Here is a collection of frequently asked questions at Voyage, separated by topic.
List Building
Where do I install Voyage’s code for my modal pop-up and purchase pixel?
Please see our documentation on Installing the Voyage Global Tag.
How do I update my modal?
If you have uploaded a HTML modal that was designed and developed by Voyage, please contact your customer service rep who will work with you to update your modal. Otherwise you can edit your own modal by downloading and/or editing the HTML source code to customize it as you wish.
How do I adjust my modal settings (e.g. frequency of appearance)?
Go to List Building > Edit Modal. Then click “Settings”. Read more about Modal Settings here. Within this section, you will be able to update all modal settings, including the delay before modal is shown, the amount of time to hide before being shown again, how many pages a visitor must view before modal displayed, and auto-close features. You will also be able to list which pages the modal can be presented on, but Voyage recommends speaking to your customer service rep for assistance on this feature.
What is the minimum resolution requirement for modals?
We would recommend your modal images be at least 1080 x 1080 pixels. This is the best size to balance quality against load times. Read more about requesting a Voyage modal design.
How do I edit the flows (e.g. welcome message) associated with my modal?
Go to List Building > Edit Flow. From here, you will be able to edit all flows. You can read more about the customer opt-in flows here.
I can’t turn toggle the double opt-in feature in my list building opt-ins.
This is an admin only feature so that we can ensure you are always compliant. Please contact your Voyage customer service rep to remove double opt-in or email us at service@voyagesms.com.
I can’t create a new keyword, but I know I am not using this keyword already.
This is happening because you are on a shared short code, and there is a chance another brand on the same shared short code is already using this keyword. You can also purchase a dedicated short code through Twilio.
NOTE: We restrict the number of brands on each short code, so we expect keyword conflicts to be extremely rare!
Drips
If I make changes to the 2nd, 3rd, etc. drip message but someone has already started their journey in a drip, is the pre-edited version sent?
No, your customer will receive the newly edited version.
If a customer receives the first Browse Abandoned message for 'product 1' and then views 'product 2', will they continue to receive the remaining messages for 'product 1'?
The messages will be automatically updated with information for the most recently viewed product, in this case 'product 2'.
Notice: As of early 2021 Abandoned Shopping Cart Notifications (ASCN) are limited to only one message, and the message must be sent within 48 hours.
How soon before a payment is the Recharge > Upcoming Payment drip triggered?
This value is adjustable within your ReCharge account. It's normally set to three days. You can read more about the ReCharge integration here.
Segmentation
When I try to select my segment, what is the difference between “By Campaign Source” and “By List Attribute Source”?
By Campaign Source is the primary method by which your subscriber opted-in to receiving messages from you. This primary method is the very first opt-in method.
- As an example, if a unique consumer (“Consumer A”) opted in first via your modal, and subsequently opted-in again via a keyword, Consumer A’s Campaign Source would be the modal.
If you wish to target an audience that opted-in via a certain method regardless of timing, you can use the “List Attribute Source”.
- Going back to our example, Consumer A would be included in the keyword segment if that keyword was chosen by utilizing “By List Attribute Source.” This is because Consumer A also opted-in via your keyword. Timing of opt-in does not matter when utilizing the List Attribute Source segmentation method.
How do I create a segment based on opt-in method?
Use “List Attribute Source.” By using this feature, you will segment your audience by opt-in method, regardless of when that opt-in occurred during your customer’s journey.
Please also refer to the question above: When I try to select my segment, what is the difference between “By Campaign Source” and “By List Attribute Source”?
How do I create a custom segment?
After you have initiated the creation of a new campaign, you can create a custom segment.
For one-time campaigns, the process is called "Select an audience" and it comes right after naming your one-time campaign. You'll be able to give your segment a name, which saves the segment for use in other one-time campaigns.
For drip campaigns, the process is called "Define your segment" and it comes right after selecting a Trigger when Defining your Campaign. You are not able to save drip segments for use in other campaigns. They are specific to the drip campaign they were created for.
There is also the Segments main menu that lets you create and save segments for use in one-time campaigns without actually creating a one-time campaign.
You can filter your subscribers in the following ways:
- Your custom segment can match “any” or “all” of the filters that you enable.
- Filters can be based on actions: subscribers “have” or “have not” performed the action
- Internal Voyage events include: purchased, clicked on, received from
- You can designate the time frame over which you would like to filter such action
You can continually add filters to segment your subscriber base as desired.
Once you have set your filters, click on “Save Segment”. The segment name will be the name you gave to your one-time or drip campaign.
Using Segments in One-Time Campaigns: My One-Time Campaign sends to a segment that is constantly growing, is the list of recipients created when I create the campaign or when it's scheduled to send?
The segment is run (the recipient list is assembled) just prior to when a One-Time Campaign message is sent. Note that when the send is throttled (e.g. an optional setting that sends to a subset of recipients every hour until all phone numbers on the list receive the One-Time Campaign), the entire segment is created before the sends begin.
Why does my Voyage "viewed product" segment show 0?
Voyage detects whether a page is a PDP (product detail page) through the page's meta tag. Please ensure the following is included on all product pages:
<meta property="og:type" content="product">
Please visit this page for more information.
General
What phone number will my messages come from?
