Author: Becca Martin

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!

So, you want to make your marketing even more powerful. You’ve started a company blog, updated your website’s SEO and have been posting more on social media. But, you haven’t seen the results you were hoping for. In today’s post we’re going to run through 3 psychological principles you can use to up-level your marketing… Let’s get started, shall we?

3 Psychological Principles To Use In Your Marketing

01. Social Proof

Coined by Robert Cialdini, Social Proof refers to the psychological phenomenon whereby  “the greater the number of people who find any idea correct, the more the idea will be correct”. That is, people generally will follow the lead of the masses.

You’re walking down a street trying to choose where to go for lunch next week. Do you book a table at the restaurant that is packed with a huge queue outside or the one that has only a couple of visitors. It’s a no-brainer isn’t it, particularly if you’re new to the area or don’t have a prior preference. 

This is a form of social proof. 

How does this work in marketing? With social media follower counts and engagement rates, stats on numbers of current customers, and public reviews. Seeing that a large number of people follow a brand, have left them a good review and pay them for their services shows that they must be doing something right. 

All of those people wouldn’t be amazed by their services for no reason, right?

Making an effort to grow your social media following and the number of Google reviews for your business is hence a great way to utilise Social Proof. Not sure how to get more Google Reviews? Don’t worry we’ve got you covered with this post: How To: Get More Google Reviews. 

02. Frequency Illusion

Ever noticed that once you decide you’d like to buy a new car, you keep seeing that same car everywhere? Suddenly everyone is driving it, there’s three in the car park at work and you’re seeing ads promoting it on Facebook. Now, is this all just a coincidence or is there something more happening here? 

In psychology, this is called the Frequency Illusion. When you find out about something new and suddenly you start seeing it everywhere it’s simply because you’ve become more aware of it. We are exposed to thousands of things every single day and we can’t process all of them. But, once we’ve noticed something, we start picking it up every time we see it. This is why it seems like the car has tripled in popularity overnight. 

To utilise the psychological principle of the Frequency Illusion within your marketing, simply be more visible in more spaces. Post more often on social media, create targeted Facebook ads, invest in a TV or radio advert, or even give out free branded pens. The more people that hear your name, the more likely it is to stick. 

So, when a potential customer is looking to make a purchase or is searching for a new service provider, it’s your brand that they gravitate towards. They feel like they can’t not choose you because you’re everywhere. 

03. Scarcity

You’re looking to book a table at your favourite bar for Saturday night. If you’re told there are only 3 tables remaining, are you now more or less likely to book in than you were before? I’m fairly certain the answer is more likely.

The psychological principle of Scarcity uses the fear of shortage to sell. If we really want something but hear it is soon to be low in stock, or unavailable, we’re far more keen to buy it straight away. Not only this, scarcity also increases its perceived value as people don’t want to be seen to be missing out. 

So, how can you utilise this principle? Display the number of appointments you have left available this week, advertise an offer that is soon to be ending, or promote a limited edition product or menu item. 

If you haven’t already implemented any psychological principles in your marketing, now is definitely the time to get stuck in. From offering limited offers to growing your Google Reviews, there are many things you can do to increase the success of your marketing!

What Is A VoIP Phone System?

VoIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. A VoIP phone system uses new internet phone lines (instead of dated Analogue or Digital lines). The system itself is in the cloud rather than physically on your premises. VoIP systems offer a wide range of features and can also often end up being a cheaper option for small to medium size businesses looking for a great communication system. 

What Are The Benefits Of A VoIP Phone System?

01. An Extensive Range Of Telephony Features

Despite requiring less hardware than a hybrid phone system, a VoIP system doesn’t lack any of the features you’d expect in 2020. Features available with a Yo Telecom VoIP Phone System include voicemail to email, call logging, on-hold marketing, call recording and call transfer. 

