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  • Seven ‘Must Haves’ for Your Small Business Website

     
     
    Your website represents your business and so building and maintaining it need to be of primary concern to you as a business owner. We often find business owners struggling with their websites saying things like: “My website looks great, but I am not able to convert” or “I invested so much into creating my website, but I don’t get many hits.” These things are very common pains faced by businesses, especially small business. If you aren’t sure where to start your site improvement project, this post will get you rolling in the right direction with seven key areas you need to pay attention to when it comes to your website.
     
    1. Content –  Make sure your site has a significant amount of content and that the content is relevant and meaningful. Having the right amount of good content adds value and appeals to your target audience. Don’t fill the site with jargon and keywords just for the sake of it, lack of relevant content won’t help you improve your conversion rate.
     
    2. Testimonials –  Nothing has more impact on your prospects than them hearing about your product/service from their peers. So make sure your site showcases testimonials from your satisfied customers.
     
    3. Social Media Icons –  Social Media, when done correctly, it is a great medium to enhance your brand presence online. Get on popular social media networks and invite your website visitors to join you there – that way they will hear more about you from your fans at the social network.
     
    4. Contact Information –  Tell your web visitors how to get in touch with you. They shouldn’t have to search the entire site before knowing how to contact you. Provide your contact information/contact form very clearly for them to use.
     
    5. Tracking –  Incorporate a web-site tracker that helps you track the leads that come in from your website. You can use services such as Google Analytics that are free and provide you basic details such as number of hits, location, time spent on pages, etc.
     
    6. Loading Time –  Web visitors today have little patience and lots of choices. So, it is important that your site loads quickly, otherwise they move on to the next search result.
     
    7. SEO –  Search engine optimization is a key factor in determining the ROI of your website. Make sure your site is optimized for search engines so that it shows up when your prospects search for you.

  • Breaking News: Downtime Kills Small Businesses

     
     
    Breaking News: Downtime Kills Small Businesses
     
    Downtime is bad news for any business whether big or small.
     
    A recent two-hour New York Times’ downtime occurrence sent Twitter ablaze and their stock price plummeting.
     
    Google going down for one to five hours resulted in lost revenue up to $500,000 and decreased overall web traffic by 40%.
     
    We know what you’re thinking. Holy crap, Google makes $100,000 an hour? Yeah… insane, huh?
     
    While the hourly cost of downtime for a small-to-medium sized business won’t be nearly as large as that astronomical Google figure, downtime is often more detrimental to smaller companies. Smaller enterprises are more susceptible to downtime and are neither large nor profitable enough to sustain its short and long-term effects.
     
    Downtime Leads to Unhappy/Unproductive Employees
     
    Even the happiest of employees become dissatisfied when they can’t perform basic day-to-day job functions or properly service customers or clients.
     
    While some employees may use downtime as an excuse to lean back, put their feet up, and comfortably collect their hourly pay, we’re talking about those employees who come to work to actually work.
     
    And don’t forget your IT guy or tech crew. They can’t necessarily sit back and twiddle their thumbs when downtime occurs because they’re typically taking the brunt of the storm. They will ultimately grow tired of the daily routine of having to put out fires and having neither the additional manpower nor resources to change things for the better.
     
    These things lead to high employee turnover and the expenses that come with training and re-training a revolving door of employees.
     
    Downtime Leads to Customer Dissatisfaction
     
    Customers and clients grow weary whenever critical components of your operations – or the services they either expect or pay for – cannot be accessed.
     
    Nearly 50% of customers will move on to a competitor if they encounter downtime of five minutes or more. These customers represent significant lost revenue.
     
    While some suggest this is a bigger problem in the retail sector, other types of businesses are impacted as well. Have you ever clicked a link from search engine results only to quickly bolt when the page didn’t load, you couldn’t complete an online transaction, or you were greeted with a “Technical Difficulties – Be Back Up Soon!” message?
     
    Did you give up on finding what you were looking for or did you wait it out? You did neither. You went back to Google and found someone else offering a similar service or product that satisfied your yearning for instant gratification.
     
