Most Popular HSL Blog Posts of 2012

As the end of 2012 fast approaches (and we all wonder 'where did the year go?'), we thought it would be interesting to look at all time favourite blog posts over the past year. This is not an exhaustive list, just the top 5 most popular posts. All these posts look at innovative ways in which mobile technology is helping different sectors and markets stay competitive and add value for their clients. We also included a few of our author’s favourite blogs for some light reading!

SMS for E-Communications 5 most popular Blog Posts of 2012

1. How are Airlines benefitting from mobile

This was one of our early in the year posts looking at mobile technology within the airline industry and proved to be one of the most useful articles. Mobile technology is making huge waves in this industry to increase efficiency and produce happy travellers.

2. Banks embrace SMS to improve security

Security within banking is a hot topic that just keeps getting hotter. As this year has progressed, we are hearing more and more about the importance of banking security as cases of fraud and security breaches are reported. Mobile technology can provide a useful means of tackling these issues.

3.  How do you get yours?

This new popular article looks at communicating with staff in emergency situations in a painless fashion using an innovative solution.

4. SMS improves business communications

How do you communicate with staff and clients? This article examines the reasons why businesses are adopting SMS at an increasing speed.

5. SMS solutions help monitor energy usage

Learn how businesses and consumers can use mobile technology to cut their energy costs.

Author's Favourite Blog Posts of 2012

1. Treat yourself with more sales this Christmas

Gives retailers (and shoppers) useful everyday pointers to increase that all important shopping experience.

2. mHealth - mobile technology for the healthcare sector

mHealth is the new buzz word for the healthcare sector. Discover just a few of the ways that mobile technology is being applied across the industry to achieve some fantastic results.

3. Hot tips for cold snaps

Tips to help businesses keep running when horrendous winter weather hits - particularly useful considering the time of year!

Thanks for reading our blog and we hope there were a few gems of information there for you. We look forward to keeping you informed with our mobile communication blogs in 2013!

For further information regarding HSL, visit us at:

http://www.linkedin.com/company/hay-systems-ltd

follow us on Twitter @hslmobile

or call us on +44 (0)1506 605260

or email us at sales@haysystems.com

HSL Market Leaders in Innovation not Imitation

HSL has now opened a new office in the heart of Edinburgh to support their rapidly expanding development team. The team has tripled in size over the last 6 months resulting in the move to a larger office!

The team have been specially selected for their extensive skills and experience in successfully delivering innovative software developments, thereby continuing to drive the company's mission to be a market leader in providing cutting edge technical solutions.

Ian Campbell, Head of Development at HSL, said: "Existing customers, who already benefit from the exemplary service supplied by HSL, will see improved interfaces to the company whilst new application areas will increase the value HSL can add to both existing and new customers. The development team is a central part of HSL's growth strategy and it will continue to grow and flourish to meet the demands of the business."  

Mission Possible

HSL's marketing department has also been on a mission to provide appropriate branding for both the Edinburgh office and our existing office in Livingston as you can see below.  As always, we would love some feedback as to which sign you think is better - is it the Edinburgh or the Livingston sign? Please vote for your winner in our 'Edinburgh vs Livingston' competition by posting either 'Edinburgh rocks' or 'Livingston hands down' via our company twitter page @HSLSMS.

Edinburgh

Livingston

 

For further information regarding HSL, visit us at:

http://www.linkedin.com/company/hay-systems-ltd

follow us on Twitter @HSLSMS

or call us on +44 (0)1506 605260

or email us at sales@haysystems.com

Retail and Marketing say Ahoy to Mobile Communications Services

Using mobile communications in the retail industry is not a new phenomenon and is fast becoming common place. Customers are quickly embracing mobile as part of their shopping experience to research products and services, find reviews and even check prices whilst in store to see if they can buy it cheaper elsewhere.  

 

As a result, strengthening customer relationships and loyalty is becoming even more difficult in a world where customers are able to find an abundance of information at the touch of a button and search for the best deals around. 

However, mobile communications also opens up the possibilities of developing and nurturing relationships with customers. Retailers can keep in touch with customers via updates about new product ranges, special promotions, developing apps to enhance the shopping experience and so on.

In 2006 one of the leading companies who specialise in advertising boats for sale decided to utilise SMS for mobile marketing and developing customer relationships. They launched a new innovative service to enable visitors to describe what type of boat they were looking for and to then be notified of any potential matches by SMS. The company has a long history of being the first to offer new services to their sector. From used fishing boats to new power cruisers, the company pride themselves with helping members, individuals and businesses to buy or sell boats quickly, easily and cost-effectively.

