Imagine your customers have to pay an entrance fee before they’re allowed to shop in your store. Absurd right? We don’t need to explain why this is a bad idea!
Now think about e-commerce. If someone wants to buy from your online store, they’ll first need to pay for their internet usage. No data means no browsing.
If only you could give your customers free access to your online platforms! Actually, you can…
Did you know that reverse billed data is helping small businesses reach more people? It basically means your customers don’t have to pay for the data used on your site. But, there must be a catch right?
Keep reading to find out who benefits from reverse billing.
These days, almost everyone has a smartphone. For many South Africans, the only way to get online is with their phones as the needed infrastructure doesn’t reach where they live. But, even when we do have other internet devices, a lot of us find that our phones are the go-to for quick internet searches.
What if running out of data is stopping your customers from reaching your website or mobile app? This is where reverse billed data comes in.
Reverse billed data started when operators realised that smartphone usage was rising, but mobile engagement wasn’t showing comparable growth due to expensive data costs, particularly in emerging economies.
Thus, reverse billing has been especially beneficial to developing markets since consumers no longer have to bear the costs of data usage when they connect with businesses and institutions.
The benefits of reverse billed data
Reverse billed data has been a business option for a couple of years now. So who uses it the most?
- Educational bodies such as schools and universities;
- Certain government departments; and
- Corporate firms (especially in the financial, insurance and health sectors).
This makes a lot of sense when we consider how the recent pandemic forced us all to re-evaluate our relationship with the internet. Reverse billing has helped students and employees work from home and cope with all the unprecedented – stuff – that started in 2020.
However, reverse billed data is possible for any business, no matter its size.
It’s true that reverse billing has become extremely popular among the big cats, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good fit for the little guy.
Let’s examine some of the potential benefits of reverse billed data.
- Online accessibility stimulates the growth of your client base.
- More traffic to your online platforms is generated.
- Your advertising campaigns become more effective.
- You can get a better understanding of your clients.
- Your clients benefit from your service at no cost to themselves.
- Your company image is boosted.
- Online revenue increases.
Each of the above benefits is significant to your business in its own way. However, let’s focus on what an increase in online traffic means for a small business.
A reduction in data costs means more of your customers can reach you and stay online. This means they have the time to make purchasing decisions or to be influenced by a marketing campaign. So, the end result of more online traffic is more sales.
So what’s the catch? Well, this innovation in connectivity doesn’t actually need one. It’s just a clever mechanism that benefits you, your consumers and the service providers.
Let’s say you’re a small business. The assurance that you’ll only be charged for what you use is really appealing. When every little bit counts, avoiding a flat rate means saving on your marketing overhead.
Now, your service offering to your clients improves because they never get kicked off your site. You gain more customers, your website expands, your app improves. Before too long your revenue has increased, your business has grown and so has your online usage.
Reverse billing is a supportive model that has a vast long-term benefit for you and the data carrier. The better you do, the better for your service provider.
Increased engagement, expanded reach for lower costs – what’s not to love?
Reverse billing is an intuitive concept that you can adapt according to your business needs. For example, if you want to run a seasonal sale or a short-term promotion, you can make certain URLs freely accessible for a limited time. This is a great way to make the most of your service plan.
Your customers will certainly never complain about using your online offerings for free. Employees don’t mind accessing company resources at no cost to themselves. Your business expands with little effort on your part. And, your service provider benefits when you reach more people.
If reverse billing sounds like the right option for your mobile data requirements, get in touch with Cellfind today!
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