    Downtime Ruins Your Reputation
     
    One of the most commonly overlooked consequences of downtime is the hit your company’s reputation takes online. In this age of social media, one person’s bad experience is broadcast to dozens or even hundreds of followers. Bad news spreads faster than ever and has lasting repercussions.
     
    “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” — Warren Buffet.
     
    Protect Your Bottom Line
     
    The challenge for small businesses has always been how to minimize single-point-of-failure downtime using their limited IT resources. This is why downtime kills so many small businesses. They can’t prevent it and they can’t react quickly enough.
     
    Thankfully, there are end-to-end business continuity solutions available today that integrate Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) software, 24/7 access to a Network Operations Center (NOC), and advanced backup and disaster recovery solutions to alleviate this issue.
     
    Not only do these methods minimize downtime and get businesses back up and running quickly, but they can reduce the cost of technology infrastructure maintenance by as much as 80 percent.
     
    It’s time that small businesses stop being victims to the silent killer that is downtime.
     
    Contact us at Slappey Communications

  • 3 things your Managed Services Provider (MSP) wants you know

    3 things your Managed Services Provider (MSP) wants you know

    Are you considering bringing a MSP on board? Or perhaps you already have one. Either way, for you to truly benefit from your relationship with a MSP, you need to build a solid bond with them. As a MSP who has been in this business for long, I can tell you the 3 important steps that will help you get there.

    Share, share, share

    Your MSP is your IT doctor. Just as you would share everything about your health with your doctor, you need to share everything related to your business that impacts your IT, with your MSP. Give us an overview of your business and answer questions such as

    • What you do exactly as a business
    • Who are your key clients
    • Which industry verticals do you serve
    • What are your peak and lull seasons, if you have them
    • What are the core regulatory codes that apply to you based on the industries you work for
    • What are your business expansion plans for the near future and in the long run
    Sometimes clients shy away from discussing all these things because they don’t trust the MSP enough. There is a fear of the MSP sharing business plans and other confidential information with their competitors. As a MSP, I can tell you that we work best with clients who trust us. When you are trusting us with the lifeblood of your business–your IT infrastructure, you should be able to trust us with your plans for your business.

    Let’s talk often

    While it’s great that you outsource your IT completely to us, it is still important that we meet and talk. Your business needs may change over time and we don’t want to be caught off-guard. We know you are busy, but set some time aside every month or even every quarter to catch up with us and discuss your IT challenges and needs.

    Take us seriously

    Your IT is our business, and we take our business very seriously. So, when we tell you something, such as–to implement strong password policies, limit data access, upgrade antivirus, etc., please take notice!

    Teamwork forms the core of any successful relationship. Same holds true for your relationship with your MSP. Trust us, pay attention to us and hear us out. We’d love that…and we’d love to work with you!

  • Understanding Managed Services and How They Benefit SMBs

     
     
    Understanding Managed Services and How They Benefit SMBs
     
    Small to medium sized businesses (SMBs) receive a lot of calls each day from slick sales people peddling the next technology trend that’s going to save them money and revolutionize how they do business. They’re all too quick to caution that if you don’t listen to them, you’ll fall behind the times, and eventually be swimming in a sea of debt and out of business.
     
    No doubt you’ve heard, or you’ve at least read about, the benefits of managed services. Managed services refer to clearly defined outsourced IT services delivered to you at predictable costs. You know the exact IT services you’ll be getting and what you’ll pay for them. There is no surprise sky-high bill for services rendered. So are solicitation calls that pertain to managed services worth listening to? We think so. Then again, we’re in the managed services industry. There may be a bit of a bias here.
     
    How Managed Service Providers Work
     
    Managed service providers (MSPs) use remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools to keep an eye on their performance and overall health of the IT infrastructure that powers your business operations.
     
    Your MSP should have a 24/7 Network Operations Center (NOC) that acts as your mission control center. If the monitoring alerts them to any issue with your servers, devices, hardware or software, they respond quickly to resolve the issue.
     
    Additionally, the NOC performs regular systems maintenance such as
    • Automated tasks like the cleaning of temporary files
    • Applying tested security patches as required
    • Installing virus and Malware protection
    • System backup and disaster recover/business continuity processes
    Additionally, your MSP should give you access to a Help Desk that services your customers and employees – speaking to and working with them directly as if they’re part of your staff.
     
