Since its inception, Zoho Voice has been helping businesses manage calls with ease. We're thrilled to announce that we have added one more communication channel so you can effectively engage with your prospects and customers.
Did you know that SMS messages have an open rate of more than 95% and a response rate of over 45%, compared to email's corresponding figures of 20% and 5%? This finding is derived from multiple surveys. Clearly, SMS is a better way to engage with prospects and customers, and the messages won't pile up in the user's inbox like emails.
Zoho Voice provides voice and SMS services in the same window, and this can help your agents be more agile. For now, Zoho Voice supports only two-way conversational SMS messaging so you can have chat-like SMS conversations with your contacts, one at a time. We do not support bulk SMS yet, but we'll keep you posted about this feature so you can run SMS campaigns too.
Excited to try our SMS service? Create your account and start SMS messaging.
How to send an SMS message with Zoho Voice
Sending an SMS message with Zoho Voice is as easy as it gets. Simply navigate to the SMS tab and click New SMS. Select the number from which you want to send the message and the number you want to contact. Then, enter the message and click Send. You will receive the reply in the same SMS chat tab.
Two-way SMS
To send and receive an SMS message using the same number each time, you'll need to purchase a Local, Personal, or Personal Unlimited number (US and Canadian numbers only) from the Numbers page and create a request to enable SMS functionality for it. Select the purchased number as the sender ID to send SMS messages using that number. Recipients can reply back to this number. While this feature is available only for local usage within the USA and Canada at this time, we plan to extend our two-way SMS services worldwide for all tier-1 countries.
One-way SMS
Zoho Voice allows you to send one-way SMS messages to any country using the US and Canadian Local, Personal, or Personal Unlimited numbers. The recipients receive the SMS from a random short code or long code number, and it is automatically chosen based on the destination country. Please note that your recipients cannot reply back to this SMS.
You can also initiate an SMS conversation from the Contacts module by clicking the Send SMS button next to any phone number.
Character limit
The character limit for one SMS message is 500. If you need to send an SMS message with more than 500 characters, you need to send them separately. SMS rates are based on the number of parts you send.
SMS best practices
Introduce yourself
If you're texting someone for the first time, add a brief note of what your business is all about so recipients have an idea of who they're dealing with.
Get consent first
If you're sending out marketing content, check that your recipients would like to receive such messages. Give them the option to opt out, and make sure you don't send them marketing SMS messages if they choose to do so.
Time your texts right
Text your prospects or customers only during normal business hours. Keep their time zones in mind. This boosts your chance of getting a reply.
Keep it short
As the name suggests, Short Message Service (SMS) is suited for short messages. The character limit for a single SMS is 500. Even though you can send multiple parts of 500 characters, it is advisable to limit your texts to one part (i.e., 500 characters).
Reply quickly
When prospects or customers send you an SMS message, don't keep them waiting for too long. Send replies immediately so you can keep the conversation smooth.
Be professional
Remember to use professional language. Avoid using casual acronyms, and don't forget to double-check for any typos.
SMS feature availability and pricing
SMS messaging is supported in all our plans. However, you need to purchase an SMS supporting number from the US or Canada, and then create a request to enable SMS service. SMS service can also be enabled for your existing US and Canadian Local, Personal, and Personal Unlimited numbers.
- SMS services are available for US and Canadian numbers only.
- SMS services are not available for US and Canadian Toll-free numbers.
- For Personal Numbers, only inbound calls are free. Charges are applicable for SMS services.
- For Personal Unlimited Numbers, both inbound and outbound calls are unlimited. Charges are applicable for SMS services.
- Enabling SMS services for Ported numbers may take up to 7 business days.
USA
Send: 0.009 credit/SMS* (inclusive of all extra carrier charges)
Receive: 0.007 credit/SMS*
Canada
Send: 0.015 credit/SMS* (inclusive of all extra carrier charges)
Receive: 0.007 credit/SMS*
Number rental
USA local number: one credit/month
Canada local number: one credit/month
Global one-way SMS
Send: 0.05 credit/SMS*
Receive: service not available
* Mentioned rates are for one part of SMS with 500 characters.
Note: one credit = one USD
Plan Availability
SMS Services are available under all plans under the Business Phone and the EnterpriseTelephony edition except the free Solo Plan. However, the SMS services can be availed under the Solo plan that includes additional users.
Feature | Business Phone | Enterprise Telephony | |||||
Solo | Team | Office | Corporate | Basic | Standard | Contact Center | |
SMS Services | ✗* | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
* - Available only for accounts with additional users.
Log in to your account now, and try sending SMS messages to your prospects and customers. Make yourself easily reachable and provide a pleasant customer experience.
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