Signing in without a password: which options are there?
Typing a password has long stopped being the only way into your customer portal. Five methods are now available and you choose yourself which one you use. How d…
Read more →Blog
Explanations, comparisons and practical tips, written by the people who run the technology at SMSBOX themselves.
What is a WhatsApp template and when do you need one?
Anyone sending WhatsApp messages to customers for the first time immediately runs into the word template. No template, no conversation, it seems. But what exact…
Read more →Why is my account blocked?
Usually because of one thing: a message with a link went out. New accounts are not allowed to do that, and the account gets locked.Why links are off by defaultA…
Read more →Why is my SMS not arriving?
An SMS that fails to arrive almost always has one of five causes. In order of how often we see them.1. The number is wrongA typo, a landline in a mobile field,…
Read more →What do the statuses in a delivery report mean?
After every send you get a status per message. Those words look alike but mean something quite different, and the difference decides whether you need to act.Sen…
Read more →How many characters fit in one SMS?
The classic answer is 160 characters. That is correct, until you use one wrong character.The ordinary alphabetWith the standard GSM alphabet, one message holds…
Read more →Can I just send my customers an SMS?
Not just like that. For commercial messages the rule in Belgium is that you need consent, with one exception.The exception for existing customersTo anyone who a…
Read more →What does an SMS campaign really cost?
The price per SMS is the easy part. The real cost sits in three things people forget.1. The length of your messageAbove 160 characters you pay for two messages,…
Read more →SMS or email: when do you choose which?
The two channels do different things. Weighing them against each other on price is the wrong question.SMS wins on urgencyAn SMS is nearly always read, and usual…
Read more →What is a sender name and why is it sometimes refused?
Instead of a phone number, a name can appear above your message. That improves recognition, but rules apply.The basic rulesAn alphanumeric sender is at most ele…
Read more →How do you send an SMS from your own software?
There are three ways, with increasing effort and control.By emailThe simplest: your application sends an email to a fixed address, which goes out as an SMS. No…
Read more →What is a virtual SMS number?
A virtual number is a real mobile number that is not attached to a SIM card in a device but to your account. Messages that come in on it land in your dashboard…
Read more →How do you prevent no-shows with SMS reminders?
A missed appointment costs you an empty slot you no longer sell. An SMS reminder is the cheapest way to limit that, but the timing and the content decide whethe…
Read more →What is an OTP and why send it by SMS?
An OTP is a one-time code someone has to enter alongside their password. It is valid only once and only briefly, and proves the person has the device in hand.Wh…
Read more →How do you clean up an old phone number list?
A list a few years old always contains numbers that no longer exist. You pay for those all the same, and the failures distort your figures.What goes wrong in a…
Read more →What is the best time to send an SMS campaign?
Anyone promising you one universally best moment is guessing. What is certain is which moments are plainly wrong.What is certainly wrongBefore eight in the morn…
Read more →What is an SMS gateway?
An SMS gateway is the link between your software and the mobile networks. Without one you would have to connect to every operator separately; with one you addre…
Read more →How do you personalise an SMS without it going wrong?
A message with the right name works better. A message with the wrong name works far worse than a message with no name at all.Where it goes wrongEmpty fields. An…
Read more →Sending SMS from Excel: what to watch out for
For anyone who does not want to build an integration, an Excel list is the quickest route. Four things decide whether it goes smoothly.1. The number formatExcel…
Read more →What is the difference between bulk SMS and transactional SMS?
Technically they travel the same way. In everything else they differ.Bulk SMSOne message to many people at once, at a moment you choose. An offer, an invitation…
Read more →How do you measure whether an SMS campaign worked?
The delivery rate tells you whether your message arrived. It says nothing about whether it produced anything.What you have anywayDelivered, failed and opted out…
Read more →What is Mail2SMS and who is it useful for?
Mail2SMS turns an email into an SMS. You send a mail to a fixed address, and the recipient gets a text message.Why that is usefulBecause virtually every system…
Read more →Why you should separate transactional and marketing SMS
If a verification code and an advertising campaign leave over the same channel and the same sender, one can damage the other.The volume problemA campaign to ten…
Read more →SMS for hairdressers and salons: fewer gaps in the diary
A cancelled appointment you learn about in time is a slot you still sell. A no-show is a loss.The reminder, but with a way outTwenty-four hours ahead, with the…
Read more →SMS for estate agents: viewings and follow-up
In property, speed of response is the difference between an appointment and a lost candidate. SMS is the fastest channel you have.The viewing confirmationWith a…
Read more →How do you write a crisis message that actually gets read?
During an incident you have one message and a few minutes. The structure decides whether people do what is needed.Put the action firstNot "we wish to inform you…
Read more →SMS for associations: reaching members without a newsletter
Associations run on volunteers and members of all ages. That often makes SMS the only channel with genuine coverage.What it works forAn activity that is off, a…
Read more →SMS for gyms and membership clubs
In a membership model, cancellation is the problem, and cancellation starts with people who stop coming. SMS can make that visible early.The reactivation messag…
Read more →What is a shortcode and when do you need one?
