Comments on: Part two: the business of SMS Couponing http://blog.jwegener.com/2009/06/25/part-two-the-business-of-sms-couponing/ Jonathan Wegener's Technology/Marketing Blog Fri, 12 Feb 2010 22:34:04 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Jonathan Wegener http://blog.jwegener.com/2009/06/25/part-two-the-business-of-sms-couponing/comment-page-1/#comment-436 Jonathan Wegener Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:47:40 +0000 http://blog.jwegener.com/?p=382#comment-436 What you're missing is how to get anyone to care. How do you get couponees to your site? How do you get couponers to your site? Without a significant number of both there's no value to the site -- getting over that critical mass hump would be brutal and take significant upfront investment in marketing efforts. What you're missing is how to get anyone to care. How do you get couponees to your site? How do you get couponers to your site? Without a significant number of both there's no value to the site — getting over that critical mass hump would be brutal and take significant upfront investment in marketing efforts.

]]> By: Jackson Stout http://blog.jwegener.com/2009/06/25/part-two-the-business-of-sms-couponing/comment-page-1/#comment-160 Jackson Stout Mon, 03 Aug 2009 22:18:41 +0000 http://blog.jwegener.com/?p=382#comment-160 What about a service that connects businesses (couponers) and couponees. You provide an interface for both couponers and couponees to sign up. Couponers send their coupon to their couponees through your site and pay per sms? <br><br>I'm sure there is someone doing this - basically aweber for sms. Surely seems like it scales.<br><br>What am I missing? Thanks. What about a service that connects businesses (couponers) and couponees. You provide an interface for both couponers and couponees to sign up. Couponers send their coupon to their couponees through your site and pay per sms?

I'm sure there is someone doing this – basically aweber for sms. Surely seems like it scales.

What am I missing? Thanks.

]]> By: Jonathan Wegener http://blog.jwegener.com/2009/06/25/part-two-the-business-of-sms-couponing/comment-page-1/#comment-150 Jonathan Wegener Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:16:16 +0000 http://blog.jwegener.com/?p=382#comment-150 But could you build a scalable business on the back of it? But could you build a scalable business on the back of it?

]]> By: Ashish http://blog.jwegener.com/2009/06/25/part-two-the-business-of-sms-couponing/comment-page-1/#comment-149 Ashish Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:50:15 +0000 http://blog.jwegener.com/?p=382#comment-149 Why not use TextMarks.com? The user experience is a tad clunkier than email or using your own shortcode, but it's free. Why not use TextMarks.com? The user experience is a tad clunkier than email or using your own shortcode, but it's free.

]]> By: Ron Gejman http://blog.jwegener.com/2009/06/25/part-two-the-business-of-sms-couponing/comment-page-1/#comment-148 Ron Gejman Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:13:01 +0000 http://blog.jwegener.com/?p=382#comment-148 Interesting. I wasn't running into any limits on AT&T and Verizon on my (albeit limited) reminders sent from <a href="http://www.proddr.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.proddr.com</a> (not currently working - I've stopped developing it). Interesting. I wasn't running into any limits on AT&T and Verizon on my (albeit limited) reminders sent from http://www.proddr.com (not currently working – I've stopped developing it).

]]> By: Jonathan Wegener http://blog.jwegener.com/2009/06/25/part-two-the-business-of-sms-couponing/comment-page-1/#comment-147 Jonathan Wegener Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:11:11 +0000 http://blog.jwegener.com/?p=382#comment-147 Hey Ron,<br>I found that the SMS <-> Email worked well the first time you send an email. But that's it. A second email attempt would be delayed for hours or days. So if there was an upper limit, it seemed to be about, well, one.<br><br>Either way, we're talking about a hack, not a true scalable solution. You can't build a VC-backed company on a technology hack like this.<br><br>One thing I find really interesting is companies using push notification on the iPhone as a way of getting around SMS fees: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/aols-aim-iphone-app-is-getting-awesome-disruptive-to-att-2009-6" rel="nofollow">http://www.businessinsider.com/aols-aim-iphone-...</a> Hey Ron,
I found that the SMS <-> Email worked well the first time you send an email. But that's it. A second email attempt would be delayed for hours or days. So if there was an upper limit, it seemed to be about, well, one.

