CloudPhone Blog

ou're thinking about starting an Etsy business and one of the things you will need is a phone system. But, your team works from home− knitting scarves, making necklaces, crafting anything and everything− or you are a one person operation. For you, it just doesn't make sense to buy a traditional phone system so instead you’re considering getting a virtual phone system.

What is a virtual phone system and what does it mean for you? A virtual phone system is a phone system that's entirely in the cloud - you get a dedicated business number and many powerful business-grade telephony features that are associated with it, but no hardware. All you need is your own existing mobile phone (or any phone, really!) − no special skills, or other equipment necessary! All calls to your virtual number (a.k.a. your dedicated business phone line) are directed to your mobile phone, and/or any other phone(s) of your choice, and can help your business convey a professional image, while staying connected and organized. 

Here are some features you’ll love: 

One central number that routes to different departments (customer service, sales, billing, etc.). Even if you don't actually have different departments, but your store carries multiple products, or you have multiple stores on Etsy, or several employees who handle different aspects of the business, it is convenient for you and your customers to have a central and clearly organized hub for communication. When your Etsy customers call about anything associated with your products, not only will they be directed to the correct line, allowing you and your team to address the inquiry quickly, but they will also get the impression you are a professional, booming business!  

Voicemail transcription helps you keep customer messages organized. If you’re a musician or a potter (or perhaps someone who manages an Etsy store as a side business to a day job) you know that answering the phone isn’t always possible – plus who wants clay all over their device?! So, rather than going through all your messages and listening for specific requests and call back numbers, voicemail transcription automatically creates text and email messages that you can easily read and reference.

Professional greetings give your business legitimacy. No matter what kind of store you own or how long you have been in business, customers receiving your professional voicemail message will have more trust in your operation. Customization also lets you change the message whenever you’d like, allowing you to brand your business and keep your customers up to date on important information – holidays, when you’re on vacation, if certain products are out of stock, etc.

Instant set-up means that once you decide you want a virtual phone system, you can set it up in minutes. There’s no need for professional help or maintenance, so your phone line will never be down, and your customers will never be without support. 

Scalability allows you to add lines or remove lines as your team changes − paying for only what you need and keeping your overhead low. This is the perfect solution for seasonal Etsy business like a Christmas décor store or a jewelry maker that brings extra team members on to help handle skyrocketing sales for Valentine’s Day.

Mobility lets you and your team to work from anywhere while still staying connected. If you want to go on vacation, relocate your business or hire a team member on the other side of the country, a virtual phone system has the functionality to accommodate all your moves without a hitch.

With all the professional perks and cost savings that come with a virtual phone system, your business (and wallet) can’t afford not to try it out. Give your Etsy home business a big business image with a virtual phone system and be sure to let us know how much you love it!  

SMS helps you grow your business by instantly connecting you with the people you need to reach when you need to reach them. While other forms of communication, like phone calls and email, certainly have their spot in the business communications roster, it’s time to make SMS a front-runner and here are some stats that will push you to take the leap.

We just published a brand new post on the Voxox blog with a slew of stats on SMS effectiveness that will show you where texting can make a difference for your business.

Did you know that you can send and receive text messages with your Voxox Cloud Phone number? Using SMS through your virtual phone system keeps your personal messages and your business messages separate. Getting started with business SMS is super easy (here’s how).

The holidays are a busy time of year for businesses of all shapes and sizes. No matter what product or service you're selling, chances are your call volume will start going through the roof as we get closer to the holidays. But traditional enterprise level phone systems along with keeping adequate staff on hand to field incoming calls aren’t always in the budget, which is where virtual numbers might come in handy. Virtual numbers can be routed to mobiles or landlines of your seasonal workers, and, to take this a step further, you might consider toll free numbers to create even more benefits for your business image. Here's how: 

   1. Credibility for Your Business

Toll free numbers are often perceived as a symbol of professionalism and establishment. People want to make sure their purchases are being made through real companies that deliver on their promises, particularly when it comes to being timely with their holiday gift orders. Adding a toll free phone number to represent your company is one way to validate your business image (unless you specifically want to appear local). Furthermore, choosing a toll free number with repeating or patterned digits can help reinforce brand recognition by making it easy for prospects and customers to remember your company phone number.

