How to Integrate Text and Phone Messaging with your Website

How to Integrate Text
and Phone Messaging
with Your Website

by Cindy Cullen
cindycullen.com
Programming since 1983
Building websites since 1999
Freelance web developer since 2003
Cell phone user since they were too big to carry
Taught Computers to children and adults – Online,
Homeschool co-ops, Elementary School, Junior High,
High School, College, Seminars

Images courtesy of vectorolie / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

We tried…
“We need phone calls and text messages”
Email Mobile Apps

Image courtesy of zirconicusso /
FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Short Codes
O Five digit number
O About $1000+/month
O Long application approval process

Shared Short Codes
O Buy Keyword(s) – about $25/month
O Phone numbers – about $3/month
O Voice – about $0.05/minute
O Text - about $0.05/minute
O Bulk Monthly plans usually available

Mass Text
Database of phone numbers
Opening today at 3pm
Openingtodayat3pm

Web Meets Messaging with
10 digit phone numbers
O Twilio
O Tropo
O Plivo
O Nexmo

How it Works
O Buy Phone Number (or short code)
O Receive messages on my website
O Call or Text that number
O Twilio/Tropo/Plivo/Nexmo sends the message to
my URL
O My website processes the message and
responds (usually with XML)
O Send messages from my website
O My website sends instructions to that number
using a provided library and API

Pricing
O Phone Numbers
O $0.80/month - $3/month (Avg. $1/month)
O Voice
O Inbound $0.0050/min – $0.03/min (Avg.
$0.01/min)
O Outbound $0.0130/min – $0.03/min (Avg.
$0.02/min)
O SMS
O Inbound Free – $0.01/msg (Avg $0.0075/msg)
O Outbound $0.0065/msg - $0.01/msg (Avg.
$0.0075/msg)

Twilio
O Average pricing
O Great documentation
O Great tutorials
O Subaccounts
O Analytics
O Developer tools
O Triggers
O Easiest to get up and running for ME

require "Services/Twilio.php";
$AccountSid = “Bxxxxxxx”;
$AuthToken = “2xxxxxxxx";
$client = new Services_Twilio($AccountSid, $AuthToken);
$twilio_number = “615-555-0123”;
If ($_POST[‘From’] == $twilio_number) {
$body =;
$users = get_users('meta_key=phone');
$special_chars = array("-","(",")");
foreach ($users as $user) {
$phone = '+1'.str_replace($special_chars,"",get_user_meta($user->ID, 'phone', true));
$numbers[] = $phone;
}
foreach ($numbers as $number) {
$sms = $client->account->messages->sendMessage($twilio_number, $number,
$_POST[‘Body’]);
}
} else {
// Process user message
}

Respond to Text
<?php
header(“content-type: text/xml”);
echo “<?xml version=”1.0” encoding=”UTF-8”
?>n”;
?>
<Response>
<Message>Thanks <?php echo $name ?> for
your response.</Message>
</Response>

CloneMeServices.com
Dial 1 for
emergency
Dial 2 to leave a message
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles /FreeDigitalPhotos.net

When the number is called…
<?php date_default_timezone_set('America/Chicago');
header("content-type: text/xml");
echo "<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>n";
if (date("H") > '20') : // time later than 9PM? ?>
<Response>
<Gather action="/user-input" numDigits="1">
<Say>Welcome to Clone Me Services.</Say>
<Say>If this is an emergency please press 1</Say>
<Say>Otherwise, please press2</Say>
</Gather>
<Say>Sorry, I didn't get your response.</Say>
<Redirect>/phone</Redirect>
</Response>
<?php else: ?> // time before 9PM, just forward
<Response>
<Dial>+12707916649</Dial>
</Response>
<?php endif; ?>

User presses number…
<?php // if the caller pressed anything but 1 or 2 send them back
if($_REQUEST['Digits'] != '1' and $_REQUEST['Digits'] != '2') {
header("Location: /phone");
die;
}
// otherwise, if 1 was pressed we Dial CloneMeServices. If 2 we make an audio
recording up to 30 seconds long.
echo "<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>n”; ?>
<Response>
<?php if ($_REQUEST['Digits'] == '1') { ?>
<Dial>+16155551111</Dial>
<Say>The call failed or the remote party hung up. Goodbye.</Say>
<?php } elseif ($_REQUEST['Digits'] == '2') { ?>
<Say>Record your message after the tone.</Say>
<Record maxLength="30" action="/after-recording" />
<?php } ?>
</Response>

After the recording…
<?php
echo "<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>n";
?>
<Response>
<Say>Thanks for your message.
Goodbye.</Say>
</Response>

Applications
O Appointment Reminders
O Call Queue’s – matching callers and
agents
O Call Screening – find a live body to
answer
O Call Metrics
O Click to Call – button on website (calls to
or from browsers or mobile devices
$0.0025/min)
O Automated Phone System

More Applications
O Conference Calls
O Phone Polls
O Voice Broadcast
O Voicemail
O Voice Transcription
O Audio Recording from your Website
O Browser Phone
O Browser to Browser Calls

And More!
O Group Chat
O Text to Speech
O SMS notifications
O SMS from a call
O MMS (some may support – only on short
codes with twilio)

Who Will Want This?
O Doctors
O Dentists
O Hair and Nail Salons
O Massage Therapists
O Other Professional Services
O Marketers (careful with bulk messaging!)
O Dry Cleaners
O Restaurants

Who Can Use this?
O Schools
O Clubs and Groups
O Churches
O Political Groups
O Fitness Centers & Sports Clubs
O Anybody!

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