CloudPhone Blog

As a business owner you’ve probably already made a list of goals and resolutions for the New Year that cover the basics of finance, client retention and overall growth—and you may have even dug in a little deeper to commit to improving employee engagement and making sure you’re taking advantage of local networking groups. But have you taken stock of your business communications goals for 2020?

Communications with your employees, partners and clients is the key to success, so it’s time to upgrade to technology that not only improves your communications, but also makes your life easier—and saves you money!

Here are a few real (and realistic) ways to better your business communications in 2020:

1. Sign up for a cloud-based phone service

What’s a cloud-based phone service? It acts just like a traditional phone line but connects over the internet to your mobile device—and comes with an extensive list of professional features (many of them at no additional cost!). It’s perfect for business owners on the go, those who may not have a traditional workspace, growing teams, and thrifty leaders who just want to shave a few (or more) dollars off their traditional business phone bill. For more details, see here.

2. Set up a virtual receptionist

If you’ve ever dreamed of having a personal assistant, a virtual receptionist is as close as you may get without adding onto your payroll. Virtual receptionists are the heart of your cloud-based phone system, allowing you to automatically answer, route and manage your calls (press “1” for sales, press “2” for support…). And with multiple virtual receptionists you can easily create different versions for weekdays/weekends, holidays, different languages and more.

3. Text your customers

More than three quarters of US consumers say receiving a text message is the fastest way to reach them for important service updates and purchases– so, if you’re not texting your customers you may be missing out on potential business! Make sure your cloud-based phone system offers two-way SMS so you can effectively stay in touch with your clients and prospective clients.

4. Utilize voicemail transcription

If you’re a repeat offender of the full voicemail box, voicemail transcription will be your right-hand man in 2020. Voicemail transcription not only transcribes your voicemails into text so you can read them on the go, it also allows you to save important messages or delete unnecessary ones with the click of a button.

5. Try toll-free numbers

Toll-free numbers aren’t just for big corporations. With a cloud-based phone system you can easily add or remove toll free numbers (and local numbers) to suit your needs. Toll free numbers are a great way to expand your small business so you can reach new markets and instantly sound more established and credible. Many toll-free number providers also support SMS!

6. Set up call routing

This powerful feature acts as the cornerstone of communications management—and makes sure you never miss an important call again! In the most basic use case, simply route your extension (assuming you set these up with your virtual receptionist) to your smartphone. In more advanced scenarios, you can route your cloud-based number to multiple locations (like your office, your home and your cell). Ring several extensions simultaneously, or ring them in a specific order. It’s completely customizable for your needs.

Give one, or all of these a try in 2020 and we’re sure you’ll be wondering why you didn’t make the move to a cloud-based phone system sooner! Your customers, partners, employees and wallet will thank you for the business communications upgrade.

For small and local businesses, the holidays are a busy time and a perfect opportunity to wow your existing and new customers with impeccable customer service. While for many this means greeting customers at the door, keeping shelves stocked and offering complimentary gift wrapping, there are other forms of customer service your clients expect, like professional phone etiquette and effective communication. Whether you have a virtual business or a brick and mortar store, these tools can help you provide great customer service over the holidays--some in ways you may never have thought of!

1. Record a Festive Voicemail

Adding some holiday cheer to your company voicemail is a simple and fun way to show your callers you're engaged and attentive. Be sure to also include pertinent information like special holiday hours, closings or holiday sale offerings! 

Here's an example: Thank you for calling Ron's Furniture Gallery! All of our elves are currently assisting customers with our store-wide 50% sale (happening now through New Years Day). Please leave a message and we'll get back to you soon, or come in and see what holiday deals you can find! Happy holidays and have a great day.

2. Text Your Customers It's no secret that people love to text, and receive texts--even from businesses. Texting is a great way to quickly reach your clients in order to share information on special sales, holiday hours, promo codes and when their favorite items are back in stock. Use text as an opportunity to remind your customers you're open for business!  Try something like: Ho! Ho! Ho! Pandemonium Coffee is open tonight until 8pm - 50% off lattes, 20% off whole coffee beans and 30% any retail item if you drop off dry goods for the local shelter. Bring your friends!

3. Create Holiday Themed Phone Menu Options If you use a professional phone service with menu options, these are typically the first communications you have with callers, so why not make them memorable? It's a simple and easy way to bring a little holiday spirit to an otherwise mundane experience (just be sure to change it back after the holiday season!) Say you own and operate a print shop, opt for a simple, yet festive, menu like this: Press 1 for The Workshop, Press 2 to talk to Santa, Press 3 for All Other Inquiries.

