ARPU stands for Average Revenue per User and is a measure that mostly used by telecommunications companies. It helps to find out how much money a company makes for the average user and is a general indicator of effectiveness with which company is accessing its customers revenue potential. It can also show how good a company is in moving users to new services. Anyway, if you are reading this, chances are you know quite well what ARPU is.

So, how to improve revenue of your service? The short answer is…USSD. A good old technology that can be used in a rather new way. Let’s say you have WAP service and you want to attract new consumers. The thing with WAP is, well, it’s not so popular. First of all, it takes time to set up it properly. And this is where WAP end for most people with mobile handhelds. Ask anybody on the street whether they know how to set up and use WAP. You won’t get much information.

One thing people know for sure is to how dial number on a mobile phone. And this is what USSD is about. Fast and simple. Essentially, USSD is a menu which a user gets when dials a short USSD number like *555#. What it all has to do with WAP? Well, you can put USSD number on any ads of your service. For a start, with the help of it people can learn how to set up WAP in order to access your service. This can increase your audience quite well.

Everybody also knows that it’s quite unpleasant to type long web addresses on a mobile handheld. Just create a copy of your WAP site sections which a user gets in the form of USSD menus. There he/she can choose necessary section and access it in the matter of seconds just pressing buttons a couple of times. It improves user experience drastically as there is no need to write essay in the address bar now. Even more, you can use USSD as just another part of your service and move information there. Unlike WAP and SMS it provides interactivity which is the key factor to keep interest of a consumer.

Basically, USSD can be added to any mobile service, be it SMS, Java or WAP to improve user experience. It is considered an old technology, but it one of the best things mobile phones can offer in terms of interactivity, engagement and simplicity. Read about USSD here or contact us to learn more.

[photo: flickr/nathangibbs]