Becca Martin, Author at Yo Telecom

March 5, 2021March 5, 2021

What Is The Best Phone System for Small Businesses in 2021?

So, you’re in the market for a new phone system for your business… With many different providers, handsets, features, and plans available to choose from, knowing where to start and what to choose can be a bit of a minefield. Throw the BT Switch Off into the mix and suddenly there are so many different requirements to consider when choosing a new system in 2021. Thankfully, we understand this and want to make these decisions a little bit easier for you. With that in mind, this post is going to be a jargon-free guide to the best phone system for small businesses in 2021. Let’s get started, shall we?

Don’t forget about the BT Switch Off:

Before we start, just in case you’ve not heard about the BT Switch Off, let us quickly outline the key points for you. Essentially, by 2025 BT will no longer be using or maintaining their PSTN or ISDN lines, these are the old copper lines used in traditional landline setups.

Why are they switching them off? Well, they’re outdated and are costly to maintain and repair. This means that any business with a telephone system that relies on these lines will need to swap to another.

So, when choosing a new telephone system in 2021, it’s important to remember that it’s best to avoid anything that uses PSTN or ISDN lines as they’ll be useless in the not too distant future. The switch off has already started in Salisbury and is due to be completed nationally in 4 years’ time.

A Change of Business Needs in 2021

The Coronavirus Pandemic has shaken up a lot of businesses’ needs and operations and dramatically changed the working world. Three things that have proven more important than ever are:

– Flexibility – Can your business’ systems adapt to very sudden changes?

– Remote Working – Are you equipped to accommodate a workforce at home?

– Business Continuity – Should the worst happen, have you got a backup plan?

Whilst remote working and flexibility might once have been an after-thought, in 2021 they’re things to be heavily considered. Choosing a phone system that allows you to change as the world changes, is crucial.

What Features Are Important For Your Business?

The best phone system for your business in 2021 will depend heavily on the features that you want to utilise. A few of our most popular ones include:

– Missed Call Logging – Get back to callers that don’t leave a message.

– Call Recording – Listen back at any time to help handle queries or train staff.

– Computer Telephony Integration – Link your business phone and your CRM.

– On-Hold Marketing – Automatically promote your business on calls.

– Cordless Phones – Make and receive calls from anywhere in your building.

Like the sound of any of these features? They’re all available on Yo Telecom phone systems.

The Different Types of Phone Systems

Here at Yo Telecom, we typically sell two main types of phone systems:

– VoIP

VoIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. A VoIP system converts your voice into a digital signal and transmits it over the internet. It is hosted in the cloud rather than physically on your premises. These systems are often referred to as Hosted Systems.

– Hybrid

A hybrid system combines a digital (relies on digital or analogue lines) and an internet phone system and is located on your premises. Having both types of line provides greater reliability than just one or the other.

The Best Phone System For Small Businesses in 2021

A Hybrid Phone System is by far the best choice for small businesses in 2021. They have the most features available, and as previously mentioned, are the most reliable solution. This is due to their hybrid nature. If the internet goes down (which often can’t be avoided), you’re not without a phone.

They are also BT Switch Off ready, meaning when the PSTN and ISDN lines are switched off in your area, you will not be impacted at all. Your telephony will work the same as it did before, and you won’t need to worry about forking out again for a new system.

All of the features we mentioned earlier in this post are available on our hybrid systems. This includes Missed Call Logging and Computer Telephony Integration. We also offer a range of remote working solutions allowing you to operate your business phone system from anywhere. Our remote working telephony solutions operate in the exact same way as your physical phone handsets, allowing you to transfer calls to other handsets, record calls, as well as log any calls you might have missed. Not only this, but your welcome messages and auto-attendant will still play for your callers, even though their calls are being directed to your mobile phone or desktop.

Getting Started With Yo Telecom

Just like every business is unique, each of our telecoms packages are unique. We understand that each business has its own communication needs and hence one-size-fits-all packages don’t best serve our customers.