4. Activate Reach Me Anywhere Actually answering the phone is important for impeccable customer service too! And that's why there's Reach Me Anywhere. This feature does just what it sounds like--when your number is dialed, it rings to the phone number or numbers you've programmed in, either sequentially or simultaneously--allowing you to be reached anywhere. While this isn't holiday-specific, its very useful when you're on the go. Providing stellar customer service doesn't have to be hard to time consuming, you just need the right tools and the know-how to make it happen! 

Entrepreneurs and small business owners like yourself are busy. Busy running your business, helping clients, training employees and of course—taking phone calls. Wouldn’t it be great if the burden of remembering and accounting for all the details discussed on key calls was taken off your shoulders? It can be with call recording.

If you’ve already switched to a virtual phone service like Voxox Cloud Phone, your provider probably offers this feature for free—perhaps you just haven’t discovered it yet! For those of you still on an old-school system, make the switch now.

Here are a few reasons why your business needs call recording: 

1. Capture Missed or Forgotten Details

No pen and paper? No problem, call recording lets you pay attention to the conversation, rather than franticly searching for something to write on. Listen back on the recording to get the details when you need them.

2. Share Information Between Employees

Say you took a call that was better suited for your business partner. Rather than passing along notes or trying to explain the conversation, simply share the call recording with them, and they can take it from there.

3. Quality Control

Knowing that your entire team is providing accurate information, acting professional on the phone and treating your clients right will allow you to rest easy—and improve your client relations (aka sales). Listen to select recordings to make sure your team is up to snuff.

4. Resolve Disputes

Unhappy clients are cause for alarm and call recording can help you get to the bottom of an issue. Whether an order was placed incorrectly, or a caller was given mis-information, recording calls with the customer can give you the details you need to appropriately rectify the issue.

5. Improve Customer Service

Have an unsatisfied client, or a super happy one? Listen back on the call recording that swayed them for insight into what your team can do better, or to train your employees on what great customer service sounds like!

Why not give yourself the option to go back to and review your important calls, when needed? Start using call recording today and see how it can improve your business efficiency, enhance your customer service and increase sales.

New Year's resolutions don't have to be big commitments you'll give up on by the end of February. As a business owner you have enough to stress about, let alone committing to your over-the-top New Year's resolutions! So we've put together a list of resolutions you can commit to and accomplish in just a few minutes. These will not only improve your business phone communications, but also save you time and make you more productive all year long. 

 So, here's our list. Start checking them off today:

1. Sign up for a virtual number (if you haven't yet!) -- brainstorm your strategy on how to take advantage of extra numbers that route back to your main line.
2. Commit to communicating via text with clients -- it saves time and can make a big difference in business productivity. 
3. Keep your voicemail greeting updated -- fresh and relevant is something your clients will love! 
4. Update your phone directory as needed -- ensure that your callers' time is valued and respected with an efficient way to reach the department or person they need within your business.
5. Utilize voicemail transcriptions -- another time saver and great for keeping your voicemail messages on record.
6. Set up call forwarding -- especially useful when you're on the go.
7. Use your Virtual Receptionist(s) -- a great way to keep your business phone communications professional.

So what's the next step? It's time to take these resolutions and put them into action. New Year's resolutions are designed to bring improvements during the coming year and these seven simple resolutions will have your business phone communications rocking in 2019!

Our two-part blog series on virtual phone numbers continues as we answer more frequently asked questions. Read on to understand the benefits that a virtual number could have on your small business! 

5. Do I need any special software or equipment to make it work?

Virtual numbers work exactly the same as any other phone number – once you set up forwarding through your virtual numbers provider, all you need is your existing phone! 

6. Can I forward multiple virtual numbers to a single calling device?

You can get as many virtual numbers as you want and they’ll all reach you at the phone of your choice.

7. Can I forward a single virtual number to multiple calling devices?

Yes! Typically, when you're setting up call forwarding, you can indicate that you'd like the call to forward to multiple phone numbers that are associated with specific calling devices (e.g., your cell phone, desk phone, home phone, softphone on your computer, etc.), either sequentially or simultaneously.

8. What happens if I don’t answer?

If you miss a call to your virtual number, the caller will be forwarded to your virtual number voicemail box. You can customize this voicemail greeting to reflect your brand and provide callers with more information about your business.

