CloudPhone Blog

INTRODUCTION:

Your “how to” blog post should teach the reader how to do something by breaking it down into a series of steps.

Begin your blog post by explaining what problem you are going to solve through your explanation and be sure to include any relevant keywords. Add in a personal story to establish your credibility on this topic. And make sure to end your blog post with a summary of what your reader will gain by following your lead.

Need some inspiration? Check out these "How-To" examples from the HubSpot blog:

• How to Write a Blog Post: A Simple Formula to Follow
• How to Do Keyword Research: A Beginner's Guide
• How to Write an Effective Meta Description (Yes, They Still Matter)

BODY:

Now deliver what you promised in the first section. This is the longest part of the post, so make it easy to read. Use short paragraphs, bullet lists, and bold headings to set different sections apart. 

Some common section headers include:

Step 1: Getting Started

Step 2: Do Your Background Research on…

Step 3: First Steps for…

Step 4: Analyze and Repeat

Step 5: Wrapping Up

You can use bulleted lists, numbered list, or multiple headings. Include as many steps, numbers, or bullets that will allow you to discuss your topic thoroughly.

Here are some pointers to make the best possible body of your blog:

• Include visuals
• Include short explanatory phrases in your headers
• At the end, transition into your conclusion

CONCLUSION:

Now it’s time to say goodbye and wrap up your post. Remind your readers of your key takeaway, reiterate what your readers need to do to get the desired result, and ask a question about how they see the topic to encourage comments and conversation. Don't forget to add a Call-to-Action to turn your blog post into a marketing machine!

Congratulations! What a lovely how-to post you've created. 

Contrary to what you’ve heard your entire life, when it comes to business, what you don’t know can hurt you. If you own a small business and haven’t taken time to investigate how a cloud-based phone service can benefit your company, that lack of knowledge is most certainly hurting your bottom line.

A cloud communications application essentially replaces a legacy wire-based phone system, giving you all the same functionality and none of the hassle or unnecessary expense. With just your personal mobile number you can start to configure the system immediately over the Internet. You don’t need any technical expertise or savvy—all you need is a desire to improve your critical business processes. If you are intent on sticking with a traditional phone service, you’ll miss out on:

Big savings

A cloud communications application is maintained by a third party over the Web, meaning you don’t have to pay for installation or equipment upkeep. In exchange for a full suite of features you receive just one low monthly bill.

Customer satisfaction

Features like an auto attendant, virtual extensions, voicemail-to-email notification and voicemail transcription ensure your customers can reach you when an important issue crops up. Your key targets will feel comfort knowing you’re within arm’s length if an emergency occurs, meaning they’ll likely stick around for the long term.

Mobility

Mobile working is a staple of today’s business environment. A cloud communications application facilitates smarter on-the-go business by giving you access to your phone system from anywhere on any device without dialing into a complex office system.

If the idea of adopting a cloud communications application hasn’t occurred to you until now, have no fear, because today is as good a time as any to get started. While the summer is a great time to hit the beach, as a business owner, you simply can’t afford to bury your head in the sand.

Cloud communications applications offer business owners unparalleled flexibility and speed in a marketplace that demands it. Delivered wirelessly through handheld devices and over the Internet, this technology brings the power and reliability of legacy phone systems squarely into the digital age and into your palm.

Legacy phone systems are expensive any way you slice them. Installations are time-consuming and pricey, repairs are frequent and downtime can be costly. Solutions like Voxox’s Cloud Phone, however, eliminate those downsides and replace them with powerful and mobile tools. See three big reasons why it's time for you to embrace this!

First, with an intuitive interface and app, there is no break in service and virtually no training necessary to bring yourself and your employees up to speed. Cloud Phone is 100 percent web-based and comes pre-configured based on your specific business needs.