The company decided that whilst it was feasibly possible for them to build an SMS system that could integrate with their existing systems, it would be to their advantage to instead use an established supplier with worldwide knowledge and agreements for sending SMS.

HSL fit the bill for what they were looking for. We have been providing mobile services to enterprises worldwide since 1999, giving the client peace of mind. With our competitive pricing and ease of integration the decision to select HSL as their SMS supplier was made even more simple. The client began using us purely to alert visitors of product matches but this has extended to also using our services for keeping in contact with their clients.

With SMS services suitable for all enterprise types, HSL's robust technology, coupled with their creative and flexible approach to enterprise requirements, positions HSL uniquely within the industry as a highly reliable, reputable and forward thinking SMS service provider. As a direct result of using HSL's outbound SMS services and continuing to keep their visitors informed with up-to-date boat availability, the company has enhanced their relationships with visitors and potential customers which means that when visitors next need to search for a boat, they are likely to be their first port of call.

Alternatively, visit us at:

http://www.linkedin.com/company/hay-systems-ltd

follow us on Twitter @HSLSMS

or call us on +44 (0)1506 605260

or email us at sales@haysystems.com

Treat yourself with more sales this Christmas

In a world where people are watching their pennies more and more, retailers are having to work harder to survive. The festive period is fast becoming a crucial time for many retailers to increase sales as shoppers come out in force.

When it comes to buying, online and mobile are fast becoming the channels of choice for shoppers. A recent article in the Guardian, Mobile phones are changing the world of retail – at a remarkable speed, stated that the retail industry is going through a ‘revolution’ as mobile changes the way shoppers find and buy products and services. One of the major reasons for shoppers increasing their use of mobile is because of the sheer convenience of it – customers can buy whenever they want, from wherever they are. And let’s not forget that we can now obtain a wealth of information about the product or service and find out who is selling at the cheapest price – which is paramount in the current climate we live in. There is a growing trend where people are actually using their mobile phone whilst in shops to go online and check reviews and prices!

This Christmas researchers are predicting that mobile will continue to have a dramatic impact on sales. Whilst The Independent reports that Deloitte is expecting consumers to spend £330m straight from their smartphones, a huge £3.2 billion of Christmas sales is claimed to be influenced by smartphones as shoppers use their mobile phones to investigate prices, save their Christmas gift buying lists and interact with others over social media. Colin Jeffrey, the head of multichannel retail at Deloitte, asserted: "The strongest growth will be found online, with purchases completed on mobile phones double or even triple that of last year. It is also going to be a click-and-collect Christmas with those retailers who have invested in this service set to do well as these customers spend more and collections drive footfall into stores."

How to Increase 2012 Christmas Sales

1. Get with it - Develop a mobile friendly site

You must have a mobile friendly website. The ultimate aim for any retailer should be to make it as easy as possible for customers to find information and buy products and services. With shoppers increasingly using mobile, a mobile friendly site will help you gain visits to your website, encourage shoppers to stay and look around and help turn those visits into customers.

It is important to consider the buying experience when shoppers visit your website using a mobile. For example, it can often be more difficult to find information as screens are smaller and connection speeds can vary. Therefore, it is crucial that you ensure your content is mobile friendly on different mobile devices by making the site more simple with easy navigation and tabs. You can read further at Mobile Commerce Daily.

2. Finders keepers - Gift finder apps

Consider developing apps as they can be a very effective way to increase mobile usage. An app which we came across this Christmas and may be useful to consider is a 'gift finder' app. This could enable customers to sync their phone book to make gift lists and link with products and services. You could also highlight popular products and services through 'top gift ideas' and allow multiple delivery options to make it more friendly and convenient for the user. If you have a physical store, it is also worthwhile allowing shoppers to scan items when in store and add to gift list.

This can be an effective way to make yourself stand out from the crowd and drive customers to your store.

3. Who are you? - Know your audience

Shoppers are still being cautious when it comes to spending. Therefore it’s crucial that you know your customers well and meet their expectations. For example, will shoppers be entering your website from a smartphone or an iPad? Will they be wary about buying online from a mobile? These answers will impact on your website and whether you offer other ways to buy to ensure you do not lose sales.

Understanding the answers to key questions such as these will help determine the customer experience you deliver and influence your website design, navigation and layout.

4. Get to grips - Handle customer demand.

Capgemini is advising retailers that key dates to look out for are the two weeks beginning the 3rd and the 10th December as £920 million is expected to be spent using mobile. It is vital that you are able to process orders and meet delivery dates.

