SMS Club API: How to Automate Customer Communication

Without an API, short for Application Programming Interface, Internet users do not make a single move, even though they may not realize it. For example, it is through an API that we can send a TikTok video to our grandmother on Viber.

For businesses, an API is an interface that allows different programs to understand each other. It is a technology that solves many tasks, including the automation of processes and customer communication. According to a Change Healthcare study, at least nine out of ten CEOs, CIOs, CTOs, and other executives consider APIs mission-critical for their work.

SMS Club offers a connection to an interface — an SMS API gateway — that allows businesses to send SMS messages automatically, without constant attention from a manager. This gateway works with almost all websites and systems. In addition, integration allows businesses to send SMS messages at a more attractive rate — from about $0.02 per message.

What Is an API and How Does It Work?

An API is sometimes compared to a translator from one language to another. It is a kind of intermediary without which a “match,” or mutual understanding between different parties, would not happen. In this case, the parties in the dialogue are websites, apps, platforms, and so on.

Every online project has its own unique software features. The task of an API is not to change the code, but to ensure that different systems interact correctly through universal protocols. After all, it is easier and cheaper to connect a ready-made solution to your website than to build something similar from scratch.

This is how a website about fishing or hiking routes can show a weather forecast for the next couple of weeks. Real estate repair, rental, or sales services can also have a built-in calculator for estimating the area of a room.

Any converters in any project, instant registration through a convenient social network or email, and synchronization with email senders are also examples of API work.

What Business Opportunities Does SMS API Integration Provide?

There is also a separate public API for SMS campaigns. Private APIs also exist, but in that case, they cannot be found in open access. Learn more about the advantages this specialized interface gives businesses in the article “What Is API Integration.”

In short, it is most often used to automatically send:

• one-time passwords for customer verification;
• order or product reservation confirmations;
• reminders about scheduled visits;
• cash transaction confirmations;
• payment receipts through LiqPay, WayForPay, and similar services;
• information about account balances or bonus points;
• promotional offers;
• SMS messages scheduled for a specific time, such as birthday greetings or greetings for another holiday.

Example: API Protocol for an Online Store Selling Handmade Cosmetics

Given: a store that sells soap, shampoos, and natural skin care products.

For a long time, this small shop sold up to 30 items per month. Because of that, the craftswoman and brand founder personally messaged buyers on Viber to say that “the payment has been received, and here is your tracking number.” It was not stressful and even helped build communication — she found warm words for every customer.

A few years later, the business became stronger, scaled, expanded its product range, and outgrew Instagram. As a result, the company launched a website. All order processing moved there.

Eventually, daily turnover exceeded 10 items and reached up to 30 items per day before holidays. The need arose to automate replies to customers because this part of the work was taking several hours every day.

The solution was to integrate an API into the website’s CRM system. Today, information about cash operations and organizational details is sent to customers automatically, without additional attention from a manager.

Usually, there are three messages:

1. “Hello! Your order No. 11111, ‘August Joy’ Face Cream and ‘Fierce March’ Mask, is already being processed. Thank you for choosing us.”
2. “‘August Joy’ Face Cream and ‘Fierce March’ Mask are in stock. Amount due: $11.25. Here is the payment link.”
3. “Hello. Payment of $11.25 has been received. The planned shipping date is 05.05. Tracking number. Thank you for trusting us with your beauty.”

Messages can be sent to email, Viber, or via SMS. The user chooses the preferred notification method during registration or authorization on the website.

How to Connect an API to SMS Messages

SMS Club provides the ability to integrate API-based text messaging into CRM, e-commerce, and email systems for free. It is important to emphasize that sending the messages themselves is a paid service, and the final cost depends on the planned number of SMS messages per month.

Before setting up the API interface, a business needs to:

1. Check or find out the data encoding format of the project. It should be UTF-8, which is one of the most widely used formats, although it is far from the only one.
2. Approve the specification. There is nothing extraordinary here. API architecture formats differ, so it is better to consult professionals in advance to make sure everything is fine from the start. If something is not fine, they will suggest how the issue can be resolved.
3. Create an Alpha Name if one does not exist yet. An Alpha Name is a unique combination of characters that identifies the sender. For about five years now, advertising messages or calls from a “nameless” phone number have been perceived as suspicious or fraudulent.
4. Prepare your own mailing database. The most convenient option is to organize it in an Excel spreadsheet.

Important Note

It is critically important that the database is your own — not purchased or received “as an inheritance.” If you do not have consent to send promotional messages to these subscribers, this is a direct violation of the law and may result in fines.

Transactional SMS messages do not fall into the “advertising” category and can be sent without consent.

After that, you can start sending campaigns. API technology may seem quite bulky, but the additional link in the chain does not affect the quality or speed of the campaign. The sender also has access to detailed reports and campaign statistics.

In particular, you can see not only “sent” and “received” statuses, but also “delivery time expired,” “unable to send,” and “rejected.” The reasons for errors are also visible, including:

• “input data failed validation”;
• “user not recognized by the system”;
• “program error. Try again later.”

This information is an additional resource for saving advertising budget, because numbers that do not accept your messages for one reason or another are cheaper to remove in time.

Instead of Conclusions

One of the most common fears among new clients is: “What if our mailing database falls into the wrong hands?” It will not. Only you have access to it, and we make sure that it stays that way at all times, because trust in a company is the foundation for growth.

Timely informing customers about payment for goods and shipment of parcels is also one of the components of trust in your business project. Let’s agree: each of us is used to receiving information instantly, and delays in money-related notifications make people nervous and negatively affect reputation.

Thanks to API integration from our service, your customers will receive notifications in a matter of seconds. More precisely, the throughput for sending messages with the SMS Club API is from 30 to 100 messages per second. Contact professionals who can advise you on how to configure this service optimally for your project.

FAQ

What Does API Mean?

API, short for Application Programming Interface, is an interface that allows different programs to understand each other. It is a technology that helps automate many processes, including customer communication.

Why Are APIs Used?

APIs are used so that websites and platforms can quickly understand each other. Every online project has its own unique software features. The task of an API is not to change the code, but to ensure that systems interact correctly through universal protocols.

What Is an API in Simple Terms?

An API can be compared to a translator from one language to another. It is a kind of intermediary without which mutual understanding between different parties would not happen. In this case, the parties are websites, apps, platforms, and so on. APIs are used to send one-time passwords for customer verification, order or product reservation confirmations, reminders about scheduled visits, cash transaction confirmations, and more.