1. Handling High Call Volume

When you think of toll free numbers, you typically think of enterprise level companies like national hotel and car rental chains, but even a one person business venture can reap the benefits of a toll free number. Not only do toll free numbers provide a professional image for your business, but when they are added as virtual numbers, they come with features like a virtual assistant, call forwarding and professional voicemail services that give your customers the attention they deserve, and the automated service your business needs. This means that if you have a business that is likely to see the holiday volume ramp up and/or you know you'll need to call in the seasonal troops, simply add a virtual number that's toll free to scale your call volume. Whether you or your team is answering questions, scheduling services or selling products, customer calls need to be answered promptly – and incoming callers would rather hear an option to hold than a busy signal or even worse, no answer at all.

1. Filling Pre-Orders

Pre-ordering hot gifts, holiday necessities and timely services, like tickets to a haunted house or securing a Santa costume for a holiday party, is a way for consumers to guarantee an item will be in their hands, and it’s also a way for businesses to make customers happy during the most wonderful time of the year. Keep your customers satisfied by getting them the means to reach you via a toll free number when they want – before they have a reason to move on to your competitor!

1. Providing Phone Support

When consumers are frustrated or in a rush, they want to talk to a real person rather than wait for a response through digital forums or online support portals. Providing a toll free number that connects callers directly with a real person is a tried and true way to win approval and build lasting relationships. By answering questions and granting requests on the spot, your customers will feel confident in their purchases and recommend you to their friends and family. With the right service (like Cloud Phone!), you can easily snag a toll free number and route it directly to the mobile and/or landline numbers of your choice – making the holiday communication influx easier on you and your customers. 

The holidays are serious business, and now thanks to virtual numbers and toll free numbers, even the smallest of businesses can offer the same kind of phone service to its customers as a Fortune 500 company – minus the heavy overhead. Could your business benefit from a toll free number over the holidays? To learn more, read our blog on 4 Ways to Gauge Whether You Need a Toll Free Number.

usinesses need phone systems, so why stick to a traditional phone service when you could have a virtual PBX? Virtual PBX combines traditional telephone service with the Internet “cloud” to offer more features, greater flexibility, and significant costs savings. Companies using a virtual PBX service can reap significant savings on their monthly phone bill and forego investment in new phone equipment -- one of the biggest perks of virtual PBX. Greater capabilities and freedom, coupled with major cost savings, sounds like a deal you and your business can’t refuse. Here's how all those saved dollars add up:

Low Cost Calling

Small businesses that switch from a traditional business phone system to a virtual PBX service (which uses VoIP) reduce the cost of their local calls by up to 40% and international calls by up to 90%, according to tech.co. Even if you're running an inbound call enter, or make just the occasional phone call, your cost savings will add up, not to mention all the enterprise grade features that come standard with a virtual PBX service. 

• Save on local calls
• Dramatically reduce your international calling bills

Save Money on Equipment & Startup Fees 

If you're starting a new business, choosing a VoIP business phone system can cut initial startup costs by as much as 90% (Tech.co). However, that cost savings is amplified even further with a virtual PBX service, which eliminates the need to buy or lease physical phone equipment for your business. Just connect the smartphone you already use to your system in the cloud. Look for virtual PBX services that also offer faxing to avoid having to get a separate fax line or a fax machine.

• No cost for phone equipment
• No extra fee for a fax number or costly fax machine

No Cost (and Easy) Maintenance

When dealing with a traditional phone company, any changes you make to your phone system will cost you. Need another line? Expect to pay for setup and service. Want to downgrade? You'll have to wait until the end of your contract and you most likely will have to pay some fees. With a virtual PBX service, you don't have to deal with any of that, but here’s what you do get: 

• No maintenance or support fees
• No downgrade fees
• No extra fees for adding extensions
• A system that can grow with your company, regardless of size to accommodate your business’s current and future needs. Adding lines, removing lines, changing lines and hiring remote workers can all be managed through your personal web dashboard. 

Reduce Overhead with Telecommuting

A typical business could save $11,000 per person per year by offering telecommuting positions, according to GlobalWorkPlaceAnalytisc.com. In fact, the same source says many businesses show teleworkers are also 35-40% more productive than their traditional counterparts. With a virtual PBX service, you can keep remote workers connected seamlessly and improve productivity rates, which ultimately reduces overhead. With a virtual PBX service, workers can be anywhere across the globe and, as long as they have an internet connection, it would be just as if they were sitting right in the office. This flexibility allows you to find and retain talent, and accommodate practically any type of remote worker situation.

