by anton | May 28, 2014 |
Although Mobile Billing applications are getting noticed more and more, people still aren’t jumping on the band wagon in mass numbers to use it. Why is that? One of the answers seem to be: because these apps are boring. When people install apps on their phone it is because it holds entertainment value. Have a look on your phone as well as those of your friends and family – you will usually find things like games, instant messaging and social media. An application that is only aimed at paying your bills via mobile runs the risk of being bland and uninteresting. What do consumers want then from Mobile Billing applications? Convenience The whole reason people are conducting transactions on their phones is because it is more convenient than driving to the ATM and easier than logging in via a desktop computer. Or that is how it is supposed to be. If an app doesn’t give you a reason to substitute it for the original “thing”, there isn’t much use for it. Simplicity Users want to click and type as few times as possible. When it comes to financial transactions on a handheld device, complexity is a bad thing. Unfortunately the less interaction you need, the higher the security risk. Two practical ways to overcome this problem: You can swipe your device to pay for stuff without a pin or password, but as a security measure, only have a limited amount available in case your device gets stolen. Have a special bracelet that is linked to your phone via Bluetooth. This way, If your phone goes out of range from...
by anton | May 26, 2014 |
Two of the mobile billing methods offered by Integrat, are Premium SMS and Direct Carrier Billing. What is the difference between the two and how do you know which one is better suited to your business? Premium SMS It works the same as sending a normal SMS where the mobile user (sender) pays a tariff each time he sends a text to someone. The purchase is added to their mobile account bill, or debited from their prepaid account. Subscribers can be billed in two ways: MO billing (mobile originated) messages are billed when a consumer sends an SMS to a premium short code. MT billing (mobile terminated) messages are billed when a consumer receives an SMS on their handset. The most well-known type of purchase this method is used for, is mobile entertainment like ringtones and games. MO billing is probably the more popular of the two. Once the merchant confirms that they have received the payment, they will send the goods or open their service to the receiver. As you can imagine, Premium SMS holds numerous advantages for both the business and the consumer as it is virtually instant. However, if something goes wrong with the sending or receipt of the SMS, there are no guarantees that the consumer will receive her goods. Direct Carrier Billing It works much the same way as it also charges purchases directly to the consumer’s mobile account. However, it is a more secure way of doing mobile transactions and are often used to purchase goods outside of mobile products. Another added advantage is that it allows the consumer to build a relationship...
by anton | May 23, 2014 |
HLR stands for Home Location Register, which is a central database that contains details of each mobile phone subscriber that is registered with a particular mobile network. When you do an HLR lookup, you can find out important info about a particular mobile number. The HLR or “Home Location Register” is at the core of every GSM mobile network worldwide. The HLR is a central database of all customers authorised to use the network. Every SIM card that is released has a unique number attached to it called an IMSI. This number is basically a primary key associated with the HLR record. You can use a lookup to see if a number is: Valid Currently active in a network. The original network a mobile number was assigned to Ported from another network and which network it was moved to Currently roaming If the mobile has been turned on recently and what country the mobile was last used Why would a business want to do an HLR lookup? It holds the most accurate, up-to-date information on a mobile subscriber. This could help you to eliminate numbers on your database that doesn’t exist or are invalid so you don’t waste time and money sending messages to these numbers. Is an HLR lookup difficult to perform? Nope. It is fast and inexpensive. A lookup can also be performed in real time during call setup or SMS delivery. You should be able to find network carrier information quickly and cheaply and even improve routing for VoIP and SMS traffic. What about privacy? These lookups are non-invasive and you perform it remotely. The mobile...
by anton | May 21, 2014 |
Most people are familiar with the term IVR (Interactive Voice Response) but not everybody knows that there is more than one type: Inbound and Outbound IVR. IVR (in a nutshell) is an automated telephony system. These system are used by companies to perform preprogramed functions and act almost like a real life consultant. Inbound systems are generally used to answer and direct telephone calls along the appropriate channels within the business. Outbound IVR allows a business to proactively engage with customers through multiple channels such as automated voice calls, SMS messages, email or social media posts with personalized communications. You can use it for things like: Surveys into customer behaviour Product orders Reminders for appointments, payment due Notifications of shipment arrivals etc. Account activations General enquiries Although the message are automated, the info can still be customized and personalized to fit the needs of your consumers. Providing info to customers proactively helps to create loyalty and a positive experience. The easier you can make a customer’s life, the better. Which is one of the reasons why companies have begun to use Interactive Voice Response for things like reminding a customer to refill their prescription or top up their airtime. You can take it even further by providing customers with direct assistance after your call to action. For example: remind the consumer that their airtime is low and then give them the option to top it up on the spot by directing the call to the sales department. This will, of course, help you to create more revenue while keeping your customers happy at the same time. Tip for using...
by anton | May 19, 2014 |
Number Scrubbing in general refers to the process of amending or removing data from a database that is incorrect, incomplete, improperly formatted, or duplicated. But what does this have to do with your business? You probably have accumulated a long list of telephone numbers over the years from your customers. However, people regularly change their phone numbers or switch from a landline to a cell phone. Also, you will always have a small percentage of numbers that were recorded incorrectly. Or you might even sit with a list of numbers that have opted out of your mobile marketing, but it still has to be removed. Without knowing it, your contact list, which you have worked so hard on, might not be so golden anymore. You could be thinking that it is not that big of a deal and you don’t need a program for Number Scrubbing, but did you know that you lose resources every time you send marketing messages to non-existing numbers? Sure you can hire extra help to painstakingly go through your contact list once a month. But it takes loads of time to accomplish this. Not to mention that you will have to pay someone (or even a team) to get it done. What can Number amount of time and can be less costly than fixing errors manually. If you don’t have your finger on the pulse of your business’s contact base, your marketing won’t be nearly as effective as you want it to be. Don’t let your weeks of toiling and planning campaigns go down the drain because you aren’t reaching your customers. And certainly...