Because of this, we tailor-make each of our packages with both your business’ needs and budget in mind, to ensure that you get exactly what you need from your system, without needing to pay for features you won’t need. Decide you want something extra in the future? No problem, our team can build it into your package for you.

Interested in hearing more about our Yo Telecom Hybrid Phone Systems? Just drop your details in the form below and a member of the team will be in touch with you shortly!

March 4, 2021

Yo Telecom in the Community: Food Banks

Each month, here at Yo Telecom, we are taking part in at least one charitable activity to help our local community. In January (and every day since), a member of the team has been volunteering at Boyatt Pharmacy’s COVID Vaccine Clinic in Southampton.

In February, we decided to raise money and buy supplies for a local food bank here in Southampton.

The Coronavirus Pandemic has impacted hundreds of thousands of jobs and left many households in difficult positions. Research by The Trussell Trust shows that as Covid-19 hit the UK, there was an immediate and sustained surge in need across its food banks. In April there was an 89% increase in the number of emergency food parcels given out compared with the same month in 2019. As well as this, between April and June 2020, 100,000 new households received support that had never been part of The Trussell Trust’s network.

We’re very fortunate to still be in employment despite the uncertainty in the world. So, being able to help feed people in our postcode was the least we could do.

Here at Yo, we raised a total of £430 and bought a huge variety of items, from gluten-free jam tarts to long-life UHT milk. Our local food bank has a list of what they need most urgently, so this is what we used to decide what to buy.

If you’re local to Southampton and want to get involved too, here’s what is currently needed by the Basics Bank and The Trussell Trust.

So, that’s what February saw us doing, I wonder where March will take us…

Keep an eye on our social media for any updates on other things the team is up to. Have a charity that you’d like us to support? Get in touch and let us know, we’d love to hear from you!

March 2, 2021March 2, 2021

What is the Best WiFi System For Hotels?

When was the last time you visited a hotel that didn’t offer Guest WiFi?

According to Hotel Chatter, 94% of people consider Wi-Fi as the most important hotel amenity and research has also shown that guests who don’t have WiFi in their room have been known to write bad reviews on TripAdvisor and other online platforms.

Not only is WiFi almost always expected by guests, but it’s becoming increasingly relied upon by staff for booking systems too. Rather than be tied down to the front desk, a reliable WiFi connection allows your staff to work on any device from anywhere in your hotel, without any interruptions.

In our experience of helping hundreds of hotels, we’ve seen these two common issues:

– WiFi stops working in certain parts of the building

– WiFi is tediously slow

These issues can lead to a number of implications, most critically; unproductive staff and frustrated guests.

With the right supplier, however, something can be done about poor WiFi and its knock-on effect on your hotel’s success.

The Causes of Most WiFi Problems:

From our experience of helping hundreds of hotels with their telecommunications, these are the most common causes of WiFi problems;

– The distance from the router

– The power of the signal given out by the WiFi device

– Obstructions like thick walls in your hotel

Typically, the further away from the router you are, the worse your WiFi connection is. The average WiFi signal will cover is just over 30 meters, about the length of 7 cars parked in a row.

With this in mind, imagine you are at the furthest end of your hotel – does your WiFi reach there? If your router is in your main office, chances are it won’t reach across your whole building. If your hotel also has thick walls, this could also be causing connection issues, due to the WiFi waves being redirected, weakened or even stopped.

Whilst WiFi extenders or ‘boosters’ often work in the short term, they are not without faults and often lead to drop outs or slow connections.

So, What is the Best WiFi System For Hotels?

With a Yo Telecom WiFi System, we create a structured network of hidden data cables from where your main router is, to strategically located points throughout your hotel – we call these WiFi Access Points.

These WiFi access points send and receive WiFi signals. Because they are physically hard wired into your main router, they send out clean data that isn’t deteriorated in any way.

One of our professional engineers will then ensure that the signal given out by each device overlaps and that it is all on one WiFi network. This means you are able to walk around your hotel with your devices and it’ll automatically connect to the access point with the best connection.

The result of having a Yo Telecom professional WiFi system is having the best WiFi that reaches every room in your entire hotel. Meaning you, your staff and guests can browse happily with no frustrating drop outs or interruptions.