• Reduce costs by offering more positions to telecommuters
• Use virtual PBX service to provide a more productive and efficient work environment

A virtual PBX service offers all the great things you love in a traditional phone system like reliability, without all the things you don’t like high costs, clunky hardware and geographic restrictions – plus a lot of extras like high-end business features and flexibility. Do you have any other ways you save with virtual PBX?  Comment here or on our social channels (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.)

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.

We are excited to share that our Cloud Phone service is now supporting two-way SMS for toll free numbers!  Not only that, but Cloud Phone customers will also get complimentary SMS that they can use with their toll free numbers. It's an awesome deal - check out our announcement here.

Monthly box subscription companies are a perfect option for those looking to give a gift or participate in some self-indulgence. They’re convenient, fun and often offer exclusive products at significant discounts – and the demand is high! It’s no wonder box subscriptions companies are popping up to cater to an array of different demographics and interests.

But, with these box subscription businesses booming, how do the people behind them keep up with customer feedback, complaints and inquires? By building strong communication channels between themselves and their customers – including a professional, yet easy to manage, business voice presence.

For box subscription services that don't have a physical office location, a virtual phone system may be the most cost effective voice presence solution. Virtual phone systems offer a ton of features that a small business with a disbursed or traveling workforce may need to effectively and efficiently communicate with customers. Here are some examples:

1. Customizable greetings allow you to brand your voice presence just as you would your packaging and website. If your box subscription service is called “MeowBox” and is targeted toward millennial cat owners, having a fun greeting incorporating your brand name might be just what you need to secure brand loyalty or persuade a new customer to buy. Customization with a virtual phone service is typically easy to manage so you can change your message as often as you would like, allowing you to test out different messages and keep customers up to date on important information – if certain products are out of stock, wait time on responses, etc.
2. Mobility means you can take your business phone anywhere. If you’re at a trade show looking for new items for your next box and your business partner is out of town, or if you have team members dispersed across the country, you can all stay in touch with customers conveniently from the smart phones you already own.
3. Menu options and caller directories let incoming callers choose who they want to talk to. Whether you and your team (or maybe just you), are together in a room or spread across the country, callers can choose which department – billing, sales, product information, package tracking, etc. – they want to talk to. Not only does this give your business a bigger feel, but it lets you organize calls and get the caller to the right person quickly.
4. Voicemail transcription is a no brainer for a box subscription business. If you’re busy stuffing boxes and trying out potential products, do you really have the time or hands to take notes while listening to a voicemail? Probably not. Voicemail transcription takes the words down for you so you can easily read, save, respond or forward any messages you get.
5. Easy set up allows you to sign up for a virtual phone system and have it working within minutes. Some virtual phone services are easier to set up than others, but pretty much all are easier than setting up equipment for a traditional phone system. Plus, since the phone system works virtually, you never have to worry about the headaches and costs of maintenance.
6. Scalability lets you add and subtract lines as your demand changes. During holiday seasons, as subscriptions and gift box orders rise, adding a few extensions or virtual numbers for seasonal help will ensure you always have the services you need, at a price that fits your current situation.

If your business’ phone presence can’t deliver on all these features, then it’s time to think outside the box (pun intended) and sign up for a virtual phone system. We can have you making calls in just 3 steps – get started now

As a mobile consultant, you have the luxury of travelling, making your own hours and maintaining a solid work-life balance. However, since you’re on the go, you also face some communication challenges – especially when it comes to your business phone.

Let’s address those phone communication challenges now and see how a virtual phone system can help.

1. Your clients are calling your personal cell number OR you’re carrying and paying for two cell phones.

Don’t mix business with pleasure, they say – so why are you sending your business and personal phone calls to one number? Because you don’t want to have two cell phones AND pay two cell phone bills. Or, maybe you’re already doing this and no longer want to juggle the two. Either way, with a virtual phone system, you won’t have to pay double or manage two phones.

