Tracking Solar Customer Engagement with SMS Analytics

31 Dec 2025

Kath Galpo

Renewable energy has become a top-notch priority and necessity. According to a Grand View Research report, the global solar energy market size is projected to reach $607.8 billion by the end of 2030. The primary challenge for solar companies is that purchasing and installing a solar system is not an impulse decision like buying a mobile phone or footwear. The sales cycle is long, often taking days or even months. Customers thoroughly research, compare options, ask numerous questions, and require consistent follow-up before finally committing. Because of this extended journey, customer engagement is at the heart of every successful solar business.

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In 2025, SMS is the most powerful engagement channel. It reaches users directly and instantly, boasting a 98% open rate and a 45% response rate. The most important thing is that it tells you something that no other channel does: how your customers behave. However, merely sending SMS is not enough. If you want to win in the solar market, you must track what happens after you click the “send” button. This is where SMS analytics and the right SMS marketing tool, like Textdrip, become essential.

In this blog, let’s break down how SMS analytics help solar companies find better leads, create smarter follow-ups, boost appointments, and close more deals.

Why SMS Analytics Matter in the Solar Industry

When customers think about buying solar, they think about cost, panel quality, electricity savings, loan options, warranty, installation, and maintenance. The real reason behind it is that the investment is big, so customers take time to decide. They ask questions, need reminders, and build trust. It means your business needs the right timing, message, audience, and follow-up frequency.

SMS analytics help you understand all these. Each SMS that you send gives you a clue.

Did your customer open it? Did they reply, ignore, or leave the conversation?

These clues become data, and that data makes your solar marketing strategies smarter.

Which SMS Analytics Every Solar Company Should Track

Here are some SMS analytics that are specifically designed for industries with long sales cycles, such as solar. Let’s understand each SMS analytic one by one.

1. Delivery vs Failure Rate

These metrics tell you how many messages reached your customers and how many failed. It is important for solar companies.

How?

Let’s understand.

If many SMS fail, it means:

Wrong numbers from old lead lists
Fake or low-quality leads
Data entry mistakes
Carrier blocking messages

If the customer never receives the message, they cannot respond, which means lost revenue.

For example,

If you send 2,000 SMS about a free roof inspection. 1,600 delivered and 400 failed. Those 400 are lost leads. It means you should clean your database. Tools like Landline Remover help you clean your contact list so that you can integrate it with your SMS marketing platform. These SMS metrics help you stop wasting time and money on bad numbers.

2. Response vs Opt Out Rate

This metric tells you how many customers replied and how many said “stop.” If people reply, it means your message worked, and if they opt out, your message annoyed them.

It means getting instant feedback from your audience.

For example,

If you send a message,

Hey, want a free solar saving report? Reply WANT to get and STOP to opt out - Glorioussolar.

If you get 120 responses and 4 opt-outs, it shows your message is helpful, not irritating.

It helps you understand what customers like, what they dislike, and how to improve your tone.

3. Intent Rates

It is one of the strongest features that most SMS marketing platforms don’t offer, but Textdrip does.

Textdrip scans replies and identifies what the customer actually wants.

It read messages like “send me a quote,” “not now,” “call me later,” “I am comparing prices.”

It automatically marks the intent as positive, negative, or neutral.

For example,

If the customer replies, “I want to know battery backup cost too,” Textdrip marks this as high intent.

It is important because your sales team knows who to call first, and no time is wasted on lukewarm leads.

4. Day of Week Responses

This metric tells you which day your solar customer replies the most. Usually, customers reply during their free time, on weekends, in the evenings, or midweek.

Day	Response Rate	Meaning
Wednesday	High	People plan home improvements mid-week
Sunday	Medium	Families discuss expenses
Friday	Low	People are busy

It means you can use it to help you schedule your SMS campaigns on days when you know your customers respond the most.

5. Time of Day Responses

This metric tells the best hour to send messages.

For example,

If SMS analytics show,

Time	Response Trend
10 AM	Very high
2 PM	Medium
6 PM	High
9 PM	Low

It helps you find the best time to send your SMS. Doubling your chances of getting replies.

6. Frequency Rate

It helps you understand the average number of messages sent per recipient and whether that frequency works or annoys them.