What Are The Benefits Of Choosing A Yo Telecom WiFi System For Your Hotel?

100% WiFi Coverage Guaranteed Across Your Entire Hotel

Both your staff and guests will benefit from having full building WiFi throughout your hotel. The nightmare of guests connecting to WiFi in reception and then complaining that it doesn’t work in their room is a thing of the past. Every room gets the same connection, with fast, reliable speeds.

WiFi Data Capture

Receive valuable marketing data in return for offering free WiFi for your guests. WiFi Data Capture requires guests to sign into the WiFi with information such as their mobile number, email address or social media accounts. This is fully GDPR compliant and can then be used to encourage guests back to your hotel at a later date. Not only does it allow you to grow your contact database, but prevents you from being pestered for the WiFi password, as it only requires their details.

Prioritise Traffic

Without getting into the complexities of the network, with a Yo Telecom WiFi System you can give your staff priority over your guests.

So, if a member of staff needs to access your booking system online, but you have a guest who is also checking their Facebook at the same time, in a split second your staff member will get their information first.

In a nutshell, your staff’s work will not be slowed down or compromised because of other users being connected to your internet.

Business Grade Security (Firewall)

A firewall is a security system that prevents unauthorised access to or from a private network. This is important for businesses, like your hotel, that have databases that contain confidential information. A firewall will protect this information from hackers so it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. This comes as standard with a Yo Telecom WiFi System.

So, there we have it, a roundup of the best WiFi System for Hotels. Interested in setting up a free demo for your hotel? Just drop your details in the form below and one of the team will be in touch!

January 7, 2021March 2, 2021

Phone System with Dental Software Integration

Dental practice management softwares, such as Software of Excellence (SOE), Dentally, and Systems For Dentists have revolutionised modern dentistry.

Not only have they removed the need for physical files cluttering your office, imagine if they could integrate with your phone system too.

Here at Yo Telecom, we can do just that!

In this article, we’ll discuss how this works, the benefits of having integration for your dental practice, as well as the simple steps to get it set up at your practice…

How Does Integration Work for Inbound Calls?

Yo Telecom phone systems are able to talk to third party softwares. So, when you get an inbound call from a patient, it will automatically search your database in a split second for the phone number.

When the phone system finds a match, it’ll notify your receptionist (before they’ve even picked up the phone) with the name of the patient.

Most dental practice softwares then allow your receptionist to click one button to instantly pop up the patient’s records. This allows them to create or amend a booking in seconds, without the need to ask for a patient’s address or D.O.B.

How Does it Work for Outbound Calls?

If your software has a telephone icon, you can simply click the button to call a patient. However, if your software doesn’t have one of these built-in buttons, you can highlight any phone number on your screen, and press a customisable key (for example the F10 key) to dial the number on your handset. We will set this up for you.

What Are The Benefits Of A Phone System with Dental Software Integration?

01. Save an average of 15 seconds per call

No longer waste your patient’s and your receptionist’s time every call, identifying who’s calling. Have their patient record in front of you almost instantly and get straight to solving their query or ammending their booking.

02. Greet patients personally yet professionally

With the patient’s name in front of you, even before picking up the call, you are able to greet your callers in a more friendly manner, without quizzing them on all of their personal details.

03. Call with one click

Not only does the integration allow you to make calls from your dental software on your computer, but it also enables you to call telephone numbers in emails or on websites in one click.

How To Get Set Up With Dental Software Integration:

All sounds good? Here’s how easy our dental integration is to set up:

Step 1 – Enter your details into the form below.

Step 2 – We’ll be in touch to find out your requirements and present you with a few different packages, each with different prices.

Step 3 – You choose which works for you and we’ll take care of your hassle-free switchover. Our specialist engineers have already switched over 400 dental practices, and you’ll also be given full training on your system, allowing you to feel 100% confident with all of its features.