9. What features come with a virtual number?

The beauty of virtual numbers isn't just convenience and cost-savings, it's also the advanced features you get that go beyond your typical mobile phone features. Each virtual numbers provider has a slightly different list of features, but just to give you an idea, here's the Cloud Phone list:

• Auto Attendant
• Call Forwarding
• Call Screening
• Extensions / Users
• Fax (Inbound)
• International Call Forwarding
• Local Phone Number
• Management Portal
• Outbound Calling
• Professional Greetings
• Reach Me Anywhere
• Toll Free Numbers
• Voicemail
• Voicemail Transcription

10. Can I still use my regular phone number? 

Yes, of course! Your regular phone number will function just the same as always –if not better. Now that you have a virtual number to field your business calls, you can keep your cell phone number private and make your voicemail greeting as goofy as you’d like. 

Now that you’ve got the virtual numbers FAQ, you have all the information you need to put your business on the path to communications success. Do you currently use virtual numbers for your small business? Or, do you have any questions on how to get your business set up with a virtual number? Post in the comments below or connect with us on social media – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

With warm weather and sunshine enticing you and your team to play hooky, summer months can be some of the least productive of the year. Thoughts of travelling, hitting the beach and enjoying the outdoors can leave employees feeling unmotivated and drained. So why not let them fulfill their summertime dreams, all while keeping productivity up? You can with virtual numbers.

Technology and mobile gadgets allow us to travel and work from anywhere, all while keeping in touch with globally dispersed teams. Virtual numbers are a convenient and inexpensive way to take important work-related calls with you while you’re on-the-go – and maybe even allow you to extend your vacation!

Here are 5 ways your team can use virtual numbers (and all the features that come with them) to keep productivity up during the summer months.... and still enjoy the sunshine

1. Call Forwarding

If you want to work outdoors and won’t be around the office, call forwarding lets you take calls straight to your cell and avoid the risk of missing an important call.

2. Call Screening

Maintaining a professional image is essential for building rapport with clients, and that means giving out your cellphone number, no matter how dedicated it may seem, can backfire. By receiving work calls to your business’ virtual number, you will know when you’re fielding a business call – and if you’re not prepared to answer, just send it to voicemail – saving you face in case they caught you waist deep in margaritas! 

3. International Extensions

If you are planning to travel out of the country, you can set a 3 digit extension to follow you no matter where you are in the world. Say you're based in California and are planning to go to Belize on a family trip. As a business owner you're not able to unplug for too long, and luckily Belize has only a 1 hour time difference from your usual work day hours. You can set your virtual number to forward to your hotel or a local cell phone you rented, and the caller (who is dialing your main business line and extension will be able to reach you (if you want them to!). A great way to balance work and play and make the kids happy to stay abroad longer.

4. Voicemail

If a caller ends up at your voicemail, for whatever reason, they won’t be the wiser that they called a virtual number linked to your cell phone – as they’ll be prompted to leave a message by your custom, professional voicemail greeting. And you can easily and quickly pick up the voicemail, no matter where you are.

5. Voicemail Transcription

Listening to a voicemail isn’t always easy, especially when your cell service isn’t strong. But voicemail transcription lets you read your voicemails via email or text – so as long as you can grab a wifi signal you’ll be in the loop.

If you’re feeling a summer slump in workplace productivity or are looking for ways to avoid it all together, provide your team with the tool they need to succeed – a virtual number! With the right service, set-up is easy and because the benefits of virtual numbers go far beyond mobility, you’ll be reaping the rewards all year long. 

You took the plunge and started your own micro-business (i.e., a business that operates on a very small scale with just one or a handful of employees). You’ve created a logo, launched your website and set up a Facebook page, but now what? There are a thousand questions running through your head: should my business also be on Twitter? What about Instagram? How should I use my newly founded social pages to build brand awareness and gain clients while also running my company?

We get it, effectively using social media to market your business can be hard. Between decoding social media jargon, managing ads, organic reach and sharing relevant content across your social channels, there’s not a whole lot of time left to manage your business. However, there are ways to achieve social media success – even if you are a one or few-person micro-business.

Here are five steps to help your business’ social media channels work for you:

1. Stay focused

There are dozens of social media outlets, but putting your energy into one or two that best fit your business goals will gain you more than spreading yourself too thin. If you’re not sure where you fit in, find out where you clients hang out. Are they on LinkedIn, Twitter or Snapchat? Go where your ideal clients are – and be patient!

2. Complete your profile

Each social network has its own way of displaying profile information, but regardless of what format your bio comes in, it’s important to fill out all applicable aspects of your social profile – especially your contact info! While many of us do not want to share our personal phone numbers on our social media profiles, we do want clients to be able to get in touch. This is the perfect opportunity to use your Cloud Phone number. Your followers will know how to get in touch with you via phone, if they like, and your cell phone privacy is still intact – it’s a win-win!