Virtual phone numbers are hosted in the cloud and connect directly with the smart phone you already have. This means that when a client calls your virtual number (aka your new business number) it will ring to your personal smart phone... but your virtual number also has its own professional greeting system and menu options, so if can’t answer the phone, don’t worry! Your caller will not be sent to your “Hey bros this is Bobby” voicemail that is meant for your personal contacts. Instead, your prospect, partner or customer will receive a professional custom greeting from you (ex: “Hello, you’ve reached Consulting by B.”).

A virtual phone system will give you peace of mind by providing a professional image for your business, save you money on a second phone, and give you access to personal contacts – all from one phone.

2. You have team members and they are also using personal cell numbers for business.

If you’re working with a remote team, chances are they are facing the same challenges as you. Personal and business calls coming into one phone line, carrying multiple devices, etc. A virtual phone system will not only ease these woes for you, they will do the same for your team.

A virtual phone number can be linked to multiple devices, so if you want to connect your business partner or your handful of employees to your new business phone number, no problem! The virtual phone system will act as a hub where you can then create different “departments” (billing, shipments, marketing, etc.) or add a directory to the caller menu so each team member has their own extension. Not only does this make your business sound super professional and provide major credibility points, but is also really convenient for your callers.

3. You have a hard time keeping up with business voicemails and important messages.

Voicemails are a nightmare. Listening to them, remembering what someone said, finding paper and a pencil to write down the call back number, it’s awful and chances are you end up spending too much time on the logistics and/or miss out on a lot of business opportunities because of missed messages. Virtual phone systems offer a saving grace – voicemail transcription. Voicemail transcription does exactly what it sounds like; it transcribes your voicemails so you can read them. This is awesome for busy people because you can read, save, send, go back and read again, or just delete entirely, all without ever listening to anything. While you might have appreciated being able to say, “Oh, sorry, never got that voicemail,” to a high school acquaintance who is always inviting you for drinks at a bad time, you will never have to say it to a client who wants to make a purchase or solicit your services. 

4. You do not have a professional phone presence.

We’ve touched on this a bit in the other points, but it’s important and worth revisiting. A professional phone presence is a necessity for a business –no matter how small. A virtual phone system offers a slew of professional features like:

• Auto attendant
• Department or personnel extensions
• Custom voicemail
• Inbound faxing
• Call forwarding or simultaneous ring settings for multiple phones
• Call screening
• Voicemail transcription

5. You know your current phone situation isn’t working, but you don’t have the time to find a new business phone solution.

If you’re experiencing this, you’re not alone and congrats to you for taking the first step – Googling an alternative! Virtual phone systems with the right user experience should be very simple to set up (Cloud Phone, for example takes less than a minute!) and you can manage your account from the cloud. This allows you to scale easily as your business grows and changes, and you only pay for what your business needs, resulting in overall cost savings and increased convenience.

For mobile consultants, having a virtual phone system is business phone communication heaven. If you want to give it a try, you can do a free 30-day trial with Cloud Phone any time. Share your feedback below or via our social channels!  

Imagine you have a growing consulting firm. Other than yourself, you have 4 employees -- a business manager, 2 account managers, 1 billing specialist. You're not planning to share an office, as everyone is working remotely from their homes. (You hired people you trust, from prior gigs, so you're comfortable with a virtual office.) 

While planning your business venture, you've been giving out your personal cell phone number, but now that you have client-facing employees who also deal with vendors, partners, etc., you want a unified business image, which starts with a single, centralized business phone number. Since you don't have a physical office, you've been exploring the concept of a cloud-based phone service that allows you to assign simple extensions to your virtual employees stemming from your main business line. 

This is where Cloud Phone's employee extensions come in handy. Once you sign up for this cloud-based phone service, you can add an extension in three easy steps:

Step 1: Enter the employee’s existing mobile number.

Step 2: Enter their first and last name.

Step 3: An extension will be instantly assigned. Accept it, or assign one of your choice.

Simple, right? Now you can manage admin privileges with the hit of a button and even customize individual cloud-based phone service settings in a matter of seconds.

When you have employees that need to be available to clients and partners via phone, you want to establish a consistent professional presence with a robust cloud-based phone service. Cloud Phone comes with a 30 day free trial, is fully managed via web, with no upfront costs and no equipment to buy, so give it a shot and see just how much it simplifies your life!

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.