At the time of writing this article, we currently have phone systems that integrate with: EXACT – Software Of Excellence, Carestream R4, Systems for Dentists, BRIDGE IT – Software 4 Dentists, Dentally, iSmile Dental Software, Pearl Dental Software, and DO-IT Assistortho (C.T.S.).

Don’t see yours listed here? Get in touch, chances are we are able to integrate with it!

December 7, 2020December 7, 2020

What Is The Best Phone System For Restaurants?

So, you’re looking for a new phone system for your restaurant… Perhaps you’re stuck with an outdated system, you’re overpaying for poor service or you’re just starting up a new business. Here at Yo Telecom, we’re here to help. We’ve supported many businesses in increasing their success using their telecoms. So, in this post we’re going to explain the different types of phone systems available, their pros and cons and outline which is the best phone system for restaurants.

What are the different types of phone systems?

Digital Phone Systems for Restaurants

Digital phone systems are physically located on your premises. They’re the boxes that are found mounted on the wall or in a cabinet. They connect to your phone line(s) and all of the handsets you have in your building. They rely on digital or analogue lines which means they aren’t future-proof.

VoIP Phone Systems for Restaurants

VoIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. A VoIP system converts your voice into a digital signal and transmits it over the internet. It is hosted in the cloud rather than physically on your premises, which is why these systems are often referred to as Hosted Systems.

Hybrid Phone Systems for Restaurants

As the name suggests, a hybrid system combines a digital and an internet phone system, and is located on your premises. Having both types of line allows you much greater reliability than just a digital or a VoIP system. This is because if one of your lines fails, the system seamlessly switches to the other, meaning you can still make and receive calls as normal.

What is the Best Phone System for Restaurants?

A hybrid system is by far the best phone system for restaurants in 2020. It combines the benefits of a Digital and VoIP system, and allows you to utilise a range of additional impressive features. So, for this reason, we recommend a hybrid phone system for restaurant owners.

What are the benefits of a Yo Telecom Phone System?

Call Logging

Our Advanced Call Logging feature allows you to get back to any calls you might have missed whilst your staff were busy assisting diners. Should the caller leave a voicemail, missing a call usually isn’t too much of a big deal. However, if the caller just hangs up when they can’t get through, this can lead to missed revenue. Particularly if they were calling to book a table. Being able to check your call log when your staff have a minute or two allows you to provide an excellent service and potentially increase your bookings.

On Hold Marketing

Whilst a caller is on hold or waiting to speak to you, why not use this marketing window to promote your restaurant. Whether it be a list of your current specials, your opening hours or any promotions you are running, this time on the phone is invaluable for increasing your success. Our professional voice actors can record any message you’d like, just choose whose voice you’d like to represent your business and what you’d like them to say. Once recorded, our team adds the message to your phone system and you’re good to go. It’s important to note that these messages aren’t final. Iif you’d ever like to make any amendments to the message or rewrite the whole thing, simply send us an email and we’ll get this sorted for you.

100% Cordless Coverage

No longer worry about being out of range if you pop into a back room. With our Yo Telecom phone systems we offer 100% cordless coverage. This means you’ll be able to make and receive calls from anywhere in your restaurant. This is great for those busy times when your staff are busy working all over the premises and can’t be tied to a desk or the one room with good coverage.

Call Recording

Can’t quite remember what someone asked for when booking? You don’t need to call them back and risk seeming unprofessional. With Call Recording you can simply log in and listen to the call again. These calls are also invaluable for staff training. You can show new members of staff how best to handle different types of calls and also monitor and improve how your callers are being treated.

Call Transfer

Transfer calls from one colleague to another at the touch of a button. Whether the caller is a supplier asking to speak to the operations manager in an office or a customer looking to make a special request with the chef, help callers speak to the person they need to quicker.

So there we have it, a roundup of the best phone system for restaurants. A hybrid system offers by far the most features, all of which can be utilised by restaurants to improve their service. A reliable phone system has never been more valuable, particularly as many businesses are operating as takeaways only for the time being and are dependent on their phones. Interested in getting a Yo Telecom phone system set up in your restaurant? Simply fill out the form below!

