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does voip work without internet

Does VoIP Work Without the Internet?

VoIP can’t run without a web connection. You can place VoIP calls from the web. Instead of being conveyed over simple analogue telephone lines, they require a web connection for transmission over an internet connection. It shows that if the web connection is lost or goes down, the VoIP service cannot make calls. With the extra facilities, you get from some Hosted PBX via VoIP or at times with specific SIP trunking service, you can have a backup plan that can facilitate routing all calls to another number, either at your company’s office or one of its branches. That can assist in both power shutdown and web connection loss. You can also install the VoIP backup to provide automatic service, or you may set it up in a way that you can utilise it when the power source shuts down. The hosted PBX gives you the chance to sign in to an online interface and apply a configuration by yourself rather than trusting anyone else to do it for you. You can do this from a cell phone, web connection or a laptop. There is no definitive answer to this question. The primary criteria for VoIP to keep running is a quality web connection. However, various methods can be used to keep your VoIP system running in the event of a lost web connection. These include backup copper lines, failover options, and hosted PBX solutions. Each business will have different needs, so it’s necessary to consult with a VoIP provider to find the best solution for your specific situation. Even if your business does not rely heavily on internet-based services, it’s still a good idea to have a backup plan in place. That could mean having an alternate means of communication ready to go, such as cell phones or text-to-speech devices. In some cases, a web connection may be too unreliable as your primary communication line, but you might have the option to use it for things like email and social media updates. It would be best to consider how many people must have access to those services, as some VoIP providers restrict the number of connection lines a user can have at one time. If your business does not need a web connection to keep running, you will have more options when choosing VoIP. For example, an older legacy PBX setup might work perfectly well without connecting to the internet. Though, that could come with several drawbacks, such as having software that no longer has support from its manufacturer. While the primary criteria for VoIP to keep running is a quality web connection, one of the inquiries from potential VoIP clients is if a VoIP can run without the web. Methods to Let your VoIP Facility Running Without a Web Connection The primary reason for discontinuity in the service of VoIP phone facility is the internet shut down. Below are some of the methods of keeping your VoIP phone up and working even when your web connection is not active. Keep a backup with copper lines. Create failure managing services in every consumer’s setup. Host a PBX and provide services for inactive connections. When you have access to a wireless router and a network, you can wirelessly utilise the VoIP phone. When you are travelling, you can benefit from the VoIP service with the help of public WiFi connections, but you might need to configure this with your VoIP service provider, and it may come with more price. There is also an option for installing a WiMAX extender that enhances signals up to more than seventy kilometres. So you can utilise your regular VoIP service locally. Conclusion Web-based phone systems typically utilise Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP, which utilises the web to route calls instead of standard telephone lines. If your company works with a hosted PBX via VoIP, you can set up a service that automatically routes calls to another number in case of an internet outage. This way, customers and clients won’t be disconnected from your business even if they can’t access the internet on their end.  There are several ways to keep your VoIP phones running even when your web connection is not active. One way is to use a wireless router with a network. That will allow you to utilise your VoIP phone wirelessly. Another option is to install a WiMAX extender, which will boost the signal up to more than seventy kilometres. That will let you use your regular VoIP service even when travelling. Finally, you can also configure your VoIP service to work with public WiFi connections. This may come at an additional cost, but it can be a beneficial option when travelling or in other situations where you do not have access to a wired internet connection. Using one of these methods lets you keep your VoIP phone service running even when you do not have a web connection. When you have access to a cell phone internet connection, you can wirelessly utilise the VoIP phone. Moreover, when you are travelling, you can benefit from the VoIP service if you have access to a secure and reliable internet connection.

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Company-Culture-while-remote-working