    This proactive maintenance, stabilization of your IT environment, and rapid as-needed remediation helps SMBs control technology costs and better serve the end-users who rely on their technology.
     
    Is Managed Services Better than Other Ways to Manage IT
     
    We find that far too many companies have no real perspective about how much IT management costs them. Let’s review some of the alternatives to managed services.
     
    Hiring In-House IT Support
     
    Typically, a firm with anywhere from 20-60 employees may feel that one person can manage their technology. Understand that this one full-time employee can demand a significant salary since they’ll have to be proficient with desktop, server and network support, and interact with both end-users in the Help Desk role and management. They will likely be overworked and vulnerable to error or oversights that may prove to be costly. And what happens if they’re out sick or on vacation?
     
    The Break/Fix Mentality
     
    The majority of smaller companies take this route because they feel as if they’re too small for a more sophisticated 24/7 approach to IT management. They also feel pressure to direct all resources on the product or service, not behind-the-scenes operations. They decide to use on-call IT techs when broken technology has already disrupted business. The on-call team’s response time and overall lack of familiarity with your systems extends downtime and proves to be a much more expensive resolution to IT management. It’s reactive, not proactive, and it’s a costly mistake too often made.
     
    This is why many SMBs today feel that managed services are the most cost-effective way to support their IT infrastructure and the best way to get more bang for their buck.
     
    Contact us at Slappey Communications

  • THE ADVANTAGES OF USING A LOCAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS PROVIDER


    The telecommunications industry doesn’t have the best reputation. A large percent of business hinges on the reliability of your phone system. So, what are the advantages of using a large provider? Other than feeling confident in the brand name, there are major limitations in them and understanding how your phone system plays into your overall business strategy. Think small before going too large.

    Dealing with a local provider can create immense value for your customer base. Having smaller teams that are more experienced, you receive a higher level of customer service experience:
    • Salesman vs. Partner: You can probably sniff out a salesman among the crowd. Having a dedicated support rep who becomes your business partner is not to be taken for granted. Having that same conversation with a partner creates a feeling of trust.
    • Same day solution: When you deal with a local provider, they will create a solution. Going online and ordering a new phone system may not be the best option. You need someone who can understand your problem and provide a fast solution.
    • On-site training: Local providers can provide on-site hardware training at no additional costs. Having a professional talk you through the setup, installation, and training is well worth your time. 

    Being local has advantages, but so does a company that’s been serving businesses for many years. A trusted telecommunications provider will yield the best results for your business. Longevity for a provider’s technicians is a big indicator of their commitment to you. These industry experts know how to fix your problem and can fix it quickly. This often leads to having your entire phone solution in one place, with one provider, and it’s in your backyard.

    Learn what questions to ask when evaluating local and national providers. Download and fill out our complete Service Recovery Checklist for getting your system back up and running.

  • ARE ALABAMA COMPANIES USING ON-PREMISE OFFICE PHONE SYSTEMS?


    As you delve into the world of office phone systems, one question you might be asking is what kind of systems the people around you are using. Are other businesses in your area moving to the cloud or are they using on-premise phone systems? Gauging your current customer service communications system against the rest of your industry is a good way to know whether or not you are falling behind on the technology curve. In reality, more than half of Alabama businesses are still using on premise phone systems.

    Accessibility

    The number-one reason that so many companies still choose to use on-premise phone systems has to do with accessibility. Both the hardware and software that make on-premise systems work are widely available and relatively inexpensive. It is easy to find a local provider and get set up in no time with no recurring monthly fees. Plus, the ability to have your existing IT team run things makes troubleshooting equally accessible.

    Company Size

    Another common reason for sticking to on-premise office phone systems has to do with company size. Alabama is not known for having many giant companies. Instead, much of Alabama is filled with small and mid-sized businesses. Many small businesses don’t have an immediate need for the scalability and added features of cloud-based systems. Thus, on-premise systems offer enough functionality to keep things running smoothly without any extra fluff that may not be fully usable until the company grows.