Next Up: What Is The Best WiFi System For Restaurants

December 1, 2020February 3, 2021

What is the Best WiFi System for Large Offices?

With all of the things to consider when running a business, a poor internet connection should be the least of your worries. A recent survey found that businesses waste an average of 7 hours (one working day) a month due to connection or technology related issues. This is why choosing a good WiFi system for your large office is so important. Because of this, here at Yo, we supply the best WiFi system for large offices with 100% coverage and 24/7 in-house tech support should you ever need it.

Jump To: What Is The Best WiFi System For Large Offices?

What Is WiFi?

WiFi is the technology that allows devices to connect to the internet without the need for a physical wired connection. It works using radio waves to wirelessly send data to and from a device, to a router that is connected to the internet.

The Causes Of Most WiFi Problems

From our many years of experience in the industry, these are the most common causes of WiFi problems:

– The distance from the router

– The power of the signal given out by the WiFi device

– Physical obstructions (like thick walls in an office)

How Does A Good Internet Connection Help Large Offices Succeed?

– Reduces Time Lost

With less time spent waiting around for things to load, employees are able to get on with the things that are important.

– Prevents Employee Frustration

We all know how annoying it is to wait for ages for a page to load or to refresh your emails. If this is all day, everyday, it’s likely that this’ll start to cause great frustration within your team. Providing the best technology hence helps to improve employee satisfaction.

– Use Devices From Anywhere In Your Building

Move anywhere in your building whilst still being connected to the internet. Whether it be a printing room on the other side of the office or the break room, a good WiFi system allows you to use your devices anywhere.

What Is The Best WiFi System For Large Offices?

A Yo WiFi system is the best WiFi system for large offices. We create a structured network of hidden data cables from where your main router is to strategically located points throughout your office. At Yo Telecom, we call these WiFi Access Points.

These Access Points send and receive WiFi signals. They are physically hardwired into your main router and send out clean data that isn’t deteriorated in any way.

Whilst on site, one of our professional engineers ensures that the signal given out by each device overlaps. They also check that it is all on one WiFi network. This means you can walk around your office with all of your devices connected. Not only this, they will automatically connect to the access point with the best connection available, meaning fast speeds all around.

What Are The Benefits Of A Yo Telecom WiFi System?

– 100% WiFi Coverage Guaranteed

Ensure that every desk receives the same connection. Using our Access Points we guarantee Full Coverage WiFi meaning you can use your tech from anywhere, no matter the size of your office.

– Traffic Prioritisation

Give your staff priority over other people in your network, eg your guests. So, if a staff member is filing accounts and an interviewee is scrolling on Facebook, in a split second your staff member will get their information first. In short, your staff’s connection will not be compromised because of other users being connected to your internet.

– Business Grade Security (Firewall)

A firewall is a security system that prevents unauthorized access to or from a private network. This is important as confidential information is often held by a company. A firewall protects this information from hackers ensuring it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

– 24/7 In-House Tech Support

As part of a Yo WiFi package you are able to speak to one of our friendly, broadband support team whenever you need to. Our team are always on hand to help answer any questions no matter how big or small. We’re available 24/7, whenever you need us.

So, there we have it. A guide to the best WiFi system for large offices in 2020. Here at Yo Telecom, we provide 100% guaranteed coverage, traffic prioritisation and business grade security.

Interested? Drop your details below and we’ll be in touch to discuss how we can help you succeed with the best WiFi system for large offices!

November 30, 2020November 30, 2020

7 Ways to Improve Caller Experience at your Dental Practice

Looking to enhance the customer service at your Dental Practice? This post is going to outline 7 things that your company can do to improve your caller experience when patients call your practice…

7 Ways to Improve Caller Experience at your Dental Practice:

01. Call Queuing

Rather than be directed straight to voicemail, allow your callers to wait in a queue to speak to a member of your staff. Why does this matter? 85% of people won’t call back. Should this caller be looking to have their teeth whitened or enquiring about Invisalign treatment, this could be a large opportunity missed and later utilised by one of your competitors.

