Virtual Office Resource

People tend to prefer texting. Given that, and the fact that texts have high open and response rates, businesses are now increasingly use this channel to communicate with their customers. And tools that enable SMS are getting better all the time.

For example, business text application provider Zipwhip recently introduced Zipwhip 2.0. This new version has been enhanced with the addition of conversation filters and an emoji keyboard. Zipwhip 2.0 also features group texting, a mark as unread function, message templates, and personalization tools.

It enables picture messaging, has a quick search function, and allows for scheduled texts. Plus, there’s no limit on contact import with Zipwhip 2.0. And in the year ahead, Zipwhip says it will introduce additional innovations in the MMS, RCS, and SMS arenas.

Businesses can use their existing landline, toll-free phone number, or VoIP services with Zipwhip.

Delivering these services has apparently been a winning strategy for Zipwhip, as the Seattle-based company recently increased its employee count to 200. And in September, it raised $22.5 million in a Series C round.

Raine Bergstrom, Zipwhip’s new senior vice president of product, says “it’s been incredibly exciting to be a part of a company that’s at the forefront of these trends and introducing this technology to businesses of all sizes. Our innovations and improvements stem from putting the user first. We’re optimizing our revolutionary software to provide benefits that speak directly to the businesses that use our product.”

Here are a few stats on SMS, according to this multisource infographic:

• 80 percent of people use texting for business

• 90 percent of mobile phones are SMS capable

• 98 percent of text messages that are sent are read

• Text messaging has a 45 percent response rate. (It’s just 6 percent for email.)

• It takes just 90 seconds on average for a people to respond to a text. (For email that metric is 90 minutes.)