Building A Strong Company Culture While Doing Remote Work

There’s no doubt that remote work is becoming highly popular. According to a study by experts, 43% of workers in the US have telecommuted at some point in their career. And this number is only going to grow as technology advances, and more people become comfortable working from home. But while there are many advantages to remote work, one of the potential pitfalls is that it can be difficult to create and maintain a strong company culture when everyone spreads out across different locations. So we’ll describe some tips for building a strong company culture while doing remote work in this post. The remote work environment is something that everyone considers a great option. But one drawback for businesses might be how can they keep cultivating a great company culture when everyone lives worldwide? In this post, we’ll guide you on how we can create a superb team culture successfully at a company. Remote Work Explained Team members of a corporation who work remotely have the permission of doing their job outside of the company’s primary business hub or physical workplace. In most instances, employees work from home, but they might work from any location. There is no need for a physical office at some companies since they operate from home or have made every employee interchangeable with remote workers who work part-time in the field. However, it might be more practical for others to maintain a permanent address so that clients can come to their office for visits when needed and provide services without being physically present. Many people enjoy remote work because these jobs offer considerably better flexibility than traditional full-time positions. The remote work culture is rising, and it’s not just for startups anymore. More companies realize that they can be successful this way, with less overhead costs than traditional offices. In addition, there are options available to rent out a space where people come together for occasional business meetings or projects requiring face-to-face contact. Benefits of Hiring Remote Workers Hiring someone to work remotely is more manageable, especially for family obligations. In addition, the flexibility offered by this type of arrangement can be beneficial when you need your employee’s presence at certain times. But they’re unable or unwilling to make themselves available all day long! You might also consider paying them with easy digital payment options, so there won’t be any extra costs associated with making payments digitally; plus, it means no pesky payroll taxes either (unless we decide otherwise). Interesting fact: With the VoIP app, you can call almost anyone. The desktop and mobile app can facilitate your team in placing phone calls, doing video meetings, and even providing fast SMS/MMS messages, all from one VoIP software. Remote Culture Defined To create a remote work culture, you have to think of your team’s values and expectations and how they communicate with one another. You also need to permit appropriate habits for the type of job at hand. That can include things like taking breaks or drinking water. The best way to maintain your company’s culture is by investing in remote work philosophy. When team members work from different places in many departments, it can be difficult for the whole team to keep engaged. And be productive with one another. But when everyone works from home, they keep doing their job for a longer time, and the company earns higher profits. Create a Positive Remote Work Culture When you have remote team members, it’s necessary that they feel connected. That is because they miss out on all the social aspects of a traditional work environment. Like water cooler discussions and workplace jokes, among other elements which we don’t think about every day. But, these interactions improve the team’s efforts in a great way. The managers should encourage them. Happiness at work is good for business. It’s undeniable that happy employees provide a better environment and experience and can be more productive than those who aren’t satisfied or fulfilled in their careers. So, how can we ensure that our teams have this? There are three factors to consider: Provide them with opportunities that will allow them to take time away from their office obligations, such as flexible days or time management roles. Also, provide bonuses such as benefits packages that include healthcare coverage, and so on. Additionally, team members who desire to help the community might find rewarding volunteer opportunities outside the company. A large percentage of companies, up to eighty-five per cent, convey that flexible remote work improves their performance, which is not surprising. One aspect to remember is that completely remote workforce and hybrid work teams have different objectives to meet. A great remote team culture should simplify the supervision of remote teams. It Assists you in Hiring Skillful Employees One of the top benefits of remote work is that it facilitates you to hire new employees from any location globally. It allows you to gather the most incredible talent and a more versatile workforce. Your team’s remote culture serves several roles in encouraging them to work. 83% of the crew at different companies convey that culture is a big consideration when selecting a company. Candidates who are not only skillful but also in line with your fundamental values will reach out to your company if you promote your unique culture. During the interview with remote candidates, experts advise utilizing the VoIP video meeting app. With VoIP software, you can demonstrate your business details to remote workers. Five Indicators of an Effective Remote Culture The company culture doesn’t develop on its own. Instead, it builds itself as team members do their jobs. Also, it consistently grows naturally. Therefore, it’s necessary to actively create a fulfilling sense of culture in your team that links scattered employees together when working remotely. We are providing some beneficial tips on remote cultures: 1. Team Development that is Clear and Manageable Whether you are in a remote team or not, someone on the other end of your team needs to know the instructions to complete their goals. That can’t help if there isn’t clear communication! The first step in establishing a healthy remote culture is clear expectations. Managers and directors need to know what their employees can expect from them and how they should be conducting themselves professionally on behalf of the company. Specifically when dealing with clients or other third parties who may not share the same opinions about work-life balance issues like family time versus billable hours. 2. Utilization of Communication Channels There should be a clear purpose for conversations and video conference channels. Commonly, that implies email is for official documents, instant messaging is for everyday communication, and video meetings for bigger team conferences. The right communication channel can make or break your company. If you’re not careful about which channels are being used for what purposes, it could lead to confusion and wasted time on things that don’t matter as much in the grand scheme! While keeping in online communication, you should consider to buy RDP to ensure safe and secure processes and operations at all times. So use a VoIP app when asking questions like “Do we have enough coffee?” And you should know, if something doesn’t require emphasis then you should not give an explanation for it. We would recommend starting with the VoIP software since most people respond better when someone is talking to them. 3. User-friendly Communication Tools When you invest in the right tools for remote employees, they can stay connected even if not in an office. Whether it’s project management software or business phone systems, you can make sure that your staff has a way of communicating with each other by providing them with user-friendly communication tools. The VoIP app is one of the best innovations of technology. For example, your customers and prospects will love it because they don’t have to download anything. All you need to do is join a video conference with your team via their web browser. Let’s say interviews are much better when this happens. The top managers should equip a remote workforce team with user-friendly tools! The more easy-to-use those tools are, the more people prefer to use them. 4. Clear Communication Clear communication at the workplace is essential for creating a culture of trust, and it must begin at the top. We have already described how essential it is to set clear goals. That is why the managers should schedule regular virtual meetings with their remote personnel. Video meetings are ideal for building company culture with person-to-person communication. It can be an interpersonal conversation or communication between two departments. One of the difficulties of creating a remote workforce is that team members are often dispersed across different locations. That implies that not all employees can participate in a business-wide meeting. Video chat is ideal for face-to-face conversation, whether one-on-one or in a group setting. In it, team members can speak with each other creating better relationships. Also, they learn new skills when they communicate as a team. That is a part of building a strong company culture. In these scenarios, it’s good to keep the notes of those meetings and have those transcriptions available for people who couldn’t attend them. Again, VoIP software can assist team members by conveniently recording their meetings. It also transcribes their calls in real-time. 5. Transcribed Meetings with VoIP Software For best results with transcribed meetings, you should promote group messages instead of direct messages to convey information (until you want to send a private message). The company culture that supports transparency in privacy helps break the ice when it comes to communication because it prioritizes a holistic view of what everyone is doing in the company. Belonging and Serving a Broader Range of Consumers It is necessary to allow your remote employees to consider that they belong to the company, regardless of colour, caste or creed. Companies typically address this by giving inter-company relations building and inclusion training. And by creating specific employee resource groups. Six Tips for Creating a Productive Remote Culture In some scenarios, it is easy if you are entirely a small business because there will not be any differences between remote and in-office employees. But, in any way, we are providing some guidelines on how to make an effective remote culture. 1. Chalk Out How Your Remote Culture Will Work Practically It would help if you outlined how you would prefer your remote culture. That should align with company values, and everyone must know how they can contribute to the enterprise successfully while fitting it with their working style or practice. Then, the top managers can decide which tools are best suited for communicating between employees who work remotely. First, consider what your remote culture is like in terms of working methods and practices. That should be consistent with your company values so that everyone knows the goals you’re going to accomplish. Next, you should plan how to communicate with your team members and the tools and utilities you should own to distribute information. 2. Set of Remote Work Rules Since it is more tricky for a distributed team to learn the finer points of your culture, the top management must create paperwork for plans. And also chalk out ways about how it will be implemented practically. The managers should also enlist “job rules” that define the remote culture. They should be simple to learn for both new and experienced employees. When creating a remote work policy, make sure that it is clear and concise. Include guidelines for appropriate language in communications and expectations around flexibility with hours. The managers should keep it a bit formal, so the employees maintain a proper interaction in the company. Finally, etiquettes go hand-in-hand: don’t forget thank you cards from clients or emails asking how things went after meetings like face to face video calling. 3. Communicate the Instructions Internally Communication inside the company is necessary for creating and maintaining remote work cultures. Therefore, you should assign an official team member in this role to serve as the culture management in charge. Their role will be to communicate the company’s cultural values at all levels. They can set up communication lines between team members for social chats and ensure everyone is inside the conversation when there are virtual team meetings. 4. Hold Regular Feedback Conferences It might not be easy to do it perfectly the first time. Your remote culture and policies must be ready to adapt to changes, including employee feedback! Employees welcome transparent feedback in a company, and all coworkers should feel at ease expressing their worries or when offering advice. The goal is to create an atmosphere where everybody adds value, so you might have to request input from fairly quiet workers effectively. Without this approach to work, the noisiest people in the room will start taking over feedback sessions. It would help if you tried to offer training about how to provide constructive feedback. Also, it would help if you remembered to inquire for feedback about the system to gather input. Do your team members consider it suitable to share their opinions and are easy to convey their disagreement to others? Anonymous surveys are a great way to find out the views of shy team members. 5. Encourage an Intentional Conference Culture You might have known about the “Video conference effects on productivity”. Too many video conference calls might reduce the employee’s productivity because it can keep them busy for longer. But when it comes to remote work, video meetings are one of the primary methods for your team members to understand each other better. You have to ensure that you are not trying to meet at the conference just because the managers have given your instructions. Inform everyone about your purpose to them. Are you announcing new hires, working to connect with customers or interested parties, or simply finding out more about business? Give out a plan in advance and conform to it. Undoubtedly the video calls are beneficial, but you should also have “No-meeting Mondays” to give your team a break from the busy meeting schedule. 6. Allow Non-Call-Based Communication Methods There are scenarios in which doing a “live” discussion is unnecessary. Email, SMS, and app-based messaging services are asynchronous ways of communication that do not require any immediate response. The employees know that people may be preoccupied or need time to review their messages or find additional information before responding. That also makes up for time differences. Rather than calling a colleague at midnight, you can convey them a message and allow them to reply in the morning. It’s beneficial to learn about time zones and when official holidays occur in several countries. Again, one of the benefits of VoIP phone service is that you can send messages to your employees to inform them about necessary updates. Use VoIP To Increase Collaboration Among Remote Teams Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a powerful tool that can significantly enhance collaboration within remote teams. By using VoIP technology, teams can communicate seamlessly, fostering a sense of unity and efficiency. Here are several ways you can use VoIP to increase collaboration in your remote teams: Real-Time Communication: Voice Calls: VoIP allows team members to make high-quality voice calls online. It facilitates instant communication, reducing delays in decision-making and problem-solving. Video Conferencing: Video calls enhance collaboration by providing face-to-face interactions, making discussions more personal and practical. Platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet offer robust VoIP-based video conferencing. Unified Communication Platforms Choose a unified communication platform integrating VoIP with other collaboration tools such as instant messaging, file sharing, and project management. It creates a centralized hub for all communication needs, reducing the need to switch between multiple applications. Cost Efficiency VoIP is often more cost-effective than traditional phone systems, especially for long-distance or international calls. These cost savings can be redirected to other business areas or invested in additional collaboration tools. Flexibility and Mobility Many VoIP platforms offer screen-sharing and collaboration features, allowing team members to share their screens during calls. It is invaluable for presentations, collaborative document editing, and troubleshooting. Quality of Service (QoS) Optimization Ensure that your internet connection is robust enough to support high-quality VoIP calls. Implement Quality of Service (QoS) settings to prioritize voice traffic, minimizing disruptions and ensuring clear communication. Training and Support Provide adequate training and support for team members to use VoIP effectively. It includes troubleshooting common issues, understanding features, and optimizing settings for the best user experience. Summing Up So, if you’re thinking of transitioning to a remote workforce or are already there and feeling a little lost, don’t worry. We’ve put together some tips to help you build a strong company culture while working remotely. And if you need more help, our team is always here to support you. While it can be a challenge to create and maintain a strong company culture when everyone is working remotely, it’s not impossible. This post explored some tips for building a thriving remote work culture. By following these tips, you can help ensure that your remote team feels connected and engaged with one another, regardless of where they are located. Have you tried any of these techniques in your remote work environment? Read More : 4 Tips To Help You Monitor Company Production Read More : Top 5 Challenges of VoIP and Solutions

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Phishing Attacks

Types of Phishing Attacks & How to Avoid them?