02. Call Recording

Never ring a patient asking for the same details again. This feature comes in particularly handy if you didn’t get the chance to note down a patient’s appointment time or forget any of the details they told you over the phone. It allows you to listen back to calls and retrieve all information yourself without having to bother your patients, and risk appearing unprofessional.

This feature also has another great benefit; you can use your old calls to help train new members of staff. Allowing staff members to listen to old calls is a great way to teach them how your dental practice expertly deals with patients on the phone, so that they are able to deliver the same levels of service from their first call.

03. Call Logging

Assuming a caller doesn’t leave a voicemail, do you have any way of checking who phoned your dental practice so that you can get back to them? This feature allows you to see all missed calls and get back to the callers at the touch of a button so you don’t miss out on any opportunities. This means you can get back to any patients (current or potential) as soon as physically possible, and help with whatever they are enquiring about.

04. Computer Telephony Integration (CTI)

Add a personal touch to your calls by greeting people with their name. Computer Telephony Integration allows your phone system to be linked to your dental software, meaning when a patient rings the practice, their details and file appear on screen. This not only saves them time that would have been spent identifying who they are using a date of birth or address, but adds an air of professionalism to the running of the business. At the time of writing this post, our phone systems currently integrate with Pearl, Dentally and Software of Excellence to name but a few.

05. On Hold Marketing

It is inevitable that callers will end up on hold. Providing music or specially recorded messages is a great way to pass the time, rather than your caller sitting in silence or listening to beeps.

Set yourselves apart from other dental practices in your area and entertain your callers whilst they wait. Why not tell your callers about your latest offers or promotions or the history of your practice. Or any awards your company has won or your current opening hours.

06. Auto-Attendant

After calling your practice, having a digital receptionist (or auto-attendant) to greet your patients is a fantastic way to ensure callers are being put through to the correct extension right away. This creates a more professional experience for the caller and also means that no time is wasted redirecting calls. This is also a great way to filter out calls simply asking about opening hours. This can be included within the script, saving both your callers’ and your receptionists’ time.

07. Call Transferring

Should another member of your team be better suited to answer a query, call transferring allows this to happen seamlessly. Stop having to physically pass the phone to a colleague. This has its greatest benefits in practices that are spread across multiple floors or large premises.

There are many ways to improve your callers’ experience to your dental practice. From keeping them entertained whilst on hold to personal greetings, Yo Telecom are here to help you WOW your patients.

We offer all of the features mentioned in this post to our customers and would love to provide them to your practice too.

Let us help you increase your success, drop your details in the form below and we’ll be in touch!

November 17, 2020

A Beginner’s Guide To Social Media For Small Businesses

Whether you’re a small local startup or a huge multi-site enterprise, utilising social media to grow your brand is a no-brainer. Whilst different industries have different target audiences, it’s likely that your demographic will be on at least one of the popular social media channels. With 2.7 billion people on Facebook alone – think of how many potential customers there might be wishing for your products or services! So, this post is going to be a beginner’s guide to social media for small businesses to help you increase your success…

A Beginner’s Guide To Social Media For Small Businesses

Why Your Business Needs Social Media

Besides from being a place to showcase what you do, posting on social media also has a vast range of other benefits including:

– Strengthening Your Brand Image

Social media is a great way to put across who you are as a company, show more of your operations and give a more personal look into your business.

– Exploding Your Sales

This doesn’t really need an explanation – if people are impressed by what they see online, they’ll buy, book or enquire!

– Increasing Your Website Traffic

Linking to your blogs or other pages is really beneficial for those sections on your website that might often be forgotten about.

-Providing A Better Customer Service Experience

Social media is instant meaning customers can reach you quicker. They can get in touch straight from an app they’re likely to already have open.

– Creating Reports & Analytics

With the insight tools included within the social media platforms you can gauge what’s popular, who your target audience is as well as a range of other metrics!

Which Social Media Channels To Post On

When deciding where to focus your efforts, it’s important to consider two main things; who your target audience are and what your product/service is. Any businesses with a young demographic might find Instagram or Snapchat are best suited for them, whilst those who are B2B might choose Twitter or Linkedin.