3. Develop Street Cred

Having a social media presence means more than just having a page on Facebook and an Insta account. You also need followers – and you get them by being interesting, relevant and engaging. Invite influential people and industry leaders to Like your page, create compelling graphics, geotag when necessary and use all of the features social networks have to offer like hashtags and events.

4. Work Smarter

Content takes time to develop, so why do entrepreneurs continue to write blogs, create videos and take photos that they only share once? Because they often don't realize all the ways they can effectively leverage and disseminate content. Take a blog post for example, there are so many ways to cross-promote it: share the link on Facebook, create a promo image and share with the link on Instagram, create tweets from the content, etc. Use hashtags or @ mentions when applicable to broaden your reach and if you’re still in a bind for time, try sharing tools like Hootsuite that let you schedule posts in advance.

5. Drive traffic to your site

Your website is the hub of your business, but social is where people go to talk about it. When sharing deals, photos, events, etc. on your social pages, be sure to direct readers to your website for more information. This will increase traffic to your site, allow your readers to learn more about you (because they’re already on your site) and if you track analytics you can find what your clients are most interested in!

By using these five strategies you can develop an engaged social community and manage your micro-business – all within a day’s work and on a shoestring budget. Do you currently use any tools to help manage your social pages? Or are you struggling to keep us? Share your tips and your stressers in the comments below.

For entrepreneurs like yourself, every hour of the day is dedicated to growing your company and every dollar earned is reinvested. With so much on your plate, having an inexpensive and professional way to manage communications for your growing business can be a life-saver. 

Enter: virtual phone numbers.

Virtual phone numbers can help you control your "phone presence" in an affordable, convenient way. This is why small-business owners everywhere are turning to them to maintain a professional image and keep money in the bank. Here are 5 benefits of virtual phone numbers:

1. Keep business and personal communications separate.

Sometimes you just don't want people you don't know very well to have your personal cell phone number. This is particularly true when you want to publish a phone number for your business online. (Who'd want their cell digits floating around the web?!) A virtual number lets you have a dedicated phone number for your business contacts that's separate from the direct cell number your friends and family use—all from one device. Also, when placing a call from your virtual number, the person on the other end sees your business line as the caller ID.

2. Consistent branding for your business.

Maintaining a professional and consistent image across all your communications is key to business success. Customers may think of you differently if they get a "Hey, this is Bob. Leave a message!" versus "You've reached Robert Smith Financial Advisers...". Now that you have a separate business line, you can create a custom message for your clients, letting them know they’ve reached your business, rather than your personal cell—giving you the professional edge you’ve been craving.

3. More features than your cell phone number. 

With virtual phone numbers, you typically get additional features, such as call forwarding, SMS and email notifications, advanced customization of your settings, advanced conferencing capabilities, etc. With business solutions, like Cloud Phone, you can also get simple extensions for employees (anywhere in the world!), voicemail transcription, and a ton of other useful features that you wouldn't necessarily get when using your personal cellphone to field business calls.

4. No dedicated hardware. 

Talk about flexibility and cost-effectiveness! Virtual phone numbers can work with your mobile phone and your employees' mobiles, so you don't have to pay for an expensive premise-based business phone system or extra phones to stay connected.

5. Toll free virtual numbers. 

Think the toll free number is a thing of the past? No way. The ability to make your business line a toll free number is a great way to expand your business and reach new markets.

If you want to increase efficiency, promote a professional image of yourself, and make it simpler for friends, family and business contacts to connect with you, consider adding a virtual phone number to your business profile. 

Have questions about how to add a virtual number or want to share how virtual phone numbers have improved your business communications? Comment below or connect with us on social media – Facebook, Twitter, Google+.

To survive in today's fast-paced business world, companies need to stand out. While some leaders are focusing on ways to differentiate their brands online through social media, content marketing, and other digital marketing efforts, smart businesses are also nurturing their voice channel. Having a brand-appropriate phone presence gives your business a personal voice.

The telephone is an old-world communications medium, but customers, clients, and partners expect businesses to have a voice channel, and for that channel to reflect the professionalism of the business's brand. Simply listing a phone number isn't enough to get your "voice presence" across the right way. Neglecting your voice channel can have a negative impact on your brand image, causing customers to question your professionalism and potentially shift their business elsewhere. 

Here are 5 mistakes small business make when it comes to their phone service, and ways to avoid them...

1. Voice Greeting Not Brand-Aligned

Small business owners often don’t have the resources or the need for a sophisticated phone system, so they rely on personal cell phones to connect with team members and customers. While combining work and personal lines does save money, it can backfire when it comes to your brand image. If a customer, client, or business partner calls your personal cell phone number and reaches you at a bad time (like during happy hour) or is forwarded to a personal message (like, “Hey, it’s Jim. I never listen to voicemail so I probably won’t call you back!”), they probably won’t be impressed – or worse, never call back.