What do you think is the most dangerous type of cyber-attack? If you pose this question to a group of individuals, they may have different opinions. Some would uptick DDOS as the most malicious, while others may consider ransomware as the most effective hacking tool.  However, the stats tell a different story. Phishing remained common out of the millions of cyber attacks last year. According to Cisco, phishing accounted for every 9 out of 10 data breaches last year. Over the decades, phishing attacks have become more sophisticated, causing more damage to users and online companies.  You won’t allow an unknown person to enter your house, but you can’t stop a spammy email from entering your inbox. It’s easy to recognize fraud in person, but it’s hard to recognize a fake email or website link. That’s where most users fall prey to phishing attacks.  People often get conned because they don’t know the ins and outs of phishing attacks. Luckily, we have got you covered.  In this article, we have discussed the common types of phishing and how to avoid them. First, let’s take a peek at the definition of phishing. What is Phishing?  Phishing is one of the most common hacking/ cyber threats that use fraudulent messaging to get PII or personally identifiable information from the victim.  So, basically, it’s tricking someone into providing secret information. These malicious messages can be in emails, SMS, chat messages, website forms, and other data extraction techniques.  They ask the user to click the link and provide the necessary information. Most people fall prey to phishing because the hacker impersonates the interface to make it look legitimate.  Cybercriminals manipulate your pain points and create bait using emotional and psychological triggers.  These baits bring desperate individuals to the trap as they give some personal information such as passwords, credit card codes, and much more. Hacker- a mysterious, nerdy character- sitting in a dark room, churning out codes mindlessly. That’s the picture we paint when we think of hackers.  We often feel that hackers remain at the back end and use programming to explicit network security. Well, that’s not always true.  Phishing doesn’t necessarily involve coding or programming; it uses social engineering to develop a make-believe posture. 5 Common Types of Phishing You Must Know: The internet provides a host of ways to connect with individuals worldwide. As rightly said, social media has turned the world into a global village.  You can connect with anyone outside your circle through it. It brings us to the dark side of the internet. Things get frustrating when you connect with someone you don’t know well.  There are tons of ways to initiate a phishing attack. We have covered the 5 most common ones you must know. Knowing them will help you understand these types of cyber-attacks better.  1. Email Phishing: It is the most common type of phishing used in sales funnels, email marketing, and warm/cold emailing.  As we know, emails are the most common way to market products and services. Almost 80% of the primary customer acquisition is done through email marketing.  Knowing these factors, malicious actors use emails to con common users through phishing. They may ask you to redeem a coupon, download a freebie, or purchase a product at a discount.  Triggering the urgency factor, people click on those malicious links or download malware ebooks on their system.  That said, you can easily identify phishing emails with these tricks. Identify the exact names of emails. Often hackers create lookalike emails of a brand. However, they may have some misspelled words. If you find them, avoid clicking on those links or emails. You may also track the links to find out if they are legitimate. Try searching for the same offer on google and the actual website. If you can’t find it, your email will likely be phishing. You can also identify fake logos. A seemingly real company logo can be fake. It doesn’t look fake, but you can find it on Google Lens. It will find out if the image is on Google or not.  Recognize the marketing copy. If you are aware of the brand, you may know the tone of copywriting the brand uses. If you find a different brand voice in the email, then stop. There might be something fishy. Most common practice include is Barrel phishing, that can be difficult to detect, as the emails often look very similar to legitimate messages. This type of attack can be very effective, as even just a few people clicking on the malicious link or attachment can result in a large number of computers being infected. So, what is Barrel phishing? Barrel phishing is a type of phishing attack that uses mass emailing to target a large group of people. The attacker will send out emails that appear to be from a legitimate source, such as a company or organization, in an attempt to get the recipients to click on a link or attachment that will lead to malware being installed on their computer.   2. Whaling/Boss’s Fraud: A simpler yet powerful phishing technique that can cause serious damage to an organization is called whaling.  You can also call it corporate fraud. Fraudsters do alot of research on a target. Targeted personnel can be a senior member in a company’s hierarchy that usually handles finance and sales.  Hackers set the groundwork and find the personnel with some weaknesses in the company. Often the communication gap between the employee and the CEO plays its part in tracking the employee.  Thus, the hackers would send an email impersonating the Boss, who would ask for a favor from the employee.  Employees in the corporate sector generally don’t confront or inquire about the Boss. Therefore, they can be easily tricked into performing the act.  The requested favor can be a money transfer to a specific account or information the hacker may need.  You can identify whaling by following these steps: You must know bosses don’t communicate through personal emails as an employee. Thus, any intended request may contain malicious objectives if asked through personal emails. Do send the email to your immediate Boss to verify its legitimacy. Also, companies create groups to ask joint queries. You can use them to verify those messages. Be wary of any message you get that your employer doesn’t ask in general. It may help you grab understand the new behaviors.   3. HTTPS phishing: HTTPS is often considered a safe protocol; most companies use it in their web addresses instead of HTTP.  Hackers take a more nuanced approach in this regard. To make lookalike links, they use HTTPS protocols now. So, when someone aware of phishing sees the link, they feel that the site is real. They click on the link to arrive at a malicious website. It can be very dangerous, so users must take precautionary steps to avoid it.  Do you know 49% of malicious websites are now using HTTP, and this trend is growing?  Even you can locate this subtle kind of phishing through these steps: Find the URL parameters and identify if it contains any unknown pages. You can easily track the unusual parameters by looking at the web address. If the link is shortened, you should avoid it.   4. Vishing: Vishing stands for phishing activities through phone calls. Fraudsters use phones to call a specific individual and ask them to do a specific task.  The caller may create a sense of urgency and sometimes use fear tricks to accomplish their tasks.  For instance, you get a fake call from an Inland Revenue Department.  The agent asks you to pay your taxes as immediately as possible or show your credentials. Such calls are often phishing calls and should be avoided.  To identify vishing calls, follow these points: You might be a victim of phishing calls if your caller number is unusual or doesn’t have incoming calls. It might be fake if the caller is in haste and asks you to provide PII.  Most Govt numbers are open to everyone. People recognize them. If you get a call from an unexpected number, then there might be something fishy.   5. Clone Phishing: As the name suggests, it usually clones an already-running online business and copy-pastes the services or products you want. After thorough research, the hacker finds you interested in that service and sends you emails impersonating that service.  For instance, you subscribe to a service and get a welcome message asking you to download some attachments.  Clone phishers use this technique to create email messages containing attachments. When you download those attachments containing ransomware, your website gets hacked. You can become aware of such phishing techniques through this process: Often the cloned messages are poorly written and often copy-pasted. So, while reading the message, you know if it’s real or fake.  If the message asks you to provide personal information, it may be malicious because marketing emails do not generally ask for PII.   5. Barrel Phishing: It can be difficult to detect, as the emails often look very similar to legitimate messages. This type of attack can be very effective, as even just a few people clicking on the malicious link or attachment can result in a large number of computers being infected. So, what is Barrel phishing? Barrel phishing is a type of phishing attack that uses mass emailing to target a large group of people. The attacker will send out emails that appear to be from a legitimate source, such as a company or organization, in an attempt to get the recipients to click on a link or attachment that will lead to malware being installed on their computer. To protect yourself from barrel phishing attacks, it is important to be aware of the signs that an email may be malicious. Be suspicious of any email that contains a link or attachment, even if it appears to be from a legitimate source. If you are unsure about an email, you can always contact the sender directly to confirm that it is legitimate. Additionally, make sure that your computer has up-to-date antivirus software installed, as this will help to protect against any malware that may be installed through a barrel phishing attack.   How to Avoid Phishing Attacks? Phishing attacks, no doubt, prevail nowadays. Alot of people get conned through these attacks. However, you can identify and avoid them. Train your employees: CEO Fraud and Spear Phishing are very common nowadays. To avoid them, you need to train your employees with up-to-date techniques.  Hackers have developed new social engineering tactics to fraud personnel into providing or taking action that can cause damage to the company.  However, training the employees can pre-empt any potential threat to the company resources. The DuckDuckGo experiment is a pertinent case in point.  They experimented with a fake phishing attack on their employees by sending them discount offer emails. Those who clicked the emails were redirected to cyber security and phishing training and courses.    Use exact email filters: Email filters are a great way to get the right emails to your inbox. It provides a convenient way to avoid overcrowded inboxes with unnecessary and spam emails.  An often avoided benefit of spam filters is that you can specify and even remove malicious emails from your inbox.  Phishing emails contain malware in attachments such as ebooks and pdfs. Filters will detect these emails and give you access to important emails.  Install web alters plugins: Thanks to the advancement in security and data protection, you can now use different plugins on your website that give you alerts of potential threats. Besides plugins, there is also an SSL certificate option in which a few recommended certs, which are popular in the industry. For example, RapidSSL wildcard (for subdomains), Comodo PositiveSSL wildcard for unlimited subdomains, Sectigo wildcard, etc. should be there to avoid data spying. Also, you can use web extensions to detect any website containing malware. Through these alerts, you can immediately skip the websites containing malware.  Can VoIP Help In Avoiding Phishing Attack?   VoIP can contribute to the avoidance of phishing attacks by incorporating security features such as encrypted communication, two-factor authentication, and voice recognition. Encrypted VoIP calls enhance the confidentiality of conversations, making it more challenging for attackers to intercept sensitive information. Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of user verification, mitigating the risk of unauthorized access. Voice recognition technology can enhance security by providing a unique and difficult-to-replicate identifier. Although VoIP alone cannot entirely prevent phishing attacks, its integrated security measures significantly bolster overall defenses, and combined with user education on recognizing phishing attempts, it can create a more resilient communication environment. Final Words: Phishing attacks are the most common types of hacking attacks nowadays. Though they may seem like simple tricks to steal data from people, they can cause serious damage.  Knowing the importance of these threats, we have addressed five types of phishing attacks you can likely face. Plus, we have provided some precautions to avoid them.  If you have gone through the article, let us know your feedback. 