    Finding the Right Fit

    What many companies have found in recent years is a large amount of pressure from communications companies to move toward the cloud. However, on-premise phone systems still fill a real need in the industry. There are simply some places where a cloud-based system doesn’t make sense. Before you buy, you should make sure that your communications company is committed to finding the right solution for you, not just the solution that works best for them. Don’t be afraid to ask your specialist whether an on-premise system might work for your company, and get to know the pros and cons of choosing this type of system. If your service provider cannot clearly explain their recommendation, you should get multiple recommendations.

    Ultimately, on-premise phone systems are here to stay. Even with a huge push toward the cloud, many companies find that keeping their office phone systems in house makes for easier management and greater control over future modifications. It will be a long time before the businesses currently using on-premise systems make the move to other technologies.

  • WHAT HAPPENS TO A CLOUD PHONE SYSTEM WHEN THE INTERNET IS DOWN?


    Moving to a cloud phone system means taking some risks on a new technology. While most cloud systems advertise very high up-times, one thing that sets them apart from other phone systems is what happens when the Internet goes down. This alone could be a determining factor of whether or not a cloud system is right for your business.

    Reliance on Internet

    Your cloud phone system is 100% reliant on the Internet to function. Both the hardware and software used to manage your phone communications are based in the cloud, not on your local network. Most often when companies have issues with their phone systems, it is because of poor Internet quality rather than issues with the cloud itself. Basically, when a cloud provider advertises 99.9% up time, they probably aren’t lying. However, they can’t promise that your local Internet provider will be able to guarantee the same.

    When the Internet Goes Down

    If, and when, the Internet goes down, your cloud phone system will also go down. This poses a number of problems. First of all, since the hardware that manages your phones is outside of your facility you lose contact with all incoming calls. If you are running a call center or other business that requires uninterrupted phone access to your customers, this can be a big problem. Secondly, you probably will not be able to make phone calls internally either. Some cloud providers offer a fail-safe feature that adds redundancy to your network just in case, which will allow you to stay in touch internally, but the cost may be outside of your budget.

    PC Access

    Depending on how your cloud phone system is set up, you may find that losing Internet access also blocks your computers from accessing internal servers. Many times, computers integrated in a cloud-based system are connected through the phone’s data port. As a result, while the phone is searching for an Internet connection and resetting itself, your computer may not be able to find even local information that is stored in on-premise servers.

    Anyone considering a cloud phone system should spend a significant amount of time researching their Internet provider’s reliability and service speeds. No matter how great the cloud service is on its own, if your Internet connection is bad, you won’t be able to take advantage of everything that the cloud has to offer. You will also have limited options for recourse if the problem is your Internet and not the cloud provider itself. If you work in an industry that can’t afford any down time, consider other options that won’t leave you stranded if an Internet failure occurs.

  • 4 Essential Pieces to Any Small Business BYOD Strategy

     
     
    4 Essential Pieces of Any Small Business BYOD Strategy
     
    Believe it or not, once upon a time, kids at the bus stop didn’t have cell phones and the mobile device strategy of many businesses was typically “you’ll take what you’re given, refrain from using it for any personal use, and the data may be scrubbed clean whenever we please.”
     
    We’ve come a long way.  Today, businesses really have no choice but to let employees use personal devices for work purposes.  Blurred lines now make it difficult to differentiate between what is professional and what is personal.  A company or organization may partially pay for an employee’s tablet computer or smartphone, but that same device is used to upload photos to Facebook or download torrents of this season of Game of Thrones.
     
    Naturally, security and privacy issues are a concern since these devices sync to the company network.  Larger corporations may be able to hire IT support or produce sophisticated BYOD guidelines for employees to adhere to, but smaller businesses have limited resources.
     
    In fact, recent surveys suggest that the small business sector is doing very little to preemptively prepare for potential network security risks that could arise with the use of BYOD devices.  This could prove to be disastrous.
     
    The practical reality is that employees are going to use their mobile devices for personal use.     However, too many firms have overlooked what this means for their data security.
     
