Though the economy has started to show some signs of recovery, the business world is still grappling with the setbacks that arose during 2020. Companies have had to make rapid adjustments to their business as they adapted to the unexpected challenges they faced. For many, this meant adopting or expanding their digital investments in order to support operations and continue engaging with customers virtually. Cloud-based technologies in particular have become go-to resources because they give businesses and their customers the flexibility and scalability that meets their needs.
As these businesses have gotten more comfortable with cloud-based tools in the past 12 months, they may be ready to start expanding their digital toolkit and go deeper with their existing resources to meet their growth metrics. Companies can choose from a few turnkey resources that integrate easily with the tools they’ve mastered to deliver enhanced customer experiences and offer a more modern approach to marketing. Telecom Application Program Interfaces (APIs) are a standout option for achieving these goals.
With telecom APIs, enterprises have the chance to scale and grow their business while they also build resiliency. Telecom APIs can enhance the tools that a company is already using to operate and connect with customers, such as calling, messaging and video chat. Considering that customers’ preferences continue to evolve, APIs are an especially useful tool for meeting changing expectations and demands. Below are a few ways that Telecom APIs can help businesses level up their communications resources and become more customer centric.
Flexible phone numbers
As the past year has demonstrated, the need to be flexible and pivot on a dime is a huge asset in the business world. Using telecom APIs, companies can ensure their communications will be able to adapt quickly in the face of change. If the occasion arises where a business needs to move to a new telecom carrier, the transition process can be made easier with number porting APIs. Number porting APIs allow companies to keep their numbers whenever they change carriers so that they can keep using the numbers their customers are familiar with.
Broader company campaigns can be adjusted using APIs as well. If an advertising campaign needs to be pulled or pivoted for any reason, the phone number can be reused elsewhere or in a future campaign. If there’s a need to scale a channel to meet demand as it ebbs and flows, APIs can make this possible. Ultimately, telecom APIs can give businesses flexibility with their numbers as they navigate different points of transition.
Improving messaging experiences
Customer communication preferences have shifted in recent years as smartphones have become more ubiquitous and tech tools have evolved. Not surprisingly, the rise of text communications has spilled over into the marketing world as customers have embraced this as a way to engage with businesses and brands. Data show that people largely prefer texts over other forms of communication - as more than eight out of ten smartphone users would rather connect via text than email. Customers are also faster to reply to texts, with nine out of 10 people indicating that they read a text within three minutes of receiving it and respond to messages within 90 seconds.
In response to these trends, companies have started incorporating SMS and MMS messages into their cadre of marketing and communications tools. For these companies, messaging APIs can take these investments to the next level. Messaging APIs make SMS and MMS messaging more intelligent and powerful and can be used to send marketing messages to customers once they opt-in to receiving them. Businesses can send discount codes or notify their customers of sales or other promotions via text. Being able to show up where customers are and connect on platforms where they’re ready to engage is crucial to business success, and messaging APIs can be helpful in this regard.
Deeper customer insights
In addition to making communications tools more robust, telecom APIs can create an opportunity to design better customer experiences using data. For example, when a company receives a customer call through a telecom API, it will generate a call detail record (CDR) automatically. The CDR is attached to the inbound calling number and establishes a record or communication. Whenever that customer contacts the company using that number, the company’s support team can access the record and learn important background details that will help them serve the customer better.
Call records can also help companies refine their operational planning to ensure they are equipped to handle surges in support requests. CDRs reveal trends in call volumes or originating locations so businesses can more accurately plan their staffing and resources to support these influxes. On top of that, CDRs help businesses gain visibility into the effectiveness of their service and support teams so they can scale according to customer demand. By ensuring service is readily available, companies will be well on their way to delivering a superior customer experience.
By integrating telecom APIs, enterprises will be able to improve the tools they’re already using, create new ways to engage with customers and drive customer satisfaction through better customer support. Making the most of their tech and communications resources will give businesses an opportunity to lay the groundwork for a successful future.