02. It’s A More Affordable Option For Smaller Businesses

For those just starting out or looking to stick to a lower budget, a VoIP system can be a better option. Why? Calls themselves tend to be cheaper (UK Calls are free), and there is less hardware to be paid for upfront.

03. They Are Future Proof

With time, technology updates and becomes more advanced. As analogue and digital lines become less and less used, having a VoIP system means you’ll always be one step ahead. This is a benefit to you as a business owner as the hardware won’t become outdated and need to be replaced within a number of years.

04. They Require Little To No Maintenance

Because there isn’t a physical phone system located in your building, you don’t need to worry about maintenance costs. There’s no replacement parts to buy nor ongoing bills, any updates happen in the cloud, and you are good to go.

05. There’s No Need To Change Numbers

Whenever you buy a new VoIP system with Yo Telecom we keep your old number for your business. This means you don’t need to reprint your leaflets, inform all of your customers or update your website. Keep your old number, just upgrade your phone system.

Being an internet based phone system, it’s only natural that a VoIP system needs a stable bandwidth to function. Without it, you might experience drop outs during calls, if the internet is very intermittent.

Not only do we offer state of the art business phones, but, here at Yo Telecom, we can also provide super-fast broadband and full WiFi coverage across your building. We place strategic access points throughout your premises to ensure a solid connection wherever you are, whatever device you’re on. 

So there we have it, a rundown of the benefits of a VoIP Phone System. From being a more affordable option for smaller businesses to being future proof, a VoIP System is a great choice for any business. 

Sound good? Drop your details in the form below and we’ll be in touch. 

Let’s get you started with a VoIP phone system today!

Remote working isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Google, for example, recently announced that their voluntary work from home scheme will be running until July 2021. What we once thought would be a short-lived temporary solution has very much turned into something much greater… 

Now, whilst there are mixed opinions on working from home, studies have shown that it actually leads to an increase in productivity. A study published in the The Quarterly Journal of Economics found that home working led to a 13% performance increase across their sample of 16,000 employees.

But, leading a remote workforce comes with its own set of unique challenges. In today’s post we’re going to outline 7 tips for improving the productivity of a remote workforce. 

How To: Improve The Productivity Of A Remote Workforce

01. Set Clear Priorities 

Let your staff know exactly what you need them to do. With many different things going on at once, it’s vital that your staff know exactly what they need to do each day. Without clear instruction, working from home can become fairly overwhelming and productivity can drop off.

 02. Keep To Same Routines As In The Office

Whilst it’s tempting to change working times and allow flexi-hours, sticking to old routines really helps to keep company cohesivity. Projects can be worked on at the same time and questions can be answered in real-time.

03. Recognise Employee’s Hard Work 

Some employees may find working from home particularly demotivating. Recognising their hard work is hence a good way to show them that you appreciate everything they are doing, particularly when you haven’t physically seen them in a while. A quick ‘well done’ that would have been said in the office can become a quick text message.

04. Help Prevent Loneliness

Going from working in the office, surrounded by colleagues, to spending the day alone can be a huge adjustment for many people. Not only that, with no reason to leave the home within working hours, those who live alone may struggle with the lack of social interaction. Setting up casual check-ins is a great way to check how people are doing and maintain some sense of normality. 

05. Set Up Seamless Communication Options

Being based out of the office can often mean communication becomes less efficient, with personal mobile numbers being passed about here, there and everywhere. With our Softphones, however, you can make and take calls through the main number of your company on your mobile or laptop. Not only that, you can also use the softphones to transfer calls to colleagues and retrieve all answer phone messages left on your system. Interested? Click here and we’ll be in touch!

06. Provide Best Equipment For Most Efficient Work

Without speedy laptops and good internet connections, those working from home might find that even the simplest of tasks take an age to complete. Providing the best IT services to your colleagues is hence an investment in your business’ efficiency and not one to overlook.

07. Send Updates On Progress

With people working on different things from different places it can become difficult to see the bigger picture. Sending out updates is a great way to keep people in the loop. This ensures team members see everything that is going on. 