    Implementing a comprehensive BYOD policy right now, rather than when it’s too late, is important.  We’ve compiled a list of four items that any business currently building a BYOD strategy must consider.
    • It must clearly be outlined what specific devices are permitted for work use.
    • The company/organization must have the ability to remotely delete company-sensitive data from mobile devices without the device owner’s permission.  Remote deletion capabilities are much more refined these days; simplifying the removal of enterprise-related data from devices, while leaving other content like personal photos, contacts, apps and music downloads intact.
    • Written policies should be put into effect that correspond with terms of use policies and any guidelines pertaining to remote/telecommuting workers or the sharing of sensitive data.   There should be clearly defined consequences for violating any or all policies.
    • Employee privacy should be discussed within the BYOD policy since employees often use these devices to check personal email, browse or post to Facebook and Twitter feeds, instant message, and store personal documents, photos, music and movie downloads.   Employees must understand that employers still have access to the content stored on these devices.  Location tracking, which gives employers the ability to locate employees, is also something to discuss since many people don’t necessarily welcome that kind of surveillance.
    It is understandable that BYOD and more mobile employees have some small business owners feeling anxious and nervous.  But mobile management tools, periodic conversation, security checks, and research will do wonders when it comes to keeping small businesses safe.
     
    Contact us at Slappey Communications

  • BUSINESS PHONE SYSTEMS: ASSESSING YOUR NEEDS


    Finding the right business telecommunication equipment to update your business will depend greatly on the type of business you are running and the way your phones will be used. To take advantage of the best available technology for any scenario, you should consider contacting a phone system consultant who will help you assess your needs based on a wide range of metrics.

    NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

    The first step in deciding what kind of business telecommunication system to buy is determining the scale of your operation. You can approach this in two ways. First, a simple headcount of the number of employees in your company will tell you how many potential lines you need. However, if your company operates in shifts where more than one person shares their desk or phone equipment, it might be more helpful to break your headcount into groups by shift and department for a more accurate view of your business.

    WHAT FEATURES YOU NEED

    Now that you have a list of departments and people who will be using your business telecommunication system, it is time to look a little deeper at how they will be using it. More than likely, you will have a department of people who are on the phones 100% of the time answering customer service calls. Meanwhile, employees on the warehouse floor or out in service vehicles probably only use their phones intermittently. Assess each department individually to determine which features are most needed for them, and you will find that your wish list might change from one group to the next. You can even identify advanced users from basic users, and mobile team members versus office members, so you can get the right mix of technology to the right people.

    ASSESSING YOUR INCOMING CALLS

    Another important measurement to take is the number and type of incoming calls you get each day. If your customer service team is fielding calls constantly, and you often have a queue of calls waiting, it is obvious that you will want headsets and routing technology that will improve your call times. In addition to the number of calls you take, the type of calls you are taking is also important. Customers often leave reviews of your company after they have been forced to make a service call for any reason. Those reviews or post-call surveys can be a useful tool for you to learn what the customer really needs out of your phone system as well. If many callers are asking for chat support, your consultant can help you determine whether or not it is a viable option.

    A knowledgeable business telecommunication consultant can help you walk through an assessment step by step. At the most basic level, the quantity of connections you need is a good place to start, but by breaking things down further, you can learn more about your needs and get the best possible solution custom fit for your organization.

  • Data Breaches are a Question of When, Not If



    You hear on the news all of the time about big cyber attacks on large corporations, and even government agencies. The trouble with this news coverage is that is suggests a distorted view of where cyber attacks are taking place. These attacks are not solely hitting large organizations. Small firms represent a significant portion of those who face cyber attacks. Being small by no means keeps you immune. In fact, small firms can be used as conduits to larger organizations. That is likely what happened in the case of Target Corporation back in 2013

    If you’re a small business, then you’re a target for cyber criminals. Last year, 71% of small to medium size businesses were the victims of cyber attacks.

    Today’s concern is how you would respond to an attack. 31% of small to medium businesses do not have a plan of action for responding to IT security breaches, and 22% admit that they lack the expertise to make such a plan. A data breach is disastrous.

    Your response determines whether it’s a survivable disaster. You need to have a statement for customers ready, (47 states require businesses to disclose data breaches), you need to be able to quickly access backups, and you need access to professionals with experience in disaster recovery and business continuity.