A shortcode is a number of a few digits that people can send a keyword to. Think of "Text INFO to 1234".Why shortBecause it has to be memorable and typeable fro…
Read more →SMS for vets: reminders that work
Vaccinations, worming and check-ups get forgotten because they rarely feel urgent. A reminder at the right moment solves that.The vaccination reminderA few week…
Read more →SMS in home care: a schedule that keeps changing
In home care the schedule changes constantly, and both the carer and the patient need to know. SMS is the only channel that reaches both on the move.To the care…
Read more →Why a purchased number list costs you money
Buying a list looks like a quick start. In practice it is the most expensive way to begin.It is not allowedFor commercial messages you need consent, and consent…
Read more →SMS on site: construction firms and scheduling
On a building site nobody reads email. People phone, and that costs the planning desk hours a week.To the crewWhere they start tomorrow, which site is postponed…
Read more →SMS at events: from sign-up to the door
At an event there are three moments where a message is the difference between a smooth day and chaos at the entrance.The confirmation on sign-upWith date, place…
Read more →SMS for staffing agencies: filling roles faster
In temporary staffing, whoever finds a suitable candidate first wins. An email is read hours later; an SMS within minutes.The assignment call-outShort and concr…
Read more →SMS for pharmacies: ready for collection
An order that is ready but not collected blocks space and money. One message solves most of it.The collection messageAs soon as the order comes in. Without ment…
Read more →Sending a survey by SMS: does it work?
SMS gets a higher response rate than email, but only if you keep the question small. A questionnaire by SMS does not work.One questionFor example a score from 1…
Read more →Filling a waiting list with SMS
Every same-day cancellation is a gap you can still fill — but only if you reach somebody within minutes.Why SMS wins hereYou do not have hours. An email is read…
Read more →Why an SMS gets read faster than any other message
SMS has one property no other channel has: nothing sits between the sender and the screen.No filter, no algorithmEmail passes a spam filter and an inbox with ta…
Read more →Payment reminders by SMS: is it allowed and does it work?
An SMS gets read where a reminder letter sits on the pile. But the tone decides whether you get paid or lose a customer.What is allowedA payment reminder is not…
Read more →Communicating a delivery window that holds
A time window you do not meet is worse than no window at all. The customer plans their day around it.Choose the width honestlyA two-hour window you meet is wort…
Read more →How do you connect SMS without programming?
Not every integration needs a developer. For most standard systems an automation platform is enough.How it worksYou pick an event in one system — a new row in a…
Read more →Staff scheduling by SMS: what works and what does not
For staff without a fixed workplace, SMS is often the only channel that works. But it is not a scheduling system.What it works forShort-notice changes, a call-o…
Read more →Telling customers about an outage before they call
During an outage the first cost does not come from the outage but from the phone calls. Whoever notifies first keeps their service standing.Send before they cal…
Read more →What is a webhook and why is it better than polling?
With an API your system asks: has that message arrived yet? With a webhook it is turned around — you are notified as soon as something changes.Why that is bette…
Read more →Does a birthday campaign by SMS work?
A birthday message gets a high response rate, for a simple reason: it is the only commercial message that feels welcome at that moment.Why it worksIt is persona…
Read more →Reactivating dormant customers with SMS
Winning a customer back costs less than finding a new one. SMS works for it because it gets read, but the approach decides whether it feels intrusive.Pick the r…
Read more →How do you schedule an SMS for later?
Preparing messages in advance does not only save work, it also improves the result — because you pick the right moment instead of the moment you happen to have…
Read more →Asking for reviews by SMS without being pushy
Reviews rarely arrive by themselves. Asking works, but the moment and the wording decide whether you get a review or an irritation.Ask shortly after the experie…
Read more →A loyalty card through SMS
A paper loyalty card gets lost. A programme running on the phone number does not — and you immediately know who your regular customers are.How it worksThe numbe…
Read more →What do you send when you are the one cancelling?
If you have to cancel, your message decides whether the customer understands or gives up on you. Four elements belong in it.ImmediatelyThe longer you wait, the…
Read more →Asking for a phone number on your form: how to do it well
The quality of your list is decided at the moment somebody types their number. Four things remove most of the errors there.Validate immediatelyCheck the format…
Read more →Why does an SMS never land in spam, and what gets filtered instead?
SMS has no spam folder. That does not mean nothing is filtered — it simply happens earlier in the chain, and more quietly.Where the filtering happensAt the oper…
Read more →How many SMS per month is too many?
There is no number, but there is a signal that tells you when you have gone past it.The signalYour opt-out rate per campaign. If it stays stable, you are fine.…
Read more →How do you format phone numbers correctly?
