Comprehensive Guide to Business Online Texting

Email marketing can be enormously frustrating.

You spend ages crafting the perfect email, and then, after you click send, you notice that:

• Only 35.63% of your database opens it
• A measly 2.5% clicks on a link

And this means that, unless you have an enormous database and/or expensive products, you'll end up struggling with lower than expected ROIs.

But chin up, because there's a (not so secret) solution to your problems: text messaging. And to be specific, online text messaging.

It's not a new kid on the block — the first SMS was sent back in 1992. But it's only recently started causing a commotion as one of the hottest sales & marketing mediums.

Intrigued?

Interested in learning the whole nine yards, from online texting's definition all the way to the best business SMS software on the market?

Is that a "hell yeah" we hear?

Fantastic, it would have been a pity to leave this guide unopened and unread after all the hard work we put into it.

So buckle up, set your cell phone to "Do Not Disturb" or "Airplane" mode, and get ready to learn all about online texting.

What is Business Online Texting?

Online texting refers to the activity of sending an SMS message via the internet from a computer to another device (which could be a mobile phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop).

It's that simple — the only difference between regular texting and online texting is the presence of a computer in the equation.

But why bother using a computer to text when you already have a smartphone in your pocket?

1. Thanks to templates, merge tags, scheduling, and audience management, sending texts is a far more efficient process with computers.
2. You're able to centralize all your customer communication in one single location.
3. You benefit from automatization (i.e., drip campaigns triggered by user behavior).
4. It's possible to view your SMS messages across all your devices, including your smartphone.

That's a big step up from using an iPhone to text, and a colossal one if you recall how businesses texted in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Source

Boy, oh boy, aren't you glad T9 is gone?

How Does Business Text Messaging Online Work in 2025?

Online texting for businesses has become simpler, smarter, and more impactful. Here's how:

1. Choose a Reliable Software Provider: Find a trusted platform that lets you send and receive text messages online securely. Modern tools not only allow you to send SMS but also integrate with your CRM for seamless communication. Avoid using free, unsecured services to ensure data protection and compliance.
2. Upload Your Opt-In Contact List: Import your database of leads and customers into your chosen software. Remember, all contacts must have explicitly opted in to receive messages—this is a legal and ethical must.
3. Create Customized SMS Templates: Personalization is key to engagement. Use the platform to design templates for different scenarios, such as promotional offers, appointment reminders, or a welcome series for new leads. Automation tools can help you send these messages at scale.
4. Secure a Dedicated Business Number: Obtain a local or toll-free phone number for your business. Some platforms even allow branded sender IDs for added credibility in regions that support them.
5. Enable Mobile Management: Set up text forwarding or download the software's app to manage responses on the go. This ensures you stay responsive to your customers, no matter where you are.
6. Leverage Advanced Scheduling Features: Schedule texts based on user behavior, such as signing up for a newsletter, visiting your checkout page, or at optimal times for engagement. Modern online text messaging tools often include AI-powered recommendations to improve timing.
7. Measure and Optimize with Analytics: Use built-in analytics to track open rates, response rates, and campaign performance. This data helps you refine your strategy, improving outcomes over time.

Why Is Online Text Messaging Essential to Businesses?

Excellent question — we got so lost in the "what" and "how" that we almost forgot to tell you why you should care about online texting.

1. Improved Customer Engagement

Engaging with your audience has never been easier. With online text messaging, businesses can connect directly with customers on a personal level. SMS feels intimate and conversational, fostering stronger relationships and increasing brand loyalty. Personalized messaging further boosts engagement, making customers feel valued.

2. Higher Open Rates (Compared to Email)

Text messages are opened and read more frequently than emails. While email open rates hover around 20–30%, SMS boasts an incredible 98% open rate. For businesses, this means your messages are almost guaranteed to be seen, making text message online campaigns highly effective for time-sensitive offers or updates.

3. Cost Efficiency

Online texting is cost-effective, especially for small businesses. It eliminates the need for expensive hardware or physical mailers. Many online text messaging tools offer affordable subscription plans, making it easy to scale communication as your business grows.

