ikeono customers are able to independently upgrade or downgrade their tiers directly in the portal.
No additional 10DLC fees
No setup fees
No hidden prices
Who We Created Core, Standard and Premium Tiers For
Our tiers are built based on what we have observed from the diverse businesses we serve, we offer three tiers to best meet all needs and budgets.
Core tier: For businesses transitioning from using their personal phone number to their business phone number.
Standard tier: For businesses ready to integrate business text messaging in all areas of their business, from sales to service.
Premium tier: For businesses in a growth phase, ready to streamline their workflows with Ikeono’s automation suite.
#3 What Is the Difference Between Conversational and Promotional text messaging?
Let’s get acquainted with the different types of text messaging recognized by the CTIA (Cellular Telephone Industries Association).
Before we begin, there is a third type of text message that can be sent between business and consumer that we won’t further discuss and it is called an informational text message.
Informational or sometimes called transnational text messages are sent when a business sends an appointment reminder or a welcome message to a consumer. In this case, the business is fulfilling the consumer’s wishes and following up via text message.
| Items | Conversational | Promotional |
|---|---|---|
| First message | Consumer | Business |
| Definitions | A two-way conversation between a business and a consumer that happens over text message. | Synonymous to SMS marketing, a promotional text message aims to promote a brand, product, or service (example: mass texting a coupon code). |
| Consent | Implicit | Explicit (written consent required) |
Our philosophy is to safeguard text messaging as a communication channel so that it does not become a catch-all form of contacting your customers.
Hence, we choose to remain a conversational text messaging platform.
Unlike what email has become – low open rates and consumer fatigue due to excessive promotional content, we want to protect text messaging as a communication channel and ensure your business stands out and doesn't get lost in the noise.
You don’t want your business to be among the slew of promotional emails consumers receive and let out a small sigh.
#4 What Led to the Decision Not to Include Text Message Signatures in Ikeono?
Your phone number is your signature!
Although your team plays a crucial role in those interactions with customers, ultimately, the relationship with the customer is with the business and not with the employee.
It is also a way of keeping the organic, conversational feel of text messaging, and keeping the tone separate from the formality of email.
#5 What Is the Benefit of Implementing Business Text Messaging From the Store’s Phone Number?
Using your store's phone number for text messaging offers three key benefits:
The advantage of trust you have already built with your phone number
NAP consistency
A cohesive brand identity
First, the established trust associated with your store’s phone number reassures customers that messages are legitimate and not from a fraudulent source. They can easily verify the number by looking it up on Google.
Second, using the same phone number ensures NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) consistency across all platforms, which is crucial for local search rankings. We cover this topic in more detail in this blog post.
Lastly, using a single, recognizable phone number for all communications creates a cohesive brand identity. Imagine having to use a phone number for calls and a different one for text messaging – this would confuse your team and customers and make it more difficult to contact the store.
💡PRO TIP: Sensitive conversations often need a phone call. With one number for both voice and text, you can text to schedule the call and recap it afterward, all from the same number.
#6 Why Is Ikeono Payments Powered by Stripe?
When deciding on a backend for Ikeono payments, we chose Stripe for several key reasons that benefit our retailers:
Stripe Connect takes Ikeono out of the equation and gives the retailer more control.
Stripe is PCI compliant.
Stripe Radar gives even more flexibility for retailers to set up security rules tailored to their business.
First, by leveraging Stripe Connect, we have removed Ikeono from the direct handling of payments. This setup allows retailers to decide which cards to accept, set up their own payout schedules, and have complete control over their payment processes.
Second, Stripe is renowned for its security and PCI compliance, making it one of the most secure payment processing systems available. Companies like Lightspeed POS and Shopify also trust Stripe.
Third, with Stripe, we can bring advanced features like Stripe Radar to our customers. Stripe Radar enhances security by providing customizable fraud detection rules. This feature gives retailers flexibility in managing their transaction security according to their specific needs.
Text to pay is the future of mobile payments and thanks to Stripe’s robust and secure infrastructure we are able to bring the power of conversational text messaging to businesses while still giving them full control over the check out experience and the management of their Stripe account.
#7 I Am a Multi-Location Business, Can I Use Ikeono
Yes! The only requirement we have is that each location needs to have its own phone number. This ensures that messages are directed to the correct location and customers receive accurate and timely responses.
Ikeono also allows you to manage user permissions and get reporting and analytics per location.
#8 What Is The Campaign Registry (TCR) and How Does It Impact Business Text Messaging?
The Campaign Registry (TCR) is an organization that aims to create a regulated environment when it comes to businesses sending text messages to customers.
Alright, now how do they impact business text messaging? Essentially, a business needs to be recognized as a brand by TCR to be able to send text messages from an application (Ikeono, for example) to a person (your customers).
This is where the acronym A2P (application-to-person) 10DLC (10 digit long-code) comes into play. And in case you needed more details on what it is and how to navigate A2P 10DLC regulations, we’ve got you covered.
Due to this vetting process, setting up a new business with a free trial and text-enabling the business phone number takes time.
At the moment, it can take up to 2 weeks to get started with texting, but worry not, your free trial only begins once everything has been cleared with the TCR.
Lightspeed POS Integration FAQ
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When it comes to workorders, the information made available by Lightspeed is read-only. This means we can view information, but we can't create, update, or delete anything.
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Contacts hold a lot of value, it is where purchase history and deposits are held. Given that Lightspeed does not have a notion of preventing duplicates, best practice is to create the contact in Lightspeed first. Once the contact is created in Lightspeed, it will be automatically created in Ikeono.
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The answer is technically yes, but we like to call it a garden because it needs a little maintenance to grow. Retailers can create a Reminder status that has a longer delay. After the customer receives the ‘Finished’ status message, update the WO to the ‘Reminder’ status. If the customer picks up the bike before the delay is up, then no message is sent. But if it is still in that reminder status after the delay then the reminder message is sent.