Secondly, the state-of-the-art phone features include:

• Reach Me Anywhere technology that connects incoming business calls to any location on any device 
• An auto attendant that greets callers professionally and presents them with menu options
• Voicemail transcription that turns voice messages into text that can be read when listening is not an option
• Business-class voicemail that makes retrieving old messages simple and easy
• Instant conference calling that boosts productivity and enhances collaboration

Finally, cloud communications applications’ costs are very manageable in comparison to legacy systems that can run hundreds or thousands of dollars a month. Cloud Phone has a fixed, low monthly fee and an additional maintenance or hardware costs.

Whatever your phone hurdles at present, Cloud Phone can help you clear them. Additionally, in an era of hopelessly disparate communication services and needs, Voxox can consolidate them into a single device. And that’s about as 21st century as it gets.

Summer is the most popular time for couples to say “I do.” But while wedding vows are meant to last a lifetime, the technology that powers your business shouldn’t stick around for better or for worse.

Just like marriage, communications are complicated. Consider everything involved with wedding planning. Coordinating all of that is enough work to keep the bride, groom, their families and a few hired professionals busy for months, but your small business phone service doesn't have to be. 

Similarly, business communications can be frighteningly complex. In a globalized marketplace, vital information is exchanged over a wide swath of channels, often at a frenetic pace. Legacy phone systems— which frequently experience downtime – are challenging for many businesses.

Enter solutions like Voxox’s Cloud Phone. These cloud-based phone systems are served over the Internet, meaning they are significantly faster and more accessible than their legacy competitors. With integrated features like peer-to-peer voice and video calls, large file transfer and total access to a company’s directory, they provide all the benefits of legacy systems and then some.

But the biggest perk of cloud-based phone services is their price. Unlike many weddings, where you get what you pay for, solutions like Cloud Phone offer their array of features under a monthly service rate that might be as little as one of their legacy competitors’ fees. Also consider that their monthly rate includes reliable support and troubleshooting, without any of the added expense of hardware maintenance. 

All told, cloud-based phone systems can be a match made in heaven for businesses of any size. Partnering with a provider like Voxox might just lead your business to a happily ever after.

If you own a small business that’s been passed down through generations of your family, chances are that it’s pretty important to you. You probably have a reputation in town for being reliable and for charging reasonable prices, part of the reason customers keep coming back to you.

Unfortunately, the economic climate is a bit unstable at the moment and you can’t always be sure what your revenue will be from month to month. But even in the most financially trying times the business means too much to you personally to ever sell it—and you know business always picks back up eventually and a cloud based phone service can help.

One way to ensure you’ll be able to pass the company down to the next generation is to adopt a cloud-based phone service. A cloud communications phone application puts all the functionality of an enterprise system in your mobile phone. That means you can go meet with new clients or suppliers and still be sure you won’t miss a crucial business call. You can also have your voicemails transcribed and sent directly to your email so you can read an important message during a meeting without leaving the room.

Furthermore, with a cloud-based phone service you can slash your communications expenses because you don’t have to worry about hardware installation or equipment maintenance; the entire system is maintained over the Web by a third-party vendor, so you can start seriously thinking about ripping out your legacy wire-based system.

A family business is about more than making money. It’s about a connection that lasts for generations and a feeling of pride an entire family can share. Cloud communications can help make sure that connection remains unbroken, far into the future.

Whipping people into shape is what you do. As a personal trainer, you meet clients all over the place, building personal routines for each to maximize the impact of the workouts. But take a look at how you are communicating with prospects and clients. Is your phone solution as customized as the workout routines you take such care to create for your customers? Are your business communications in tip-top shape?

Image Courtesy Flickr User Sascha Wenninger

If the answer to any of these question is “no,” a small business phone system might do your business some good. A service designed for micro or single-person businesses puts the power of a traditional enterprise phone system in your mobile phone.

A legacy wire-based system doesn’t work for your business because you are constantly on the go and don’t want or need to spend money renting a brick-and-mortar office. But as you are running hills or lifting weights with your clients, you want a professional-sounding system to greet your callers. 

Cloud Phone is a small business phone system that can provide an auto attendant to professionally greet callers with a customizable message. Another useful feature is Reach Me Anywhere, which allows you and your employees to connect with clients from anywhere with any mobile device. If you're tired of listening to your voicemail messages, simply have your messages sent to your email, and read them instead. And because the system is maintained by a third-party vendor, you don’t have to worry about lengthy installation process or hardware upkeep.   