Voyage currently uses shared short codes to deliver SMS messages to subscribers. This means your short code (e.g., 710-23) is shared with a few other brands using Voyage – this is completely customary and our analysis shows there is very little overlap between our brands’ subscriber bases.
Every time a text is sent from a brand, the brand name pops up first. So for example, “Brand:” will always shows up before an actual SMS is received by a subscriber.
If you prefer to be on a dedicated short code, this is an option and we are more than happy to set up this up for you (See also our answer to the question ’Can I use my own dedicated short code?’)
Last updated February 20, 2020
What happens if someone replies with a question (and doesn't use a keyword)?
If your customer has subscribed (opted in to receive text messages), they will receive your Automated Reply Message in response. You can set your Automated Reply Message in Settings > Campaigns. Your account is set up with this default message: Reply STOP to opt-out. For Help, please contact our support team at <email address>.
A subscriber reported getting messages from multiple brands on my short code. Why is that?
See answer above for ‘What phone number will my messages come from’?
How can I download daily performance statistics (e.g. subscriber, unsubscribe metrics)?
You can hit the “Export as CSV” button on your dashboard.
Note you can manually alter the time frame for which you wish to download such metrics on the dashboard.
How can I download my subscriber information?
We have a full article on subscriber reports here. Please contact our customer support team for more information.
Can I use my own dedicated short code (e.g., 710-23)?
Yes. Please let your customer service representative know. It generally takes 6-8 weeks to procure a dedicated short code from the carriers.
Can I use a custom URL (e.g., mybrnd.io) for links that I text to my customers?
Yes. Please contact your Voyage Customer Service Rep or our customer support team.
By default Voyage uses vyg.mobi for all links in messages. This minimizes character count for messages and enables Voyage to track clicks and other conversion events. Voyage must own and control the domain in order to operate our link shortening platform. If you do set up a custom short URL domain, Voyage can transfer the domain at the end of your contract, and pass along related fees.
What types of SMS messages am I billed for?
You are billed for all outbound and inbound SMS messages. This includes subscription event related texts and welcome flows. Similarly, you are billed for for double-opt in texts (e.g. “Y”) as well as unsubscribe texts (i.e. “STOP”).
How do I update my automated response messages (e.g. when a consumer texts “Help”)?
Go to your “Settings” Tab on your homepage. Then go to "Campaigns. On this page, look for the "HELP Reply message field where you can edit your automated help response.
Some customers are seeing the pop-up again, even though they already subscribed. Can we hide the pop-up for them?
The opt-in modal (pop-up) is only shown when Voyage cannot detect that a website visitor was a subscriber. If they are using an incognito browser or have recently reset their phone or browser app, our system cannot detect that they were a member. However, if they use a Voyage link to visit your website again, our system CAN detect that they are a subscriber and they will not see the modal window pop-up.
NOTE: For compliance reasons, Voyage recommends letting your subscribers know they can opt out at any time by texting “STOP” whenever a consumer sends a text message.
When I send a response (text, reaction, image, etc) to a campaign text message, why do I get the opt-out/help message response?
Because the response (text, reaction, image, etc) doesn't match a specific keyword, we transmit the Automated Reply Message, which is configurable under the "Settings" main menu, "Campaigns" page. Look for the "Automated Reply Message" field.
Why don't you support SMS customer success directly?
Our analysis of messages sent and received through the Voyage platform shows that customer service-related responses comprise less than 0.5% of our total message volume. However, we do have integrations with several major customer service platforms including Gorgias and Zendesk. The following may also be helpful:
- Voyage is primarily a marketing platform based on short codes, and customer service must be done through 10 digit phone numbers.
- We have a default auto reply functionality for questions like "Where is my order?" where we can include customer service phone number/email in the message (e.g., "For help, text +1 415-555-5555")
- If you don't have a cell phone that your team uses for SMS support, we recommend working with a provider like Kustomer or Zendesk that includes SMS as a contact method for support tickets.
- Poor reception
- Altered handset (rooted android, jail broken iPhone, etc)
- Possible issues with WI-FI calling features
- Other
International SMS
Due to prohibitive costs (including customers being charged substantial rates for receiving mass-market SMS), Voyage currently does not plan to offer SMS outside of US and Canada. For information on service in Canada, please read below.
Do you support SMS for customers living in Canada?
Support for Canada SMS is on our roadmap. If you are interested in this service, please let us know so we can properly prioritize this feature. Unlike for the US, you will need to have your own dedicated short code, which Voyage (simply passing through costs) or your brand can maintain.
What does the application process look like to secure a Canadian short code?
The application process is the same as a US Short Codes. This process takes 8-12 weeks.
What are the differences in cost and compliance standards for Canadian short codes?
Canada short codes are Vanity-only
- Short codes beginning with 4 are unavailable.
- You can view what short code is available here. If the code is NOT on the list, it is available.
- Reach out to your customer service rep regarding pricing questions.
Canadian compliance standards:
- Canada short codes must include the phrase "Standard Message & Data Rates May Apply."
- Canada short codes must respond to non-supported keywords with the following text: "<Program Name>. Invalid Keyword. Please try again."
- Canadian short codes are required to limit their outgoing SMS messages to 160 characters or fewer. Any time messages are over 160 characters the following will occur:
- Messages may fail
- Our back end SMS service will be alerted
- The customer will have to make changes to their program to avoid service disruption
Other Resources
If you have any additional questions please contact us at service@voyagesms.com.