So, there we have it, 7 tips to improve the productivity of a remote workforce… Want to hear more about the services or products we can provide to increase the productivity of your remote workers? Just drop your details in the form below and we’ll be in touch!

We totally get it, creating a marketing strategy from scratch can be very overwhelming, there’s lots to think about and consider. From creating branding guidelines to optimising your website for ranking, it’s often difficult to know where to start. 

In today’s post, we thought we’d run through five different marketing strategies you can implement to help point you in the right direction. Let’s get started, shall we?

5 Marketing Strategies To Implement For Your Small Business Today

01. Start A Blog

If you haven’t already got one, here’s why your company needs a blog. In short, a blog is a great way to generate leads or attract customers, appear nearer the top in search engines and start two-way conversations. In our opinion, the best blog posts are those that bring value to the reader, like this one we wrote on what to share on your company blog. Rather than just providing entertainment, teaching your readers something informative is an ideal way of increasing brand trust. 

02. Regularly Post On Social Media 

So, you know that posting on social media is important in 2020, but, what should you post? 

Of course you can just shoot lots of photos and post them, but, if that’s not an option, stock photos are one avenue to go down. One place to find high quality stock images is Adobe Stock. Reposting your customers’ photos is also a great way to publish fresh content. As well as this, there are many free graphic design programs available online meaning creating infographics has never been easier. 

Now that content has been sorted, it’s time to decide where to post it. Rather than posting on all social media platforms at all times, think about which ones will really benefit you or your business and focus on those. You can cross-post from one to another, dramatically reducing your workload and increasing the reach of your posts. Just be careful not to bombard your followers with the same post 4 times!

03. Keep In Touch With Your Customers Via Email

Social media isn’t always the most efficient way to reach your customer base. Rather, curating a mailing list and sending regular email updates is often the better way of digitally getting in front of clients.

Unless you actively ask for newsletter sign ups, accumulating a list of email addresses can be a challenge. Here’s where WiFi Data Capture comes in. Use this to provide your guests with free WiFi whilst also simultaneously growing your email list for future marketing opportunities. You can then send weekly, monthly or seasonal emails to those who’ve signed up and let them know all of the events, offers or promotions you have on at the time.

04. Sign Up To Google My Business 

If you haven’t already set up Google My Business, now is definitely the time to do it. How can it benefit you? It helps you appear in local Google searches, allows you to publish your business hours and post updates as and when you want to. It’s free to set up and is really user friendly regardless of technical ability. 

It also allows you to reply to your Google reviews which is truly invaluable for the customer experience. So much so that one study found that 53.3 percent of customers expect businesses to respond to their online review within 7 days of them being posted.

05. Set Up On-Hold Marketing 

Callers waiting for you to pick up and those who are put on hold are a captive audience. With most phone systems you can set up a message to automatically play during these times. For example, this could be a run-through of your latest products, promotions or services. Once set up, this is fully automated needing little to no input from you at all, but it will play for all callers at all times. On-Hold Marketing is one of the features we provide for our customers here at Yo Telecom. 

And there we have it, 5 marketing strategies to implement for your small business today. If you’d like to know anymore about anything that has been included in this post, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Either drop your details in the form below or send us an email at info@yotelecom.co.uk and we’ll get back to you!

When running or opening a restaurant, there are many different things to consider and organise. From ingredient suppliers to staffing arrangements, finding a good WiFi connection should be one of the easiest ones. This is why, here at Yo, we supply the best WiFi system for restaurants with 100% coverage and 24/7 in-house tech support should you ever need it. 

Not only is a good internet connection vital for many booking and ordering systems, a recent report found that over 60% of restaurant guests mark WiFi availability as important for their guest experience (Source). Whether it’s for uploading to social media, checking emails or googling unknown ingredients on your menu, a good internet connection for guests is almost always expected in 2020. This is why choosing a good WiFi system for your restaurant is so important. 