Linked to this, the type of content you want to share also plays a huge part in which channels you choose. Photos work well on Instagram, TikTok is the best place for videos right now and anything longform is best suited to Facebook or Linkedin. Meanwhile, those who want to use their channel for customer service might find Twitter works best for them!

When To Post On Social Media For Your Business

Unfortunately, there isn’t one magic time that works for everyone but there certainly are patterns. When deciding when to post, it’s important to consider whether you are B2B or B2C. Those who operate B2C might find that lunch times or evenings are best for them (as people are free to scroll their phones) whilst those who are B2B are likely to find that weekday mornings are best for them.

It’s also important to check your analytics – when is your audience online? Linked to this, when are they likely to be influenced by what you can provide for them? For example, if you are a restaurant or takeaway, posting your food photos just before mealtimes is perfect as people will have food on the mind!

How Often Should Your Business Post?

More isn’t more. It’s important to ensure that you are providing value or entertainment and not just posting for the sake of it. We find that posting 2-3 times a week is perfect. It means we don’t overload our followers with too much information but also ensures that we are active on our platforms. That being said, if you plan on using Instagram Stories or Twitter, posting more frequently is highly recommended!

What Should You Post On Social Media?

So, you’ve made it this far but now you want to know what to post… Here’s 5 ideas to get you started:

– Tap Into National Days

There are national days – complete with hashtags – for pretty much anything. Get involved with any related to your business! Whether it be World Gin Day or Tick Bite Prevention Week, there are days for any industry. These are a great way to get to know other people in your sector as well as join in wider conversations!

– Promotions and Offers

Encourage your followers to make purchases or book appointments with social media specific promotions. Thank those who engage with your business online with bespoke discounts or offers and let them know you’re grateful for their support!

– Behind The Scenes

Show people a more personal side of your business. Whether it be how you do things or an insight into the people in your team, social media is a great place to show a less corporate side of your brand.

– Reviews or Testimonials

Had a fantastic review? Show it off! These act as great social proof and allow you to really show people what you can do! Yes, you might have only good things to say about your business but if others do too, this carries far more weight. It might also tip those considering using your business over the line, and help convert them to loyal customers.

– Facts and Figures

Why do people need your business or services? Publishing stats or other data related to your sector can help to sell your products or services. For IT companies, this could be data on cyber security breaches. For dentists this could be the importance of regular check-ups. There are many free online tools available for making graphics. Just add your stats and logo, and you’re good to go!

And there we have it, a beginner’s guide to social media for small businesses. Whilst we understand that social media marketing can be a bit of a mindfield, we hope this has made things that little bit easier. If you have any questions that we haven’t answered here, please don’t hesitate to send us a message on Facebook – we’d be more than happy to help!

Looking to take your marketing even further? Here’s 5 Marketing Strategies To Implement For Your Business Today!

November 4, 2020November 4, 2020

How To: Set Up Your Workforce For Remote Working

Following the latest COVID-19 guidance, it’s vital that your business is able to switch to remote working in a short period of time. Whether you run a business of 5 people or 500, being set up with the best technology is only going to improve your transition over the coming days and weeks. Here at Yo Telecom, we offer a range of solutions that can help you set up a remote workforce. So, in this post, we’re going to run through what they do as well as their benefits…

How To: Set Up Your Workforce For Remote Working

– Mobile Apps

So, you have a feature-rich telephone system set up at your office with lots of settings bespoke to your business. You’re no longer at the office… Now what? With a mobile app you can keep all of your phone system’s functionality right from your mobile phone. This means your greeting message will still play for your callers, all calls will continue to be recorded and you can still easily transfer a call to a colleague.

With our mobile apps, you don’t need to be a current Yo customer to get set up. We can integrate with other providers’ phones to offer this temporary service over the coming weeks and/or months. These are on a rolling contract meaning you’re not tied in longer than you need during this unpredictable time.