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Secure Your Mobile App from Cyber Attacks

A Comprehensive Guide to Secure Your Mobile App from Cyber Attacks

The advent of technology has made 83% of the world’s population use smartphones. The device has become a vital tool for everyday life, not just for communicating but also for doing other necessities. Smartphones allow users to shop, pay bills, and many more with clicks away. Plenty of smartphone apps, including social media, require users to input personal information. With billions of data submitted to the systems, preys are ready to ambush them. This situation can lead to cyber-attacks. If you’re developing a mobile app, it’s important to protect it from cyber-attacks to avoid data leak and theft. Doing prevention as soon as possible can help you build a robust mobile app that is safe for every user. This article covers the comprehensive guide to securing your mobile app from cyber-attacks. Before that, let’s discuss the general information about cyber-attacks and mobile app security below. What are Cyber-attacks, and Why is Securing Mobile App Important? A cyber-attack refers to an attempt to get unauthorized access to an app or device with the intent to steal, expose, misuse, or other actions that can cause damage. The actor behind the cyber-attack may sell personal data or use them to do criminal actions which can get owners in trouble. To avoid unwanted incidents caused by cyber-attack, mobile app developers need to work hard in establishing breach-free security for their mobile apps. There are some ways to ensure your mobile apps, which we will cover further in this article. The Target of Cyber Attacks Attackers may target different data, but personal and cardholder data are two of the most favored. Personal data includes name, address, and location. While, cardholder data includes card number, password, expiry date, and CCV. Other than the two, attackers may also access the device to abuse the owner’s account or steal other vital data.  Ways of Securing Mobile Apps from Cyber-attacks Even if major mobile app developers are confident that they have created the finest security system, cyber-attacks are still possible to happen. Here are some ways to secure your mobile app from threats.  1. Establish Secure and Stronger User Authentication Nick Oberheiden, Founder & Attorney at Oberheiden P.C recommends “Secure and strong user authentication is one of the most effective ways to avoid attackers. You may use microinteractions and layers of authentication processes to prevent unauthorized access from hackers or malware.” Establishing secure and more robust user authentication can include 2FA (2-Factor Authentication) and MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication). Also, you should consider adding one-time passwords, enforcing timeout, and mobile safety features. 2. Application Wrapping  Application Wrapping or app wrapping is a term that refers to a method of separating or segmenting your app and the rest of the device. This way, the data is in a secure environment. Tia Campbell, Director of Marketing at Practice Reasoning Tests says “The MDM provider commonly provides this option automatically. You will need to set parameters to segment your apps. Moreover, you don’t need any coding to get the job done.” 3. API security API is a valuable tool to keep your data of the application well-secured, primarily if you use third-party features or applications. Make sure only to use certified APIs. If not, there may be a potential slit where attackers can get in. Bram Jansen, chief editor, vpnAlert recommends to use 256-SSL encryption to transfer data and avoid penetration during transit. Meanwhile, you can secure the data and device origin for static data or data at rest. APIs become one of the most strict data security in all situations. 4. Smartphone device management Smartphone device management differs among developers. Therefore, iOS and Android have different security systems in the device. In this case, the developers’ ability to read the situation is put on the line because they must understand that stored data on the device can invite security threats. The 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard is a significant consideration to keep your mobile app safe. Apple is well-known for its strict security, but app developers can use mobile device management (MDM) or mobile enterprise management (EMM) products. Android users have a trickier way of managing their data security. You may consider using Android for Work (A4W), which can segment personal and professional apps.” 5. Security by design / Design for application security You can also implement effective security strategies by considering the threat model. Animated sales video might help, but designing a security system requires specific skills and capabilities. So, it might be a steep step without mastering the field. If you plan to develop an app, you may consider hiring a professional security team to test your security system. They will play as the attackers to find potential holes so that you can fix them immediately. Always mind data safety and security as your primary concern when developing an app. Wrapping Up An excellent security system is vital to secure your mobile app from cyber-attacks. If you’re not sure about this, you can always hire IT companies. You can develop a robust security game by thinking about any possible and potential gap where hackers can get in and reap the data.  Figuring out potential problems ahead doesn’t mean you’re being paranoid, but it helps you strengthen your security system within your mobile app. The above five points can guide you to develop a robust security system for your mobile apps against cyber-attacks. Also, make sure to do a constant check and monitoring to your security system.

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it’s so essential for call centre teams to be empowered to handle these situations in the best possible way. Here are 22 tips to help empower your team and make them shine in 2022!