Jump To:

What Is The Best WiFi System For Restaurants?

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 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 the restaurant)

How Does A Good Internet Connection Help Restaurants Succeed?

– Keeps Customers Happy 

The ultimate aim of any good business. Being able to surf the internet whilst enjoying a meal is very important to a lot of people. Providing a good connection is hence a great way to ensure a good customer experience. 

– Use POS Systems and Card Machines Throughout Building

Ensure your technology works at every table. When diners are given the bill, allow them to make a card payment immediately from where they are sat. Don’t ask them to pay at the bar because the internet isn’t so good at that end of the room. 

– Ensure Time Efficiency 

Slow systems are far from ideal. A quick internet connection means you can serve your diners promptly. Don’t hang around waiting for the system to load or payments to go through.  

What Is The Best WiFi System For Restaurants?

A Yo WiFi system is the best WiFi system for restaurants. We create a structured network of hidden data cables from where your main router is to strategically located points throughout your restaurant. 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 and that it is all on one WiFi network. This means you can walk around your restaurant 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 System? 

– 100% WiFi Coverage Guaranteed 

Ensure that every table receives the same connection. Using our Access Points we guarantee Full Coverage WiFi meaning you can use your handheld POS devices from anywhere and your diners can surf from anywhere too. 

– Traffic Prioritisation

Give your staff priority over other people in your network, eg your guests. So, if a staff member is inputting an order and a guest is posting 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.

– WiFi Data Capture

Receive something in return. In order to use the WiFi, diners will need to sign in via WiFi Data Capture. This can be via email or Facebook, and you can even collect birthdays too. Having this information lets you tailor email marketing campaigns specifically for each diner. For example, ‘Take 20% off, it’s your birthday week!’ This will encourage the diner to visit again and may even spread the word restaurant if they bring additional guests that haven’t visited previously. 

– Multiple Network Names 

Have a separate network name for your staff and for your diners. This means  everyone knows which network to connect to. This also makes sure that guests cannot access information on the staff WiFi network. For example, you could have;

‘Your Restaurant Name’ Private

‘Your Restaurant Name’ Guest

– 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 the company. A firewall will protect this information from hackers ensuring it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

– 24/7 In-House Tech Support

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. 

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

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 restaurants!

So, it’s 2020 and you’re looking for a new phone system for your business. With many options and features available from a variety of providers, deciding what’s best for your business can be a bit of a minefield. 

With this in mind, we are going to make this a really accessible guide to allow you to explore your options without all of the technical jargon. 

That being said, we do have a Telecoms Glossary here on our website, if you’d like to brush up on the difference between your ISDN’s and your ADSL’s. 

What are the different types of Phone Systems?

– Digital 

Digital phone systems are physically located on your premises. They’re the small 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 phone lines which means they are not future-proof.

– Internet (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, which is why these systems are often referred to as Hosted Systems.

– Hybrid 

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 Small Businesses In 2020?

A hybrid system is by far the best phone system for small businesses in 2020. It combines the benefits of a Digital and VoIP system, and allows you to utilise a range of additional impressive features. VoIP systems require a solid internet connection to ensure calls don’t drop out. This means, depending on your connection, there may be no remaining bandwidth whilst on a call. Not only this, if your internet fails for any reason, your business phone is rendered useless. 

Features of a Hybrid Phone System: 

With a hybrid phone system there are a whole host of additional features that you can utilise. Here are just a small selection of these:

– Computer Telephony Integration (CTI)

CTI allows you to link your phone system with your CRM. This means that when a customer calls your business, if they already have a file, it will open automatically. This means you no longer have to spend 20-30 seconds identifying a caller. Rather, you can greet them professionally and friendly, and get straight to answering their queries.  

– Call Logging

This feature enables you to see all missed calls and get back to callers at the touch of a button. Without call logging, these potential customers can slip through the net and lead to missed opportunities.

