Let Customers Know about Business Texting

Text enabling your landline number allows your business to make and receive phone calls and text messages all with an existing landline phone number. Using the same phone number helps with brand recognition and easy findability for customers. However, getting customers to start texting your business can be a hurdle. Let potential and existing customers know about your added texting capabilities.

Where your number is published, show customers that texting is also available with the same number. Update your online and physical presence so customers know they can call and text your number for quick and easy customer service. Text messaging is the fastest and most preferred method of communicating, but consumers do not expect most businesses to utilize text messaging. Make sure you provide customers with a clear indication that your number can receive and send text messages.

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Offer Customer Contact with Business Texting

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Add an SMS Chat Widget on your website

SMS Chat Widget is a new feature that enables you to add a chat icon to your website. When your visitors tap on it, they can enter their details and initiate a text chat with you.

You can send and receive all the messages from your Texty Pro account, just as you would with any standard text. The best part is, your visitors will receive your responses on their mobile phones as regular SMS texts.

SMS Chat Widget is a wonderful way to interact with your website visitors, boost conversions, and improve customer service. Learn how to add an SMS Chat Widget.

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Add your texting capabilities to your website

For your business’ website, you can quickly add a message to show customers your phone number accepts text messages. Write “call or text” next to your business number to inform customers of the options. Ensure you mention texting across your webpages, wherever your phone number appears on your website. 

With HTML, you can add a “click to text” button to your website. Customers viewing your website on their smartphone can click to open their texting app. Your business' phone number is added automatically, no need to copy it or write it down. You can add one-click text messaging for general contact, customer service, sales, or for opting into receiving your text messages. One button clicks make contacting your business as easy as possible for all existing and potential customers. 

To add a “text us” button to your website you just need to edit some HTML. It is not as tough as it sounds and we will walk you through the format below. It is simple to add and allows customers to text your business just by clicking. It also shows any viewer that your phone number accepts text messaging.

<a href="sms:+12345678900&body=Hi, I’m interested in your store">Click to text us!</a>

There are three pieces of customizable information. After “sms”, you will add your text-enabled phone number. This will automatically populate into the recipient field of the user’s texting app. Following “body,” you may include a message customers would be sending your business. Finally, write the text that users will click on to text your number. 

Using the same HTML format, you can create these simple buttons for calls and emails. For calls, again include your phone number along with the text to display on your website. To add an email button, start with your business email address, add a subject line, and the text to click. For these, your HTML will look something like these:

Phone call: <a href="tel:+12345678900">Click to call us!</a>

Email: <a href="mailto:business@email.com?subject=Customer Service">Click to email us!</a>

Promote texting on your social media

Introduce customers to your new texting feature on your social media. Make a post advising customers to reach out via text messages the next time they contact your business. Add “call or text” by your number in your most recent posts and profiles. Social media can be an effective way for customers to find the newest information from many types of businesses. Additionally, customers who use social media often prefer texting or messaging to phone calls. All your contact methods should be easily accessible from your social media accounts.  

Email your current clients about text messaging

Inform your current client base of your new functionality of receiving and sending text messages with a quick email update. Include this addition with your regular updates or send a dedicated email with details of how customers can use your texting service going forward. For insurance agents, legal practices, and home service businesses, this notifies current clients who may be interested in texting your business.

Recommend texting over the phone and voicemail

Let customers know directly when they call your landline they can now also text the same number. Advise customers to text instead of calling to ease processing during peak hours. When putting customers on hold, suggest sending a text message to the same phone number for customer service without the hold. Convert more calls to text messages to reduce surges of calls your employees have to answer. 

For after-hours calls, notify customers your phone number can be texted by a voicemail message. Text messages received after your business hours can automatically inform customers of your hours or you can create a custom message. When next available, your business can respond to all received messages via short informative text messages, without making interrupting phone calls.

Add “Text Us” information to business cards and print media

Update your business cards to inform customers your number can receive and send text messages. Alongside your phone number, add a note to “text or call'' or “text us for customer service or to schedule an appointment”. Include texting on your signs and in your physical store.

Provide examples for business texting

Answer questions via text message

Answer common questions about business details, location, hours, menu, or pricing promptly by text message. Include “For questions text us at…” to let customers know they can send a text message to get answers from your business. Suggest texting to find out holiday hours or closure dates. List your phone number next to your hours with a message to text you to check for special hours.

Schedule appointments with SMS

Tell patrons to schedule appointments by text. Text today to schedule your next appointment. They can provide a day or time and your business can respond to let them know your availability. When contacting customers about a recurring appointment, give them the option to text to schedule, reschedule, or cancel an appointment. Customers can also work with your staff to schedule a call or make a reservation. Use text messaging for healthcare, salons, and automotive businesses to schedule customer appointments.

Text to make delivery and takeout orders

Show customers how they can place an order with a text message. Show examples of what information you need, like customer name, product name or number, delivery address, and pick-up date or time. This will help the conversation go quickly, with fewer messages asking for more information. When confirming their order, let customers know the total and they will receive a text message when the order is ready. Visit our restaurant page for more information on how you can use texting for business.

Manage contactless actions with text messaging

Contactless pickup, customers can provide a message when they arrive to get updates when they can come in or a person can deliver to them. Let us know when you arrive and we will let you know when we are ready. Stay in their car to receive the delivery or wait in their car until their appointment. View how else text messaging can benefit your retail business.

To add texting capabilities to your business phone number today, try a free 14-day trial of Texty Pro. Use your business’s landline phone number to start sending and receiving text messages today. Visit our homepage texty.pro and download our app for iOS and Android. For more details or outstanding questions, please visit our frequently asked questions and support page.