23 Tips to Empower Call Center Teams in 2023

In a perfect world, every customer would be happy and satisfied with the service they receive from your call centre. But we all know that’s not always the case. Sometimes customers can be frustrating, difficult, and just downright to the point. That’s why it’s so essential for call centre teams to be empowered to handle these situations in the best possible way. Here are 22 tips to help empower your team and make them shine in 2023! How do you Empower the Call Center Teams? It’s a jungle out there. The call centre is full of different personalities, all with their strengths and weaknesses that need to be considered when deciding how to handle each situation best. If you want your agents happy, then give them the freedom (and responsibility) to do what they think will work rather than telling someone else how things should go down – it’s not always going to please everyone, but at least those who are satisfied won’t complain as much! Why is Empowerment Necessary for Customer Service Agents? Empowered employees or call center agents are more effective at engaging with customers. That has a considerable impact on the bottom line as well! Integrating contact center ai software into the toolkit of call center agents empowers them to deliver even more personalized and efficient customer service. Companies must empower staff members who can think outside traditional constraints while maintaining high-performance levels in today’s fast-paced business world. Due to their creativity being fueled by enthusiasm for what they do best – helping clients find solutions through innovation or providing support where needed most, such as during emergencies is what an ideal team should do. With this type of environment comes excellent responsibility, though, because there may be negative consequences if not managed correctly. That includes lower loyalty among workers, which could lead them away from supporting your organisation for long term; If a leader doesn’t care, why should their buddies? Friendly and knowledgeable call centre staff members are more likely to provide quick responses, which improves the customer experience for 71% of consumers. They’re also cheerful during interactions–this goes a long way in making customers feel welcomed! How Do You Empower Them? Do you know how frustrating it is when someone else makes decisions for you? Give your agents some authority and let them do something on behalf of their customers without having to complain. People want to talk with someone who knows what they are doing. So agents should be friendly, but if the call gets more intense or complicated, it is time for an expert and not a beginner in communication skills. There’s only so much that can happen before mistakes need to be corrected. It takes patience, which many people don’t have nowadays due to hectic schedules at work/school etc., agents must navigate through 5+ applications. One of the best ways to motivate your agents is with incentives. Not only will they be more likely to do what you want, but customers can also benefit from the rewards if there are motivating rewards for them! Descriptives should include words like “informal” or “informally.” The companies that are well known for their positive work environment perform better. Commonly, they don’t have a traditional monitoring program. Still, they replace it with Full Circle Feedback, which allows staff to do whatever reviews and observations that need to be doing without any input from management except when giving feedback on progress reports at year-end or during appraisals if requested by an employee’s chain of command! That means these companies don’t focus too much attention on numbers; instead, our main concern should be building relationships between customers/employees while providing excellent services at every step along the journey together. Empowerment Explained: The power to make decisions with your common sense is a great feeling. Empower call center agents by giving them that independence. It’ll help you be more productive and share ideas with other team members! The micromanaged employees and confined to strict workflows mean there is no mutual trust. As a result, agents fear harsh feedback from their managers because they’re afraid of experiencing setbacks or speaking up in meetings; this leads directly to our unhappy customer’s issue! You may have a great product, but if the customer service isn’t there to back it up, it won’t be worth anything. To avoid this issue, all you need are these twenty-two ways to invest in your team and empower them every step of their way! 1. Do Discussions With Your Team Guide your experienced staff through the new processes and training plans, so you can help out those who are less knowledgeable. Document any feedback or decisions made together with them for future reference. 2. Communicate with Your Team Keep the company changes coming, but do it in an organised way. Make sure everyone is on board with what’s going down and check up quickly so that nothing falls through the cracks! As a supervisor, make your rounds every day—you know how much morale can suffer without some sunshine? More communication means stronger relationships which will help us all succeed. 3. Remote Work Working from home is an excellent way for agents to improve their productivity and stay focused. In addition, it lets them know you are looking out for the best interests of not only your employees but also those people’s families too! 4. The Ready-made Scripts What’s your favourite way to start a call? Some people like calling on the phone and getting straight into it, while others prefer email or chat. What about you – do YOU have any rituals when making calls that are just so important for YOUR job!? You can create scripts for the agents so they know what they have to say when talking to the clients. 5. Corporate Courses Give your agents the power of knowledge with a help desk that is always up-to-date. Also, please give them the training to adapt to an ever-changing environment and be happy at work! 6. Coaching Empowering your agents is about improving the way they work and empowering them to have a voice in what goes on at their place of employment. Coaches are an excellent resource for dealing with difficult situations and helping change attitudes towards empowerment within a team or company culture! If you already have coaches on board, be sure to provide them with a coaching platform for business growth. It will make them much easier to complete day to day tasks and help to deliver transformational results for team members 7. Aboard Agents who are the Right Match for your Company Hiring an excellent cultural fit is a great way to empower your agents. Agents need the right skills and an empowering work environment to reach their full potential and be successful at what they do! The culture in a contact centre is essential because it can be maintained by the agents you hire. When they share similar values, an organisation will better empower its customer service staff to help customers with their issues. You should hire people who have qualities like empathy and innovation so that your company has high-quality services available for consumers everywhere! 8. Make Small Improvements For empowering contact centre agents, it’s essential to have their complete trust and support. Empower your employees in small matters first. While it’s easy to overlook the more minor aspects of agent appreciation, those are often the things that mean the most. Lucky for you, it’s easy to start with the small steps. Here are a few ideas to get started: Letting your employees choose what they wear and eat will give them more comfort in the office. Don’t be afraid to let people dress as they please if it’s allowed by company policies; this is beneficial for their mental well-being and makes putting on professional clothes easier since there are fewer restrictions! 9. Implement an Agent Development Plan and Put it to Action with Process Documentation Powering up your workforce isn’t just about the power of positively affecting people’s lives. It also has a lot to do with agents making informed decisions for what is best within that specific business operation and ensuring effectiveness remains high as they go along this journey together! You should provide them with all sorts/amounts of information, so each team member understands their role inside their empowered workplace–from management down through every agent employed at your company. 10. Improve Interdepartmental Communication Inter-departmental communication is a vital part of agent empowerment. It enables contact centre agents to work more effectively with other departments for customer satisfaction. 11. Train Your Contact Center Agents Call centre agents are often the first point-of-contact for customers, which means they have an incredible impact on future business. It’s essential to provide your workers with all of the tools to make informed decisions quickly so they feel empowered and confident in their choices. There is no room for leftovers when handling customer queries; every second counts during rush hour! It takes time and dedication to provide customer service. So you should train your call centre agents. 12. Find out What is Best in Your Employees and Share it With Them Empowering contact centre agents is not about telling them everything they did wrong. The opposite is also true. Pointing out where team members went wrong can demoralise and discourage them overtime. For true empowerment, show your agents examples of when they did something right. We all know that agents need support and appreciation, but what many agencies forget about them is the importance of how they feel. If an agent feels like they aren’t worth anything, there will never be any growth in their quality management skills because nobody wants to work with somebody who doesn’t believe in their capabilities! So make sure you thank your analysts every day for doing such a great job by rewarding positive behaviours while discouraging more negative ones when needed so everyone can thrive together. 13. Be Nice to Your Agents When they Experience Setbacks Setbacks are a part of life. Allow your contact centre agents to overcome setbacks. They will gain faith in themselves and their ability as successful employees to implement any future initiatives that may improve the company’s needs or goals at heart! You can’t control everything. But you do have the power to change your agent’s mindset and approach when things get tough, which will lead not only in a better direction but also empower the agents in your team. When you shift to empowering agents, your managers’ and supervisors’ roles will change. Managers should be more like coaches who help shape the work environment rather than monitoring compliance with rules; this ultimately benefits them because they’ll have more time for what matters in their jobs! 14. Request your Administration and Senior Team Members to Oversee the Call Centre Agents The roles of your managers and supervisors are likely to change when you shift to focusing on agent empowerment. With agents able to make decisions, managers will be acting more as coaches and advisors instead of monitoring compliance with rules. Ultimately, this will be a good thing for your managers and supervisors, as they will have more time to focus on the crucial aspects of their jobs. The customer service leader empowers contact centre agents by training them to become even more skilled. But, managers need to provide all the tools necessary to achieve success on a day-to-day basis, so they can help the individual agent by providing them what they need. According to research, empowered employees and leaders are much more likely to engage in customer-focused actions such as providing excellent service. That can be attributed to empowerment because they feel empowered by their work environments which promote creativity while also enhancing productivity among the entire team through empowerment initiatives. That is taken at all levels of an organisation – including top management, who must set expectations from day one about what behaviours will improve performance and tone it like a pro! 15. Don’t do Low-level Management and Delegate Responsibility The initial step to empowered customer support is providing your agents and management team with the authority and freedom to work quickly. So it can be established that they have enough resources available for each situation. The more confident a person feels in his ability to make good decisions on behalf of himself or others the better they perform. That type of feeling brings out excellence from everyone involved because there’s no more need in worrying about whether something will go wrong because of better performance. You’re not afraid either! 16. Offer the Appropriate Tools When you’re talking about delivering excellent customer service, two things should be a top priority. First, your call centre agents and managers need a robust CRM, so they always have access to customer data, but it’s just as vital for them to use quality assurance software too! Contact Monitoring Scorecards: Contact monitoring scorecards can help you track KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) that lead to the creation of successful call centre agents. The system offers self-evaluation for consistent improvement and the ability to see where your team fits within industry standards, which is especially useful in today’s competitive market! Cause and Effect Analysis: It is a powerful tool for issue-resolution, and it helps teams identify the “root causes” of issues within their call centre. Root cause analysis entails identifying what caused an event or condition to occur to resolve issues at hand more accurately with timely remediation through corrective actions such as timelines on when things will return normal (or not). Forecast Analysis: With forecast analytics, businesses can tailor their message to the customer’s likely response in advance and know whether they’re getting through. This way of doing things may help agents be more effective by making it easier to foresee client behaviour or trends so that they speak directly with their audience at just the right time! Performance Analytics: We all know that the best way to get a bird’s-eye view of what’s going on in your agency is with performance analytics. It allows agents and managers alike. Both current and future employees of your company can have access to their strengths and opportunity areas for improvement through historical data about how they’re doing at work right now with both exemplary accomplishments (procedures completed) and below-average ones. That gives them an idea for training opportunities if needed, where one might be overworked because there was too much demand from clients rather than enough workers available. Performance analytics can even assist the agents in handling time better. 17. Deploy Best Call Center Management Strategies The best way to empower your call centre employees is by giving them managers who will motivate, encourage and help do their job effectively without being overwhelmed too much. Your agents can’t create positive customer experiences unless there is successful managerial supervision in the work process. Empowering customer service starts at the top. Next, your management team needs to follow these best practices for emotional intelligence. So listen carefully, as agents share their thoughts and ideas with you. Resolve any conflict that arises on time while also anticipating questions they might have had before it happened (and answering them!). Communicate regularly with each employee about what’s going on around the office – good or not so good! And lastly, focus heavily upon engagement–it’ll show up when people feel like valued members of our community rather than just numbers representing sales figures. Develop an engaging, creative style that allows plenty of opportunities to meet with agents and discuss performance. Use data from the quality assurance process and key performance indicators (KPIs) to create a strategic framework designed around success; use high-tech software to track progress towards goals. 18. Make Sure that Departments and Channels do Team Work Your call centre must be able to get the job done. And for that, agents need access throughout your organisation’s departments and options on how they can contact other people or receive assistance from the management when necessary, so customers don’t feel taken advantage of. 19. Promote independence The manager who constantly monitors the agent’s progress is either ineffective or has lost faith in them. Giving agents more independence can help your business by providing employees hands-on experience with valuable knowledge gained from removing roadblocks along the way. 20. Utilise Self-motivated Teams For start-ups, mainly where resources are limited (for example, lack of a Human Resources department and employees), self-directed teams are an excellent model to give agents more autonomy in the workplace. This model of working without supervision is empowering for all members. Decisions are made swiftly, and results can be seen quickly as they come together to accomplish a common goal, but there’s always the chance that projects will fail, so it arrives at great cost. 21. Build a Solid Product Knowledge Base For Customer Team Agents The customer service team’s knowledge of the company’s products and services can be a powerful asset. Knowledge is power when you have an in-depth understanding of how your product or service works and its benefits for customers. With this type of insight into what they offer, knowledgeable employees will know where to find answers to any given question without having to search high and low through various resources within their organisation – since much information resides internally! Your employees are your organisation’s most valuable resource. They can provide you with knowledge on what needs fixing, how to fix it and even list some troubleshooting steps so that agents know where they should go next! Your company could have a knowledge base internally that allows for tracking issues or creating articles about different ways of doing things to help customer-centric team members. It should work to encourage collaboration among colleagues across all departments because changes will be made fast, assuming something arises during processing. The customer support team’s productivity skyrockets when they access available information. This way, the organisation can deliver stellar service for customers and themselves as a whole. 22. Encourage Agents to Try New Ideas Your customer support team members are among the few people who communicate with customers daily. As a result, they have significant experience dealing directly and one-on-one, which allows them to develop novel insights into how best to serve you as an individual or business owner! Implementing new ideas from your employees perspective can be empowering because it helps create ownership over decisions. Listening is one of the most important skills you can have as a manager. Your team members know more about their departments and customers than anyone else, so it’s critical that they feel heard by making sure there are no areas where feedback will be ignored or unchanged upon return from vacation or while working on a project. They also need to understand how to try new ideas without getting overwhelmed themselves. It helps keep everyone engaged in what needs to be done! You can use your FCR rate as a measure to see if the problem is being resolved effectively. If it’s not, you might want to take steps towards improving that by pinpointing what exactly isn’t working and making plans accordingly. 23. Maintain Trustworthy Relations Between Employees Trust between employees and managers is key to the success of any company. Think about a manager you trusted; did they have your back? Did they empower or encourage work ethic in what you do at the company? Most importantly, would I want them handling my career path heading forward if it were up to me to choose where it goes from this point on out!? The input doesn’t go anywhere new but needs more detail when describing how having faith/respectful support makes people feel, which should not lead to an enticing statement ending with “upcoming job opportunities.” Conclusion According to research, empowered employees and leaders are much more likely to engage in customer-focused actions such as providing excellent service. That can be attributed basically to empowerment because they feel empowered by their work environments which promote creativity while also enhancing productivity among the entire team through empowerment initiatives taken at all levels of an organisation. Including top management, who must set expectations from day one about what behaviours will improve performance and Tone It Like A Pro! Your call centre can be more effective when agents have easy access to resources throughout the organisation. They should also have options for managerial support that best suits customers’ needs- whether via email or text message!