In your line of work, moving around is a daily reality, and you need a phone system that meets your needs. You spend most days taking care of people, leading them towards a healthier, happier lifestyle. It’s time you took care of yourself-and your business—the same way.

Recently, Voxox Director of Marketing, Ron Kinkade, was quoted in a report by telecom comparison team Software Advice on how technical language could influence VoIP adoption and utilization.

Software Advice sat down with Ron for an in-depth interview on this subject. Some of the key points discussed were:

• If you're in the market for a service and feel like you don’t understand the tech language for the solution it provides, it might not be the right fit for your business. 
• The size of your business matters when determing whether you need to be more familiar with the jagon of service level requirements. The larger your business, the higher your understanding and knowledge will have to be as well.
• Technology services have improved to provide better tools for small businesses without dedicated experts of technical lanuage.
• In order to get the most ROI, you have to understand all the costs involved in VoIP. SIP trunking could save you money, if it's properly managed. 
• The language of Unified Communications becomes more simplified as it gets widespread. The message to reach more markets successfully. 

Here's the full Q&A:

1. How much of the technical language of VoIP do businesses need to understand to make an informed decision when purchasing an IP telephony solution?

For the mass market (<20 seats) I think it’s less about the language and more about why a business is looking for a solution in the first place. Is it lower cost? Features? Mobility? Most of these consumers are focused on cost & reliability first, features and functionality second. I think companies in this space should focus on finding a partner with a strong reputation for simplicity, excellent support, and straight-forward pricing.

When you get into the larger markets, where you might be dealing with IT professionals, multiple locations,  or with additional service needs - the same reasons ‘why’ still apply. However, companies are putting more at risk in choosing a provider and as such, should educate themselves more before finding the partner that provides them with the service level requirements they need.

In short, as a customer if you feel you don’t understand what a company is selling you - then they might not be the right fit for your business. 

2. How much of the technical language of VoIP do businesses need to understand to administer their phone systems and manage their voice networks? What solutions are available for businesses that don't have the resources to perform these tasks themselves?

Again, it depends on the size of the business and what type of solution they are looking for. Most businesses with less than 10 seats aren’t going to need a high level of knowledge, while larger businesses will want to familiarize themselves with service related language. There are a wide variety of Hosted PBX options in this space that simplify the management of devices and numbers. VoIP providers offer a variety of options for small or large businesses when it comes to administration or customization, including dedicated support, onsite training/installation, and SLA’s for some businesses. There are 3rd party consultants in the space that are available as well.

3. How are technologies and services evolving to serve smaller businesses without dedicated IT staff to help with purchasing and administering solutions? How do app-based models like Voxox's help to address the needs of this market segment?

While technology can sometimes complicate an offering, when done right it automates and simplifies. Support is making a comeback and better tools are available to help customers. Online management portals are getter better UI’s, support is becoming more accessible with social/helpdesk/crm tools. The entire purchase process can now be done online without the need for a quote and timely. At Voxox, we offer a full range of telephony services including mobile/desktop apps for consumers, Cloud Phone and Hosted PBX for small business, as well as wholesale/carrier services.

4. What aspects of VoIP technology do businesses need to understand to maximize ROI with SIP trunking?

Now we’re wandering into acronym land… Anytime you talk about ROI, you need to understand all of the costs involved. Cost of hardware, cost of service, cost of support, cost of maintenance. At a high level, you save with SIP because you don’t have to over provision lines at your locations and reduce hardware costs. Fewer PRIs (primary rate interface) or T1s. SIP offers affordability and flexibility. However a poorly managed SIP setup can be just as costly. The real ROI comes from adopting a centralized architecture, improved security, and the benefits of a well managed SBC (session border controller)

5. How will the language of Unified Communications shift as providers expand their offerings in the SMB space? Will this expansion also involve technological innovations?