4. Real-Time Communication

With text free online send and receive text messages tools, businesses can provide instant updates and receive immediate responses. This is crucial for time-sensitive matters like appointment reminders, delivery updates, or resolving customer queries quickly. The ability to communicate in real-time enhances customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

Top 8 Online Texting Tips for Marketing and Sales

1. Always, Always Get Permission Before Texting

Step one in any online texting campaign should be ensuring you're on the right side of the privacy and data protection laws.

You definitely don't want to get slapped with hefty fines by regulators.

And no, claiming ignorance won't help you. You need to do the homework; it's part of your job as a salesperson and/or marketer.

Where should you start from? By making sure:

• You obtain explicit consent from customers before you text them (i.e., via an opt-in box on your physical and digital forms).
• It's easy-peasy to opt out of SMS communication.

When it comes to online text messaging, compliance is non-negotiable. Here's what you need to know:

• Always Obtain Explicit Consent: Ensure your customers have provided clear and explicit consent to receive communications.
• Provide Transparency: Clearly explain what your customers are signing up for.
• Allow Easy Opt-Out: Make it simple for recipients to opt out of receiving further messages.
• Keep Records of Consent: Maintain detailed records of when and how consent was given.
• Comply with Regional Regulations: Familiarize yourself with the regulations that apply to your business, such as the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) in the U.S. or GDPR in Europe. Always prioritize the laws relevant to your and your customers' locations.

2. Use a Lead Magnet or an Enticing Offer To Convince People to Opt-in

Since you need to convince people to sign up (or opt-in) for your online text message campaigns, you might as well do it in style.

Give your customers or your leads something that will catch their attention and make them go, "Wow, I really want that!"

Otherwise, they won't magically sign up for your texts — I mean, think about it: would you just give your number away to any odd business?

Didn't think so.

You need to win over their hesitations by applying the WIIFM (What's In It For Me?) principle and offering subscribers something cool like an exclusive offer, member-only promotional codes, or a free video tutorial.

It'll be worth it (as long as you follow through).

3. Keep It Simple: Short, Straightforward, and Customer-Focused

Many marketers and salespeople make the mistake of overcomplicating their online text messaging campaigns. They spend excessive time on complex segmentation, crafting lengthy texts, and creating elaborate automation sequences. However, a simpler approach often yields better results.

Start with the Basics:

• Basic Segmentation: Segment your audience based on relevant factors like product purchased or location.
• Simple Texts: Keep your text messages concise and focused on a single message or call to action.
• Single CTA: Include only one clear call to action per text message.

As your online texting strategy matures, you can gradually introduce more sophisticated techniques, such as advanced personalization. However, it's essential to prioritize simplicity and clarity.

Remember:

• Clean Contact Lists: Maintain a clean and up-to-date contact list to improve deliverability and reduce costs.
• Concise Messages: Keep your text messages short and sweet, avoiding unnecessary jargon or abbreviations.

By adhering to these principles, you can effectively leverage online text messaging to engage your audience and drive results.

4. Personalize, Personalize, Personalize

Texting is one of the most informal and personal forms of communication around.

If you don't believe us, just check your inbox.

What do you see?

Casual chats with family, friends, colleagues, classmates, and the odd message from one of your favorite businesses.

That's a tough crowd to fit in with, especially if you send out impersonal text blasts that start with "Dear customer" or "Dear Mr. Smith" and end with a generic call-to-action about a product they've never even purchased.

So rather than being the uptight guy crashing a university party, be a chameleon.

Say "Hi," use your contact's first name, keep it casual, and personalize the content to match their interests, past orders, or current purchase intentions.

5. Automate, Automate, Automate

The early bird catches the worm, and the first vendor to act makes the sale.

It might sound silly, but it's true in 30-50% of cases.

So what happens when a client drops you a message, and you can't reply because you're stuck in that endless Monday review meeting?