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Different Frameworks Responsible For Flawless User Experience

Learn About Different Frameworks Responsible For Flawless User Experience

Creating a good user experience is important because it can mean the difference between a person using your product or service and choosing another option. A bad user experience will cause people to give up and look for something else, even if your product or service is otherwise superior. There are many different frameworks and models for thinking about user experience. This article will introduce some of the most popular ones. Flexible MAC Architecture The Flexible MAC Architecture or FMA is a set of standards that provide reliable and efficient data delivery over computer networks. It was sky designed to meet the requirements of real-time applications such as voice and video conferencing, gaming, and others. FMA provides end-to-end quality of service (QoS), which means that it can guarantee data delivery with low latency and jitter. This is possible because FMA uses a centralized controller that manages the network’s resources and schedules traffic according to the needs of the applications. It is scalable and can be easily deployed in small or large networks. It is also interoperable, which means it can work with different types of equipment from different vendors. FMA is an open standard, not tied to any particular vendor or technology. This makes it easier to deploy and manage, as well as to find support when needed. It has been designed to provide a high level of security. It uses encryption and authentication to protect data from being intercepted or modified by unauthorized users. FMA is a reliable and efficient way to deliver data over computer networks. It is scalable, interoperable, and secure. It is also an open standard that can be easily deployed and managed. If you are looking for a framework responsible for delivering a flawless user experience, then FMA is the right choice for you. User Experience Cycle Most digital products are designed with the user experience in mind. However, there is no one-size-fits-all regarding user experience. Different users have different needs and expectations. As such, designing a flawless user experience can be quite challenging. The user experience cycle is a framework that helps designers create amazing user experiences. It is responsible for ensuring that all the elements of the user experience come together seamlessly. Different frameworks have different steps, but the basic idea is always to ensure the user has a great experience using the product. If you’re working on a digital product, you already use a user experience cycle framework. But if you’re not, now is the time to learn about this important framework. Discovery phase The discovery phase is a framework responsible for a flawless user experience. It is gathering information about a product or service through research and testing. This phase helps to identify user needs and requirements, as well as to assess the feasibility of a project. The goal of the discovery phase is to create a foundation for design and development by understanding the problem that needs to be solved.  The discovery phase usually begins with a kick-off meeting, during which the project team discusses the goals and objectives of the project. They also define the scope of work and set expectations for the project. After the kick-off meeting, the team will conduct user research, including interviews, surveys, focus groups, and usability testing. The team will also analyze the competition and review any existing product or service. Based on the findings from the discovery phase, the team will create a report that outlines the user needs and requirements, as well as the feasibility of the project. The discovery phase is essential in the design and development process, as it helps ensure that the final product or service meets the user’s needs. Exploration phase The exploration phase is a crucial part of the user experience design process. It is responsible for helping designers understand the needs and wants of users, as well as identifying any problems that may exist with the current design. Designers must avoid making assumptions during this phase, as doing so can lead to serious problems later. Instead, they should focus on gathering as much information as possible through research methods such as interviews, surveys, and usability tests. Once the exploration phase is complete, designers can begin to generate ideas for how to improve the user experience. This may involve creating new features or redesigning existing ones. However, it is essential to remember that not all changes will be successful; some may worsen the experience. Therefore, it is crucial to test any proposed changes before implementing them. Evaluation stage During the evaluation stage, the user compares the different options and decides which one to use. In our example, the person might compare hotel prices, reviews, and amenities to choose the best option.  Use stage Finally, in the use stage, the user uses the product or service to meet their needs or desires. In our example, the person would book a room at the hotel they chose and then check in and stay there during their trip.  After using your product or service, the cycle starts at discovery as the user may have new needs or desires. It’s important to design your user experience so that it’s easy for users to discover and explore your product or service and then evaluate and use it. 