Therefore, plan ahead to ensure you have the necessary resources and infrastructure in place to handle customer demand.

5. Talk is cheap - Communicate, communicate and communicate!

An effective way to deliver great customer service and make sure your customers are having the best experience when reviewing and buying your products and services, is by communicating with shoppers throughout the buying process.

A quick and way to achieve this is via SMS communications. Retailers can use SMS to notify customers when orders are complete, due to arrive and have arrived as well as alerts on other products or services helping generate further revenue.

Message to retailers

Ensure you are not left behind the mobile trend. Tailor your website so it is mobile friendly, easy to navigate and allows customers to locate what they are looking for this Christmas. For more information about HSL's mobile messaging solutions, please see our Solutions and APIs.

Alternatively, visit us at:

http://www.linkedin.com/company/hay-systems-ltd

follow us on Twitter @HSLSMS

or call us on +44 (0)1506 605260

or email us at sales@haysystems.com

Top Tips for Flyers!

Mobile technology is transforming the airline industry making travelling more efficient, convenient and a much more pleasant experience from beginning to end.

Before you even begin your journey, you can use your mobile to research and plan your trip to make the most of ‘dead’ time such as when you’re on the bus to work or waiting for someone to arrive. Once you know where and when you want to go, you can use your mobile to book flights and manage your booking from here - meaning you can access the booking at anytime!

SMS alerts are being used by airlines to send a variety of information to passengers and you should check what type of alerts is available. For example, you may be able to receive alerts instantly when seats become available helping ensure you travel with your companions. Other useful alerts include notifications regarding flight changes as this can help you manage knock on delays on other activities such as arriving to business meetings and catching connecting flights. SMS is therefore ideal as passengers can be notified immediately regarding updates to flights or services even if they are on the move and do not have access to a computer or internet link.

One of the most wearisome aspects of travelling that mobile technology is helping to reduce is the length of time spent waiting in queues as this may result in missed flights. Therefore, the ability to actually check in online or through your own mobile helps reduce waiting times, stress levels and produce much more happy travellers!

The Financial reports that according to J.D. Power & Associates’ 2012 North America Airline Satisfaction Study digital check-ins are now becoming so popular they are already showing signs of maturity, and mobile check-in adoption rates are advancing quickly.

However, they outline a different study by SITA and Airline Business which shows only half of airlines are offering mobile check-in services for their customers. Nonetheless, it is worthwhile finding out if your airline offers mobile check-in as it will allow you to check in wherever you are which is particularly useful when you are on the move! 

Even better, Fox Business outline another study by SITA in which they state 15% of air travellers will use a mobile phone to not only check in at the airport but also to attain an electronic mobile boarding pass by 2014. This means that you no longer have to use the self service kiosks to print tickets or print them at home and then keep the boarding pass somewhere safe - helping simplify the whole process and make it speedier.

It’s also worthwhile looking out for new technology developments which are helping streamline and enhance the airline experience. For example, Fox Business highlight that Near Field Communication is beginning to be used for electronically storing and accessing all travel documents without needing to connect via the Internet such as e-Passports, e-Visas, baggage receipts and immigration forms. SAS Scandinavian Airlines is reported as already using this technology.

Another trend to watch out for is in-flight entertainment packages. The Financial claims they are proving to be hugely popular for travellers but although it creates massive advertising opportunities they are expensive for airlines to install and update which is affecting adoption rates.

More recently, we are starting to see airlines introduce in-flight mobile services allowing passengers to use mobiles for sending messages and checking email for example. However, be wary as tariffs may be higher!

So what can you do to make your trip more convenient and pleasant? Use our top tips below and check with your airline to ensure these services are available!

Top Tips for Flyers 

1. Make most of dead time - research and plan trip via mobile
2. Access information anytime - book and manage booking using your mobile 
3. Sit with travelling companions - sign up for SMS updates on available seats 
4. Manage potential delays via SMS flight alerts 
5. Save time using mobile check-in 
6. Use convenient and fast electronic mobile boarding passes 
7. Check and see if in-flight mobile services are available and check tariffs

Further examples on how mobile messaging services can help the transport industry can be found on our website at http://www.hslsms.com/sectors/transport-and-logistics/.

Alternatively, visit us at:

http://www.linkedin.com/company/hay-systems-ltd

follow us on Twitter @HSLSMS

or call us on +44 (0)1506 605260

or email us at sales@haysystems.com