Of course, solar leads need consistent follow-ups, but not too many. If you message too little, they will forget you, and if you message too much, they will block you.

For example,

The SMS analytics shows you that one message per week gives you low engagement. Three messages per week give you the highest engagement, and seven messages per week give you high opt-outs; you understand how to balance perfectly.

How SMS Analytics Improves the Solar Customer Journey

A solar purchase is a deliberate, step-by-step process. With SMS analytics, you can understand, engage, and guide potential customers through each critical phase.

1. Lead Capture Stage

You can track people whether they are coming from websites, Google ads, QR codes, billboards, or social media. If the specific source creates high responses, you know where to invest more.

2. Lead Nurturing Stage

SMS analytics help you see who is warming up, losing interest, needing follow-ups, and ready for more! It helps your sales team respond faster and smarter.

3. Quote and Consultation Stage

At this stage, timing is everything. If the analytics show peak replies at 10 AM, your team should call high-intent leads at 10:05 AM. This way, you can easily catch hot leads at the perfect moment.

4. Post-Installation Stage

SMS analytics help you track which type of messages gives you the most responses, for example, service messages, warranty reminders, referral responses, and AMC renewals.

It keeps your customers connected for years.

How Can Solar Brands Use SMS Analytics?

Here’s how solar brands can use different SMS analytics metrics.

Delivery Rate Vs Failure Rate

Problem	Action	Result
High failure rate	Clean lead list	More people receive text messages

Response Vs Opt Out Rate

Insight	Learning	Action
High responses	The message is valuable	Send more like this
High opt-outs	The tone is wrong	Rewrite message

Intent Rate

Intent	Meaning	Next Step
High	Ready to buy	Call immediately
Medium	Interested	Send follow-up info
Low	Curious	Add to drip SMS sequence
Negative	Not interested	Stop messaging

Day of Week Responses

Day	Response Level	Strategy
Wednesday	High	Launch campaigns
Sunday	Medium	Send educational content
Friday	Low	Avoid campaigns

Time of Day Responses

Time	Response	Action
10 AM	High	Send offers
6 PM	Medium	Send reminders

Frequency Rate

Frequency	Impact
Low	Customers forget you
Medium	Best engagement
High	The customer gets annoyed

What are the Best SMS Practices for Solar Companies?

Hopefully now, you understand what to track. Here’s how to use these insights smartly.

1. Personalize Your Message

You will get quick responses if people find your message relevant to them. So, send tailored messages.

Hey Ema, your roof still qualifies for 30% solar savings.

Want a free check?

Reply YES to get a free check and STOP to unsubscribe.

2. Try A/B Testing

You should try short messages, educational messages, savings messages, EMI messages, battery backup messages, etc., and SMS analytics tells you which message works the best.

3. Control Message Frequency

You should never bombard your leads with messages. Control the message frequency to get the expected results.

4. Send Messages at the Right Time

If customers respond more at 10 AM, don’t message them at 4 PM. When you send the right message at the right time, there are higher chances of conversion.

Why is Textdrip the Best SMS Analytics Platform for Solar Companies?

Textdrip is not a generic SMS tool, but it is built for industries that need long-term follow-ups, detailed customer behavior tracking, smart sales triggers, and real-time insights. These are reasons why most solar companies love Textdrip.

It offers real-time delivery and failure insights
The platform comes with smart response and opt-out analytics.
Textdrip is equipped with an advanced intent detection feature.
It tracks the best time and best day prediction.
The platform is ideal for frequency tracking.
It offers easy SMS automation.
It is perfect for solar-friendly workflows.

Turn Your Guesswork into Clean Actions with Textdrip

Solar SMS marketing is not only about sending more messages but about sending smart, well-timed, and meaningful messages. By tracking SMS metrics, you can transform your guesswork into clean actions that will drive your desired outcomes. It helps you learn which leads are real, which messages work, when customers respond, who is ready to buy, and how often to follow up. When you consider these insights, your solar company becomes unstoppable.

Using an automated SMS marketing platform like Textdrip, you get deep SMS insights in a simple and user-friendly dashboard. So, if you want more appointments, clearer conversations, and higher conversions, book a Textdrip demo. Its SMS analytics feature can become your secret growth engine!