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B2B-Sales

5 Ways Customer Feedback Can Improve B2B Sales

53% of a customer’s decision to do business with a supplier is related to the sales experience they received. In today’s tech-saturated world, B2B companies often fail to know the importance of B2B customers’ feedback. The revenues of any business, be it B2B or B2C, depends on the customer experience and the response of the customers as they stand behind every transaction. An improved customer experience contributes to a strong value proposition that you provide to the B2B customers by offering something beyond just the quality and price of your products and services. You can improve the B2B customer experience using customer feedback and it will bring you repeat business customers. Taking the B2B customer experience seriously adds value to your business, resulting in customer loyalty. You offer value and get value in return. The customer experience matters the most in this age of experience economy. The B2B customers today are seeking something more than functional and rational benefits. All the brands are battling to outperform on experience by delivering faster and improving the customer’s journey. It has become highly crucial to successfully invoke the customer’s feelings of pride and accomplishment to create an unbeatable value proposition. The financial returns of superior customer experience can be instant and deliver a sustainable competitive advantage—to which the companies must pay attention. A positive customer experience inspires B2B customers to spend more. At the same time, poor or negative customer experience results in brand switching and the spread of negative word of mouth (WOM). High customer satisfaction may not guarantee the return of your B2B customer if the competitors take them away with a more attractive customer value proposition. Therefore, it is highly important to keep an eye on the customer experience, and focusing on the B2B customer feedback is the best way of doing so! Here you go with a roundup of ways of using customer feedback to improve B2B sales! Let’s dive down! Customer Feedback Helps Improve Customer Experience Customer Feedback Allows You to Understand Customer Needs Customer Feedback Allows you to Improve Responsiveness Customer Feedback Improves Quality and Boosts Sales Customer Feedback Helps Gain Foresight in your B2B Sales Process   1.   Customer Feedback Helps Improve Customer Experience The B2B customers are those who purchase from manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors. You must know what your B2B customer expects from the experience of buying from you. You must be aware of the fact that the buyers will happily pay 16% more to receive a better customer experience. But the idea of superior customer experience has been associated more with the B2C market and companies have moved mountains to implement it. However, the B2B market is left at the mercy of fortune. According to McKinsey, B2B companies have an average CX score of less than 50%. This is lower than B2C experience which is 65 to 85%. It is important for a supplier to understand the priorities, challenges, and preferences of their B2B customers. It carries deep insights into the information that helps in molding the product development process. Meeting the needs of your B2B customers surely results in increasing B2B sales. “84% of business buyers are more likely to buy from a company that demonstrates an understanding of their business goals.” Improving the B2B sales has much to do with how you read the customer experience from the customer feedback. Your commitment to improving the customer experience determines the future of your organization. Once you take a deep insight into what your customer feels about your product, services, and everything related to it—it makes them come back. The excellence in customer experience requires a commitment to delighting the B2B customers by exceeding their expectations and thinking beyond customer satisfaction.   This commitment will reflect through your efforts and the B2B customers can easily recognize the difference. “May recession not be the reason to prevent your B2B customers from the luxury of an enhanced customer experience” adds Steve Elliott, Franchise Owner of Restoration1. A sophisticated supplier must bring a cross-functional team on board to improve customer experience. It must have a head of the customer experience—supported by someone in a research role to pull together and analyze the voice of the customers. Someone in the process implementation role to make sure that the customer experience is deep-seated across all processes. 2.   Customer Feedback Allows You to Understand Customer Needs The needs of the customers have always been a point of concern for businesses but they rarely succeed in realizing the needs of their B2B customers. Understanding customer needs and delivering on them is vital to achieving customer loyalty. Of course—it is easier said than done since the demands of the customers are diverse. It may require ultimate customization and at times you may need to go an extra mile to meet their demands. Times have gone when the price and quality have been the concern of the B2B customers as they’ve gone increasingly demanding now. There’s something to be done beyond the feedback of those sales team who bring you the most basic information which is even not true most of the time. price and quality can be a concern of the B2B customers but only when your focus is on selling what you’ve already offered. But to maximize the avenues of sales and to go over and above—you got to figure out what the B2B customer really values. You must know what they are actually requiring against a specific value of money. The wants of customers transcend functional requirements like quality, quantity, and value for money. The end-users of your products and services are individuals who have emotions and attitudes. You must work in close collaboration with your B2B customers to have insight into what their customers are looking for. Giving due consideration to the needs and behaviors of the customers is highly crucial. A supplier must show empathy and even send handwritten notes to apologize and respond to the issues of their B2B customers—as they speak the heart of the end-users. As per the statistics of the SalesForce survey, “68% of businesses expect companies to exhibit empathy”. Feedback helps you understand what the customers want—providing you a base for market segmentation. You can rely on the segmentation of customers that may help you serve accordingly. Through segmentation, you can also identify the unmet needs of your customers that will contribute more to your ROIs. It also offers you a ground to differentiate your offering from your competitors—leaving no chance for your B2B customers to switch away. The B2B customers progressively value suppliers that assist them in standing out to serve their customers even better. Antoine Boquen, CEO and Co-Founder of Horizons says “Feedback brings you the details about the needs, wants, and expectations of your customers.” It allows you to understand the entire value chain—from the supplier to the B2B customers– leading to B2C customers, added Antonie. The moment B2B companies learn to impact the customers of their customers—will be the moment when the B2B sales would start skyrocketing like crazy. Do you know—86% of buyers tend to value customer experience more than product quality or price? 3.   Customer Feedback Allows you to Improve Responsiveness Once you gather all the valuable feedback from your customers, you’re in a position to fix everything that may be preventing those extra market shares. You can improve the quality of packaging, add more functionality to your product, enhance the availability of your products or services, and much more. Feedback brings you an opportunity to enhance B2B sales by improving your response to the feedback of your customers and delivering the value that your customers may be expecting from you. Bertrand Theaud, Founder & Director of Statrys says “Timely response and speedy resolution to the concerns of B2B customers also contribute to improving the overall customer experience.” Response time to an issue must be faster than the expectations of your B2B customers and the responsiveness of your competitors. It has the potential to work as a competitive advantage that will eventually increase your repeat sales. The B2B companies that outshine in offering quicker responsiveness than their competitors are likely to provide a superior and memorable customer experience. Be sure that your B2B customers are not going anywhere then. 4.   Customer Feedback Improves Quality and Boosts Sales Feedback highlights the pain points of the B2B customers that enable you to identify where improvements need to be done. It spans several touchpoints across the journey of your B2B customers—encompassing communications, deliveries, distributions, and dispute resolution. Failing on this important necessity causes customer defection. Responsiveness matters a lot! Just imagine, A physical bank takes 25 working days to approve a small business loan that a tech-friendly bank approves in a time span of fewer than 10 minutes. Lachlan de Crespigny, co-CEO of Revelo says “Resolving the issues of the B2B customers is a calculated way to increase B2B sales.” Negative feedback brings you the prospects to improve your offering. By using the information, you get through feedback, you identify a problem that your customers may be facing and respond to it at your earliest and there you are. 5.   Customer Feedback Helps Gain Foresight in your B2B Sales Process In most organizations, feedback is likely to be only one-dimensional and internal. Just like a director in sales asking their salespersons how their meeting went with the B2B customers, usually getting an optimistic report, only for the vision to sign with a competitor later. However, during your “closed-lost” analysis do you actually find out what went wrong? Well, we cannot blame the salesperson in this regard as they’re going to perceive the positives during the sales process. We’re better aware of the fact that we prize the same level of determination and persistence. This unchecked optimism may result in a double-edged sword for your own business—not having satisfactory and multi-dimensional internal and external feedback. Without the adequacy of feedback, you would land on the least probability of insight that is required to generate a handsome amount of B2B sales. Imagine facing the disasters like an insufficient budget to meet the B2B order requirements. Or not meeting the customer expectations due to financial constraints? How about having a lack of product fit, mismatched timing of delivery, or lack of consensus on purchase terms? You might lose several B2B clients with huge potential for B2B sales if you fail to succeed in having effective foresight—which is possible to avoid through feedback. Dennis Grossman, Founder of Grossman Law Offices says “The success of your company is dependent on the success of your B2B customers.” Ensuring your B2B customers are successful should be at the heart of your business which can be done through feedback.   So what does this all mean? Wrapping it up—feedback makes your B2B customers feel that their opinion actually matters. Customer feedback carries an immense potential to improve B2B sales. It serves in creating a positive consumer experience that ultimately results in increased B2B sales. You’re basically communicating that their opinion is respected and worthwhile. Learning about their judgments and emotions when interacting with your products or services is everything that matters. Constant communication with your B2B customers creates a better sense of involvement that allows you to build a better business relationship and gain better foresight that helps you prepare for better. Abdul Saboor, Full Stack Developer at The Stock Dork says “Irrespective of the industry, customer experience is the key point that B2B companies should consider.” Top companies remain on the top for the reason that they continuously pay attention to what their customers actually think. Therefore, B2B companies should adopt techniques that B2C companies are already using for increased sales, business growth, and customer retention. Focusing on customer experience excellence determines that the customer isn’t a mere transaction. In B2B markets, the customer often involves several decision-makers and influencers within the same company, often with diverse needs. The more sophisticated B2B suppliers know how to sell on value to diverse audiences. They also realize the broader impact of their feedback considerations in terms of the value it adds to the customers of their B2B customers. Customer surveys and loyalty research tends to evaluate company performance in silos. But the B2B customer experience research is a reliable and multi-directional way to assess the whole customer journey in terms of interconnected touchpoints, and existing or predicted pain points. Business-to-business audiences look for resolutions to problems or offerings that better fulfil their needs. Just like more customized products, highly integrated systems, improved responsiveness, reduced cost-in-use, or greater productivity. Intelligent B2B2 suppliers sell customer experiences and solutions—not products or services.