Either way, we're talking about a hack, not a true scalable solution. You can't build a VC-backed company on a technology hack like this.

One thing I find really interesting is companies using push notification on the iPhone as a way of getting around SMS fees: http://www.businessinsider.com/aols-aim-iphone-...

]]> By: Ron Gejman http://blog.jwegener.com/2009/06/25/part-two-the-business-of-sms-couponing/comment-page-1/#comment-146 Ron Gejman Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:11:05 +0000 http://blog.jwegener.com/?p=382#comment-146 Ah, so the way you solve that problem is to only email your users from an email address that is traceable. By this I mean, say you need to SMS a user with user ID 10535. You SMS them from <a href="mailto:user-10535@yourdomain.com" rel="nofollow">user-10535@yourdomain.com</a>. When they SMS or email you back, the email will go to <a href="mailto:user-10535@yourdomain.com" rel="nofollow">user-10535@yourdomain.com</a> and you can see exactly who the user was. Ah, so the way you solve that problem is to only email your users from an email address that is traceable. By this I mean, say you need to SMS a user with user ID 10535. You SMS them from user-10535@yourdomain.com. When they SMS or email you back, the email will go to user-10535@yourdomain.com and you can see exactly who the user was.

]]> By: Jonathan Wegener http://blog.jwegener.com/2009/06/25/part-two-the-business-of-sms-couponing/comment-page-1/#comment-145 Jonathan Wegener Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:06:31 +0000 http://blog.jwegener.com/?p=382#comment-145 Thanks for the comment Ramsey. I didn't have any issues with figuring out the carrier because I just used teleflip. Ie you can email any number at <a href="http://teleflip.com" rel="nofollow">teleflip.com</a> and it routes it correctly (not sure if they're still in business: <a href="http://gigaom.com/2008/08/12/teleflip-has-flipped-for-good/" rel="nofollow">http://gigaom.com/2008/08/12/teleflip-has-flipp...</a> ). There was an issue the other way though -- emails from users would have rather random email addresses that often didn't contain their phone numbers in them. So it was hard to match up with the existing users in the database.<br><br>Interesting idea of using college students/interns. In-person sales is one of the few things that can't be offshored cheaply. But using interns...now we're onto something! Thanks for the comment Ramsey. I didn't have any issues with figuring out the carrier because I just used teleflip. Ie you can email any number at teleflip.com and it routes it correctly (not sure if they're still in business: http://gigaom.com/2008/08/12/teleflip-has-flipp... ). There was an issue the other way though — emails from users would have rather random email addresses that often didn't contain their phone numbers in them. So it was hard to match up with the existing users in the database.

Interesting idea of using college students/interns. In-person sales is one of the few things that can't be offshored cheaply. But using interns…now we're onto something!

]]> By: Ron Gejman http://blog.jwegener.com/2009/06/25/part-two-the-business-of-sms-couponing/comment-page-1/#comment-144 Ron Gejman Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:01:50 +0000 http://blog.jwegener.com/?p=382#comment-144 But actually, that's not even necessary: <a href="http://www.seabreezecomputers.com/tips/phone.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.seabreezecomputers.com/tips/phone.htm</a> But actually, that's not even necessary: http://www.seabreezecomputers.com/tips/phone.htm

]]> By: Ron Gejman http://blog.jwegener.com/2009/06/25/part-two-the-business-of-sms-couponing/comment-page-1/#comment-143 Ron Gejman Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:40:50 +0000 http://blog.jwegener.com/?p=382#comment-143 Ah, I had the benefit of being able to ask my users who their provider was. Ah, I had the benefit of being able to ask my users who their provider was.

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