It becomes simplified and more widely understood. To reach more markets successfully, providers have to simplify the messaging. There will likely be technical innovations, more automation, more controls. Not long ago, the concept of “the cloud” didn’t exist - now it’s a mainstream term. Saas, Big Data.

Do you find yourself in a perpetual state of packing and unpacking? Is your personal theme song the Allman Brothers’ classic road anthem “Ramblin' Man?” Do you think of your bedroom at home as more of a pit stop than a destination? If you answered “Yes” to more than one of these questions, congratulations, you are living the life of a traveling salesman.

As the proud owner of a small company, business takes you to places far and wide as you pitch your product and network with contacts. This month it’s meetings in Chicago and Philadelphia, next month trade shows in Las Vegas and New York; the bottom line is you’re always on the go. But as you hop around, you may find yourself worrying about missing important emails or calls from potential clients or partners. Well fortunately, a cloud phone system designed specifically for small businesses can alleviate your worries and get you on the road to a thriving business.

In 60 seconds or less you can set up a virtual, cloud-based phone system that turns your cell phone into an enterprise-level solution. You don’t need to be a tech whiz to use call conferencing or voicemail to email to set up extensions for other employees; all you need is a mobile phone number. You also get your own company-specific number, meaning you no longer have to give out your personal contact information to every potential contact you meet.

So if your natural habitat is a hotel room and you’re looking for growth that moves at your pace, consider adopting technology that gives you the power of an enterprise phone system without the major hassle and expense.

It’s no coincidence that all phone commercials stress their competitive pricing, but only cloud-based phone services really provide just that.

Phone systems are an expense many businesses consider a foregone conclusion and a sunk cost. Additionally, downtime, hidden fees, and lackluster support are considered norms. But traditional providers sticking to that old-fashioned model are in for a rude awakening, because there’s a new sheriff in town—small business virtual phones.

By offering service maintained by a host over the Internet, a small business virtual phone lets businesses slash hardware installation and maintenance expenses. Cloud technology also makes the service more reliable and less vulnerable to disasters. Better yet, the monthly fee associated with the service is peanuts!  

Small business phone service also take all the business features of a legacy enterprise system and make them accessible from the one thing professionals almost always have in front of them: their smartphones. Those features include:

• A digital text box for customized greetings that can be adjusted quickly on the fly
• Voicemail transcription that lets you read messages when listening isn’t an option
• Reach Me Anywhere call forwarding that ensures you are reachable anywhere
• Instant conference calling that facilitates better collaboration
• A business-specific number that you can start giving to clients right away

To review, small business virtual phone systems are less expensive than legacy service, and they are feature-rich. They are easier and faster to install and more convenient to use and maintain.

Remind us: why exactly would any business want to stick with a legacy system?

On this blog we’ve written a lot about the tools you need to launch a new business or grow an existing one. Some professionals, however, may have created a great new product or have a marketable skill they would like to monetize but they don’t want to give up the security of their current full-time job.

Image Courtesy of Flickr User Jeremy Levine

An “in-between” option for these workers is to start a side business, something that can be done during off hours or weekends. In fact, the New York Times recently published a piece by a finance reporter who maintained financial security during the recession by creating “money planners” and selling them, eventually growing revenue to about $5,000 per year.   

One of the challenges the author encountered when she began the new venture was finding time to juggle a family, a full-time job and a side business. Perhaps if Cloud Phone had been around at the time she launched her business she could have cleared those hurdles with less stress.

What Cloud Phone does, essentially, is help you turn your mobile number into an enterprise phone system. When you sign up—which takes less than a minute—you get a business-specific number that you can give to potential clients instead of your personal number. The system also makes it easy to set up auto attendants to greet callers, phone extensions if you work with more than one person, and even voicemail to email capability, just to name a few of the key features. The entire small business phone system is maintained by Voxox in the cloud, meaning you don’t have to worry about maintenance, repair or installation costs.

When you sign up for Cloud Phone—which starts as low as $14.95 per month—you make it possible to be more productive during your off hours, whether it’s on the train home from work or at your child’s soccer game. With almost no hassle, you have everything you need to start a successful side business. So what are you waiting for?