Well, it all depends on whether or not you have an online texting tool with robust automation functionality.

If you do, your virtual assistant will reply to your client and, at the very least, let them know that you'll take care of their inquiry as soon as you can.

If you don't, your client might jump to another faster company. Ouch.

But automation isn't just helpful in saving you in a pinch; it's also great for:

• Sending reminders
• Running drip campaigns for leads and ex-clients
• Using client behavioral as a trigger for a personalized text

6. Ask People What They Think with SMS Surveys

SMS messages are the best and easiest way to collect feedback from your clients.

Come on, what other medium allows you to fully automate this tedious job and still achieve an expected response rate of 45%?

Don't even try answering that one — it's a rhetorical question.

SMS stands head and shoulders above the competition when it comes to surveys.

Expect to be blown away the next time you want to do a bit of customer research.

7. Become an Analytics Ninja

But before you pull your hidden katana out, we have to say, "no, not that kind of ninja."

The type of ninja we're talking about is far more comfortable with spreadsheets, bar charts, and custom reporting dashboards than sharp blades.

And that's exactly what online texting platforms with powerful analytics capabilities (or, in other terms, the good ones) demand.

Someone needs to step up and transform all that data into actionable insights.

How else are you going to track your performance and improve your effectiveness?

Pro tip: run A/B tests to find out which content resonates best with your audience and to...

8. Perfect Timing and Inbox Respect

Timing is crucial for online text messaging, but there's no universal "best time." Use A/B testing and audience insights to find what works for your specific contacts. Start with common sense: text tradespeople early in the morning or parents before school pick-up. Avoid these pitfalls:

• Don't text between 10 PM and 6 AM.
• Avoid top-of-the-hour sends (they're overused).
• Mix up your timing to keep messages feeling personal.

Respect your audience's inboxes by avoiding spammy, pushy texts. Follow the "give, give, give, ask" principle—offer value before making requests. Treat your audience the way you'd want to be treated, and you'll build trust and loyalty.

So "do unto others as you would have them do unto you," and follow the give, give, give, ask principle (offer them three valuable experiences before asking them to do something) to build a positive, trusting relationship with your clients and leads.

Business Texting Messaging Software

Finding the right online texting solution for your business ensures effective communication with customers, prospects, and teams.

Depending on your needs, consider specialized platforms, CRM-integrated tools, or dedicated SMS marketing software.

Specialized Business Messaging Platforms

Business text messaging tools are built for seamless business communication:

• Business Messaging Platforms: Solutions like Twilio, TextMagic, and WhatsApp Business enable businesses to send and receive text messages online. Ideal for one-on-one customer interactions and bulk messaging.
• Customer Support Chat: Features like two-way messaging let businesses resolve customer queries in real-time, either through live agents or chatbot support.

CRM with Texting Capabilities

Many CRM (Customer Relationship Management) platforms, like Ringy, now incorporate online texting features. These tools allow you to:

• Send and Receive Text Messages: Communicate directly with customers from within your CRM.
• Track Interactions: Record all text message conversations and interactions with customers.
• Automate Workflows: Use automation to trigger text messages based on specific events or conditions.

SMS Marketing Software

SMS marketing software specializes in sending bulk text messages for marketing campaigns. These tools offer features like:

• Campaign Creation: Design and schedule text message campaigns.
• A/B Testing: Test different text message variations to optimize results.
• Analytics: Track key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversions.

Online Texting Use Cases

Here are some of the most common online texting use cases:

Conclusion: Start Online Texting Today

Online texting is a powerful tool that enables businesses to engage customers, nurture leads, and streamline communication with teams. From personalized sales messages to efficient customer support, the applications are endless.

By adopting the right tools and strategies, you can unlock the full potential of SMS marketing and elevate your business communication.

Want to take your online texting strategy to the next level? Ringy CRM offers robust SMS marketing capabilities, allowing you to manage campaigns, automate messages, and track results—all in one platform.

Start today with a Ringy demo and experience seamless, effective communication that drives results.