– Softphones

These work in a very similar way to mobile apps, the only difference is that they allow you to make and answer calls on your computer, rather than your mobile. The software mimics a physical phone handset, meaning you can still use all of the features you’re used to on your business phone system. Rather than purchasing additional telephones or mobiles for your employees to use at home, this is a more cost effective solution without losing any of your business continuity.

– Remote Access

Instead of having to download any files you might need over the coming weeks, our remote access software allows you to access your work computer from anywhere. Think of it as an office away from the office. This means you can use all of your software and access any of your downloaded files you might need from any laptop or PC, anywhere in the world.

– Laptops

With not everyone having access to a desk at home, taking home an office PC for remote working isn’t always an option. Laptops, however, are easy to carry around and can be used from anywhere. Whilst many people may already have access to a laptop or PC at home, this might not be up-to-date and able to run all of the software you need. Should it also not have adequate virus protection, it might leave your business – and hence your data – vulnerable to hacking and other scams.

Here at Yo Telecom we also offer 24/7 in-house tech support, meaning should you or your team have any issues, we are always on hand to assist you. Interested in any of the services outlined in this post? Fill in the form below and a member of the team will be in touch shortly!

Next up: How To: Improve The Productivity Of A Remote Workforce

September 18, 2020

5 Benefits of WiFi Data Capture for Restaurants

Pubs, bars and restaurants not having free guest WiFi in 2020 is almost unheard of. A good connection is almost always expected and is just seen as an extra part of any dining experience. Whether it be for ‘checking in’ on Facebook or for googling an unknown ingredient, visitors often rely on a WiFi connection when at a restaurant. Now, what if you could receive something in return for providing a guest WiFi connection? Enter WiFi Data Capture for restaurants…

What is WiFi Data Capture for Restaurants?

Essentially, WiFi Data Capture integrates your WiFi with your online presence. Rather than give each and every visitor the WiFi password, customers log in to smart guest WiFi using their preferred social media account or email address. Not only does this save time, but you can use these details for future marketing…

5 Benefits of WiFi Data Capture For Restaurants

01. Increase Google Reviews

When visitors are choosing where to eat, it’s natural that they’ll look up reviews and choose somewhere that has lots of glowing feedback. Now, besides remembering to regularly ask customers to leave you a review, growing them can feel like a bit of an impossible task.

Well, with WiFi Data Capture you can automatically send an email 24 hours after a customer visits asking for feedback. If the visitor has positive feedback, this’ll point them to your Google Review page. If it’s not so good, this will direct them to message you privately. This then means you can handle all issues directly and turn this customers’ experience around for them.

Not only is increasing your Google reviews good for boosting your search engine ranking, it ultimately helps you increase the overall customer experience you are providing.

02. Boost Social Media Following

When users log into the smart guest WiFi, link them straight to your social media accounts. Whether you’re looking to grow Facebook fans or Twitter followers, your smart guest WiFi is a great way to get your pages in front of your visitors.

03. Collect Track and Trace Information

On Monday 14th September, collecting Track and Trace information was made mandatory for all restaurants here in England. (Prior to this, it had been voluntary.) Visitors simply connect to the smart guest WiFi and fill out a short form collecting all information needed by the NHS. This is a far more hygienic and time efficient way to collect this information.

This can then be used to alert visitors should someone test positive for COVID-19. Keep yourself, your staff and your customers safe.

04. Grow Mailing List

Having logged into your smart guest WiFi using their email address, why not use this to update your visitors. From birthday wishes to promotions and special discounts, sending your visitors regular emails is a great way to stay in touch and increase customer retention rates. This is also a great way to keep people informed of any changes to opening hours or operations due to COVID-19.

05. Understand Visitor Traffic and Return Rates

Understand when your busy times are, how long people tend to stay and how often they return with your smart guest WiFi. Not only does this help you to better understand your customers, you can also use it to arrange staffing rotas and plan ahead for peak times.

So there we have it, five benefits of WiFi Data Capture for restaurants. From being used for Track and Trace to improving your Google ranking, WiFi data capture is a great tool for any restaurant owners looking to increase their online presence. Interested in getting it set up at your site? Simply fill in the form below and we’ll be in touch!