Most delivery problems with international sending are not network problems but format problems.The international formatCountry code, then the number without the…
Read more →Shortening a link in an SMS: why and how
An ordinary web address easily takes up a third of your message. Shortening it solves two things at once.SpaceA long link with parameters can cost sixty charact…
Read more →What is SIM hosting and when do you need it?
With SIM hosting your SIM card sits in a data centre instead of in a device at the office. Messages arriving on that number land in your platform.The problem it…
Read more →How do you forecast your SMS budget?
Surprises on an SMS invoice rarely come from the rate and almost always from the volume or the message length.Count messages, not sendsA campaign to 5,000 peopl…
Read more →How many SMS can you send per second?
With a campaign to ten thousand people the question is not whether it will work but how long it takes — and whether that matters.What determines the speedNot yo…
Read more →How long should you keep SMS logs?
Logs are useful in disputes and required for certain accountability. But they contain personal data, and keeping them forever is not an option.What you need the…
Read more →What belongs in a data processing agreement for SMS?
If you send SMS containing personal data through a provider, that provider is a processor and an agreement should exist. Four points determine whether it is wor…
Read more →What is an SMS conversation and why is it more than a list?
Anyone who both sends and receives replies quickly hits a problem: separate messages in chronological order, in which nobody can see which reply belongs to what…
Read more →Implementing two-factor authentication with SMS
The technology is simple; the details decide whether it is both secure and usable.The codeSix digits is enough. Generate with a real random source, not with a t…
Read more →When do you use WhatsApp instead of SMS?
WhatsApp and SMS look alike but follow very different rules. The choice depends less on what you want to send than on what you are allowed to send.The differenc…
Read more →What is SMS pumping and how do you spot it?
In SMS pumping, somebody has verification codes sent en masse to numbers in expensive destinations, in order to earn a share of the traffic. You pay the bill.Ho…
Read more →Do you have to register your sender name per country?
More and more countries require an alphanumeric sender to be registered in advance. Without registration your message is refused or delivered from an unknown nu…
Read more →Voice message or SMS: when does calling work better?
With a voice message a number is called and your text is read aloud. For most uses SMS is better, but there are exceptions where calling wins.When calling winsO…
Read more →How do you monitor a server with SMS alerts?
Monitoring that only emails does not work outside office hours. SMS does — but only if you keep the alerts strict.The real problem is not technicalMost monitori…
Read more →What is an HLR lookup and what can you do with it?
An HLR lookup asks the mobile network whether a number exists and is active — without sending a message.What you get backWhether the number exists, which networ…
Read more →How do you monitor your own SMS sending?
Most SMS problems are only noticed when a customer calls. Three figures are enough to know sooner.1. Volume against expectationIf you normally send a hundred me…
Read more →How do you set up an SMS campaign with a keyword?
In an inbound campaign the customer takes the initiative: they send a word to a number and get something back. That works on posters, packaging and radio, where…
Read more →Can you A/B test with SMS?
Yes, but the limited space means fewer variables to test and more discipline required.Test one thing at a timeThe offer, or the wording, or the timing. Changing…
Read more →Connecting SMS to your CRM: where do you start?
A connection with your CRM returns the most when you decide up front exactly what needs to be recorded.Decide what comes backOnly that a message was sent, or th…
Read more →Sending SMS from your scheduling software
Reminders somebody has to set up by hand get forgotten in busy weeks — exactly when they return the most.Let the event send the messageNot a person pressing a b…
Read more →How do you choose an SMS provider?
The price per message is the easiest to compare and says the least. Six other things determine whether you stay satisfied.1. The routesDirect operator connectio…
Read more →Switching to a different SMS provider: how does it go?
Replacing an SMS integration is usually simpler than feared, apart from three points.Your sender nameIt is not automatically transferable. In countries with reg…
Read more →What does an SLA for SMS actually mean?
A percentage on paper says little without the definitions underneath it. Four questions make clear what you are buying.What does the percentage cover?The availa…
Read more →What are SMS subaccounts and when do you need them?
Subaccounts split one account into separated parts, each with its own access and its own figures.When it becomes usefulAs soon as more than one department or lo…
Read more →Should you translate SMS into the customer's language?
In Belgium this is not a luxury but a basic expectation. The question is how to keep it manageable.Store the language with the contactDo not infer it from the p…
Read more →How do you make opting out run smoothly?
Opting out looks like the part you would rather keep small. In practice it decides whether your channel keeps working in the long run.Why a hard opt-out costs m…
Read more →What does an SMS abroad cost?
International rates vary widely, and the difference is bigger than people expect. Three things determine what you pay.1. The countryWithin Europe the rates are…
Read more →How do you write a 160-character SMS that works?
At 160 characters every word counts. Five rules get the most out of that space.1. Say who you are, in one wordRecognition first. Anyone who cannot immediately s…
Read more →Why testing on your own number is not enough
Almost everybody tests on one device. That misses exactly the errors that make a campaign expensive.Test across networksDelivery differs per operator. One devic…
Read more →