2. Forgettable Number Makes Business Look Smaller Than Intended

Choosing a business phone number with repeating digits or a pattern not only makes it easy for your customers to remember, but can also impact perception -- a brand that has invested in its voice channel feels more established and professional. Utilizing a toll-free number (e.g., virtual number) can also help small businesses appear larger and more credible, even if it’s just you and a small team working from home.

3. Choosing the Wrong Area Code Can Cost Your Business

Trying to sell over a wide geographic region can be difficult if you’re calling or offering phone support from an out of area number. Customers are more likely to answer incoming local numbers and are also more likely to do business with local businesses. Choosing area codes within your target geographic region or using a toll free number sends a certain signal about your business goals and could help your conversion rate. You can easily obtain multiple virtual numbers so you have a presence in more than one geographic area.

4. Lack of Extensions May Confuse, Irritate Callers

Telling callers that they need to dial a different phone number for their billing or support inquiry because you don't have extensions can confuse, irritate, or even anger callers -- deterring them from calling back. By utilizing a phone system with extensions to route incoming calls to other departments or offering a touchtone menu, you can provide convenient, professional service while also freeing up your own time!

5. Missing Messages & Slow Response Times Reflects Poorly on Your Brand

No one likes listening to voicemails, but what good is a message if you never retrieve it? Choosing a business phone service that offers voicemail transcription makes it easier to manage and view voice messages, ensuring you can help customers when they need it. Responsiveness is key to your brand's reputation. It's much faster to review a voicemail transcription than to find the time (or remember!) to listen to the voicemail. Voicemail transcription helps you get back to the customer faster, earning your brand top marks for customer service.

Having the best social media or email campaigns will not help if your voice channel is out of order. All businesses that rely on voice communications in any way must consider their phone presence to ensure that this element of their brand matches their overall business goals and image.

Have you employed any interesting voice channel techniques to support your business brand? Do you use virtual numbers in your voice presence strategy? Share your comments, questions and challenges with us in the comments below or on our social media channels –  Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Think toll free numbers are just for large enterprises or call centers? The reality is they can be an indispensable business asset for companies of all sizes – even a one- or two-person startup. Beyond providing customers and prospects with a free and convenient way to call your company, a toll free number offers a long list of benefits, such as brand recognition and credibility, and are a great way to expand your business into new markets.

If you’re a small business owner and haven’t cashed in on this inexpensive business asset simply because you didn't think it was easy to obtain a toll free number or because you aren’t clear on how a toll free number could help your business, read on.

What is a toll free number?

A toll free number is a telephone number with special area codes (such as 800, 888, 877 and 866) that allow callers to dial your business without incurring any cost – making it an ideal form of communication for all types of businesses. Whether you run an e-commerce website or a flower shop, any business that requires customers to call in to make a purchase, connect with customer support, or inquire about a service can benefit from a toll free number.

Generally, toll free numbers are issued on a first come, first served basis, but going the extra mile for your customers and choosing a memorable number – like one with repeating digits or patterns – could make an impact on your call volume, sales and ROI. After all, making it easy for customers to contact your business is key to keeping them happy, which directly impacts your bottom line!     

Benefits of a toll free number

Toll free numbers can be extremely valuable to businesses looking to project a professional image. They not only provide your business brand with recognition and credibility, but they can also enhance your company’s perceived size and image – among other things. Here are a few ways toll free numbers can benefit your business: 

1. Appear larger than life.

Until recently, toll free numbers were most frequently used by enterprise level corporations or call centers, which is why having a toll free number – even if you’re working from your home office—can give the impression that you have a much larger operation. 

2. No location? No problem.

With a toll free number, location is obsolete. So whether you’re working from home or relocating your brick and mortar, you and your team can be reached simply by forwarding calls to your cell phone or any phone of your choice. Plus, if you're on the move, having a toll free number through a service like Cloud Phone lets you take all your important calls without being tied to a desk.

3. Improve privacy.

Not only does the added convenience of forwarding calls from your toll free number to your cell mean you don’t have to juggle multiple phones – it also means you no longer have to give out your personal number. Keeping personal and business calls separate is vital to maintaining a professional image for your business.

4. Virtual hub.

Many small businesses these days have remote workers, with no central office and no secretary to direct calls or take messages. With the right setup, a toll free number can act as a hub for your business calls – directing incoming calls to different “departments” or team members, as well as a message center. All it takes is a virtual assistant!

Does your small business have a toll free number? How does it benefit your business? Share your story with other small business owners and entrepreneurs by commenting here or on our social networks – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+.