10 reasons building custom SMS infrastructure is bad for business
Building custom SMS API infrastructure to manage customer messaging streams can be an enormous, complicated, and expensive process that requires serious manpower and time to get right.
So if the company you own or work for as a marketing, CX, or tech leader is thinking about developing a custom messaging API to connect all SMS channels together, read this blog first.
Why? Because now, building custom messaging systems no longer has to be the case for B2C businesses, thanks to innovative no-code SMS API platforms, like Grambell.
Before you start investing a ton of time, money, and resources into your custom messaging system, it’s important to consider the drawbacks and risks of doing so.
So, in this blog, we’ve compiled the top 10 disadvantages of building custom SMS API infrastructure, so you know what you’re potentially getting yourself into.
Let’s get started!
#1 Custom SMS systems are time-consuming
Did you know that it takes at least 5 months for your team to develop, set up, and launch your custom SMS API infrastructure? That’s 20 weeks of them concentrating on your SMS API product rather than other business priorities.
On the contrary, setting up your SMS API infrastructure using a no-code SMS API platform takes just a matter of weeks. It requires fewer employees, time, and resources to set up and causes minimum disruption to your business functions.
#2 You have to pay for multiple teams
When building a custom SMS system for your business, you’ll need to source and hire a qualified team of coding specialists, web developers, and app developers to create the custom SMS API system.
Additionally, you’ll need to source and hire another team to manage operations, market research, and vendor negotiations. Hiring these professionals can rack up quite the bill. With a no-code SMS API, you pay for the platform rather than each employee.
#3 You have to pay for multiple tools
When developing a custom SMS API system, your developer will likely need to invest in a number of automation, RFP, and fallback tools to ensure your business messaging system works as it should across several countries.
The no-code SMS API platform offers an all-in-one solution that eliminates the need to pay for subscriptions or licences to several tools, software, and messaging platforms – making it the more cost-effective option.
#4 Price comparison isn’t straightforward
If you want to use WhatsApp, SMS or any other channel for your business, you have to put in the time to perform market research, ask for quotes, and compare pricing. This process can be tricky to navigate and takes a long time.
In comparison to a custom SMS API infrastructure, a no-code communications API platform, like Grambell allows you to quickly compare multiple SMS providers in multiple countries around the globe to find the best price.
#5 Building a custom SMS API is complicated
Building a custom API messaging system from scratch is a highly complex process that requires very experienced coders to get it right. Even with the best talent on your team, a lot can go wrong with this complicated build, especially across several global locations.
Grambell’s no-code alternative allows you to send messages to customers across the world using a simple drag-and-drop system. You can also use templates or a building flow form to make tailoring your SMS system to your business needs easy.
#6 Custom SMS APIs have limited functionality
Typically, your custom SMS API infrastructure will be very limited by your GSM modem capabilities. In many cases, developers are only able to perform specific SMS functions, such as message sending and receiving.
With Grambell, our business SMS API software offers many more features to modern businesses from one place, like our pricing catalogue, message routing tool, automated message capabilities, and centralised reporting system.
#7 You face greater risks with a custom SMS API
Custom SMS API infrastructure often uses an open-source bulk SMS gateway, which can crash, get hacked, and face severe network issues. These problems can lead to hackers using your SMS to scam customers.
Our ready-made SMS API platform completely removes this risk, as we have anti-spam, anti-fraud, and anti-bugging safety features that catch and resolve problems before they affect your SMS system.
#8 Custom SMS systems face delivery issues
When using an SMS API system that needs good network coverage to reach customers across the world, you will likely encounter issues with message deliveries, delayed message sends, or customers receiving texts twice.
Going the non-custom SMS API route with Grambell ensures that if one messaging network isn’t performing, our platform will automatically reroute your messages to a different provider, so customers always receive your communications.
#9 It’s difficult to keep track of all SMS platforms
When you have multiple messaging platforms and tools on-the-go for your business, it can be very difficult to track performance, results, and SMS delivery metrics. This makes it challenging to extract insights across multiple providers.
However, a no-code solution like Grambell provides a unified reporting system that collates data from all your SMS providers into one place to see performance across all countries and platforms at a glance.
#10 You can’t integrate all SMS messaging providers
Developing integrations between different SMS platform integrations can be challenging and sometimes impossible. And when SMS platforms aren’t connecting, you miss out on essential data and automation opportunities.
With Grambell, you can choose and integrate the SMS network providers that best suit your business at the click of a button, making connecting all your business communications easier than ever.
Interested in trying our SMS API platform for your business?
We hope this blog has helped you understand the challenges, risks, and drawbacks you face when building a custom SMS API. Instead of wasting endless hours, resources, and money on a custom build, Grambell does all the hard work for you.
Our innovative no-code messaging platform helps you quickly compare and connect global messaging providers with one simple API. But it doesn’t just deliver your messages on time, every time.
Grambell also lets you pull your reports from multiple SMS providers into one easy-to-analyse place, makes automated message flows simple, and allows you to set up fallbacks to eliminate message delivery failures.
If you’d like to see how Grambell can help your business and save $40-45 / 15-30% per million messages, register today.