– Call Reporting 

As the name suggests, this tool creates reports with statistics on call duration, agent behaviour, wait times and busy times. Not only is this information just interesting to know, it can lead to a change in business hours, staffing arrangements or training programmes. Acting on these will ultimately improve your level of service and customer experience. 

– Call Recording 

Call Recording allows you to listen back to calls and retrieve information you missed. You can do this without bothering your customers meaning you don’t risk appearing unorganised or unprofessional. This feature is also invaluable when it comes to dealing with customer disputes. If there has been any sort of mix-up, you can listen back to the call and check what was offered, promised or discussed. 

– On-Hold Marketing 

Putting your callers on hold is often unavoidable. Providing music or specially recorded messages is a great way to pass their time, rather than leaving them sitting in silence or listening to beeps. At Yo Telecom, we have these messages professionally recorded with whatever you’d like them to say. This is a great opportunity to advertise your latest product or service, opening hours or any company news. 

– Auto-Attendant 

Auto-Attendant is like having a digital receptionist. Callers are greeted with an opening message and as a result are directed to the correct extension without any input at your end. This saves time filtering calls for specific departments or queries meaning you can get to helping your customers much sooner! 

So there we have it, a round-up of the different types of business phone systems available on the market. The hybrid phone system is by far the best choice for small businesses in 2020 due to its reliability and the number of additional features available on the system. 

Our hybrid phone systems offer a whole host of other features that we’re confident would be highly beneficial to your business. If you’re interested in anything we’ve mentioned above or would like to know how you can personally get the most out of a new hybrid phone system, fill in the form below and we’ll be in touch!

Getting your company name out there is often a lot more difficult than it initially sounds. Paying for Facebook ads is one way, and encouraging people to share your business is another. But, what if there was a way to increase your brand’s awareness with minimal input?

Enter Google Reviews. 

When potential customers look up salons or dentists, Google auto-populates a list of businesses in their local area. Wouldn’t it be great if your business was the first that came up? 

It has been shown that Google looks at the number of reviews a company has overall as well as the rating and frequency of new reviews amongst a few other things when deciding where to rank each result. Chatmeter also recently found that 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, meaning they truly are invaluable to a business. 

So, how does a business get more Google Reviews?

How To: Get More Google Reviews For Your Small Business 

01. Social Media Posts 

Encourage your followers to leave a review by periodically nudging them on your social media channels. This post doesn’t have to be anything fancy, it could simply be a message to say that you’d really appreciate any feedback anyone has to share. 

02. Posters In Your Premises

If you don’t ask, you don’t get. Customers don’t instinctively know that you are looking to grow your Google Reviews – tell them! Make posters to stick in your premises and place them in waiting rooms, treatment rooms and on doors. 

03. WiFi Data Capture 

Having WiFi Data Capture is perhaps the easiest way to accumulate Google Reviews. Customers sign into guest WiFi using their email address and you can send them automated email reminders to leave you a review. Besides the initial simple setup, this process literally runs itself. If you’d like to hear more about our WiFi Data Capture feature, simply fill in the form at the bottom of this page.

04. Make Sure Your Business Is Verified On Google

Without verification, your business isn’t eligible to appear on Maps, Search, and other Google services. This means it’s not going to show within local search and hence you are losing out on potential customers and reviews. This verification process can be done by mail, and even phone and email for some select businesses. 

05. WOW Your Customers 

Finally, go above and beyond. Customers will want to leave a review and shout about your company if they have had an incredible experience. By the same token, customers are also more likely to leave a review if they’ve had a disappointing experience. Ensuring that you always deliver at least your customers’ expectations and more is great business practice. Here at Yo Telecom, one of our Core Values is ‘Go above and beyond with service to WOW everyone’. It’s at the heart of all that we do and this definitely shines through in our glowing Google Reviews. 

So, there we have it, how to get more Google Reviews for your small business… If you’d like any additional help with anything mentioned above, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and we’d be more than happy to help!