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The Importance Of Big Data Analytics For Your Business

The Importance Of Big Data Analytics For Your Business

Businesses these days are generating more data than ever before. And with the amount of data only increasing, it’s more important than ever to make use of big data analytics. Big data analytics refers to the process of collecting, organizing, and analyzing large sets of data to discover patterns and trends. It can help your business in a number of ways, including getting more customers, identifying potential risks, more precise marketing, innovative solutions, improved efficiency, reduced costs, and improved customer service.  Moreover, you can use big data analytics if you are just thinking about starting a small business to get a competitive edge in the industry. Leveraging a wide range of data sources will only put you one step ahead of your rivals by delivering better customer insight and more solid market knowledge. Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of big data analytics for your business! So, let’s get started. Getting More Customers One of the most obvious benefits of big data analytics is that it can help you get more customers. How? Well, the thing is, big data provides insights that you wouldn’t be able to get from smaller data sets. This means that you can target your marketing efforts more effectively and reach a larger audience. Additionally, you can use big data to segment your customers and target them more specifically. For example, you can create different marketing campaigns for different customer segments based on their needs, interests, and buying habits. Identifying Potential Risks Another benefit of big data analytics is that it can help you identify potential risks. By analyzing large data sets, you can identify risks that you might not have been able to see before. For example, if you’re a retailer, you can use big data to analyze customer buying patterns. This way, you can identify potential risks such as stock outs and fraud. Additionally, big data can help you monitor your supply chain and identify potential risks such as disruptions. However, big data analytics comes with risks itself. But, don’t worry. When it comes to big data security management, there are a few best practices you can follow to keep your data safe. For example, you can encrypt your data, create backups, and use access control measures. And by doing so, you can minimize the risks and make the most out of big data analytics. More Precise Marketing In addition to getting more customers and identifying potential risks, big data analytics can also help you with your marketing efforts. We already mentioned this briefly, but now we’re going to go into more detail. You see, with big data, you can track customer behavior and understand their needs and interests. This way, you can create more personalized marketing campaigns that are relevant to them. Additionally, you can use big data to improve your customer segmentation. For example, you can segment your customers based on their location, age, gender, interests, and more. Or, you could also segment them based on their buying habits. By segmenting your customers, you can create more targeted marketing campaigns that are more likely to convert. Innovative Solutions Another benefit of big data analytics is that it can help you find innovative solutions. The insights gained through big data analytics are essential for innovation. Big data enables you to improve existing products and services while developing new ones. A large amount of data collected assists businesses in determining what best suits their customer base. Product development can benefit from knowing what others think of your products/services. These insights allow for modifications that could result in a better customer experience, a more significant market share, and increased profits. Improved Efficiency Big data analytics can also help you improve your business efficiency. How? Well, by analyzing large data sets, you can identify issues and bottlenecks in your processes. Additionally, you can use big data to streamline your operations. For example, you can use it to automate repetitive tasks, such as customer service inquiries. Additionally, you can use big data to improve your supply chain management. Let’s say you’re a retailer. You can use big data to track your inventory levels and predict customer demand. This way, you can avoid stockouts and disruptions. By doing so, you can improve your business efficiency and keep your customers happy. Reduced Costs Big data analytics can also help you reduce your costs. How?  By helping you to cut down on wastage, by improving your operational efficiency, and by automating processes. For example, big data can help you to track customer behavior and preferences. This information can then be used to make targeted promotions that are more likely to result in a sale. In other words, big data helps you to be more efficient with your marketing budget. Operational efficiency is another area where big data can help you save money. For instance, if you are a manufacturing company, big data can be used to track your production process. By identifying bottlenecks and inefficiencies, you can make changes that will result in a leaner and more efficient operation. Improved Customer Service It’s true when they say that the customer is always right. And, with big data analytics, you can make sure that they are. Firstly, you can use big data to track customer behavior and preferences. This way, you can anticipate their needs and offer them the products and services they want. Secondly, you can use big data to improve your customer service. For example, you can use it to automate repetitive tasks, such as customer service inquiries. Additionally, you can use it to resolve issues and complaints quickly. By doing so, you can improve your customer satisfaction levels and retain more customers. Big data analytics is essential for businesses of all sizes. It can help you get more customers, identify potential risks, market your products and services more precisely, develop innovative solutions, improve efficiency, reduce costs, and improve customer service. By harnessing the power of big data analytics, you can take your business to the next level. Did these benefits surprise you? Are there any other benefits of big data analytics that we didn’t mention? Hopefully, this article has given you a better understanding of the importance of big data analytics for your business. So, don’t wait any longer. Start using big data analytics today! You will be glad you did.

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What Makes A Good Business Website Let's Find Out

What Makes A Good Business Website? Let’s Find Out

A website is the most important marketing tool a business can have. It’s the first impression that potential customers will have of your company, and it’s the place where they go to learn more about what you do and how to contact you. A good business website should be easy to navigate, have up-to-date information, and be visually appealing. 1) Hosting Hosting is the first step in creating a website. You need to choose a hosting provider that will give you the tools you need to create and maintain your site. In order to host your Magento site, you’ll need to have a domain name, which is the address people will use to find your site. Once you have a domain name, you can set up your hosting account and start building your site. Don’t also forget to get a VPS Europe to ensure your website is secure for visitors. When designing your site, it’s important to keep in mind that people will be visiting it from a variety of devices, including desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. You need to make sure that your site is designed to be responsive, meaning it will adjust to fit any screen size. Also, it needs to be optimized for search and ranking, to achieve that milestone explore the SE Ranking SERP tool. 2) Content Your website should have well-written, up-to-date content that accurately represents your business. The text on your site should be easy to read, and the images should be high-quality and relevant to your business. Visitors should be able to quickly understand what your business does and how to contact you. For example, if you own a restaurant, your website should include your menu, hours of operation, and location. If you offer a service, such as landscaping or home cleaning, your site should include information about your services, pricing, and contact information. 3) Visual appeal The design of your website should be professional and consistent with your brand. The colors, fonts, and images you use should all work together to create a cohesive look. Your site should be easy to navigate, and the buttons and links should be easy to find. All visual elements should be memorable, and the logo design should match your brand. Your website is an important part of your business, and it should reflect your company’s values and culture. If you haven’t yet invested in a logo maker for this important attribute, it’s now the right time. By taking the time to create a well-designed, informative site, you’ll be able to reach a wider audience and grow your business. 4) Mobile-friendliness As more and more people use their phones and tablets to browse the internet, it’s important to make sure that your website is designed for mobile devices. This means that your site should be responsive, meaning it will adjust to fit any screen size. In addition, you should consider creating a separate mobile app for your business. 5) Easy navigation Your website should be easy to navigate, with clear and concise menus and links. The buttons and links on your site should be easy to find, and visitors should be able to quickly understand how to get from one page to another. For example, if you have a lot of content on your site, you might want to consider using drop-down menus to help visitors find what they’re looking for. Or, if you offer a variety of services, you might want to create an interactive map that shows visitors how to get from one service to another. 6) Up-to-date information Your website should have accurate, up-to-date information about your business. This includes your contact information, hours of operation, and location. If you offer a service, such as landscaping or home cleaning, your site should include information about your services, pricing, and contact information. You should also regularly update your content, such as blog posts or product descriptions. 7) Contact information Your website should include your business’s contact information, such as your phone number, email address, and mailing address. You should also include a contact form on your site so that visitors can easily get in touch with you. In addition, you should make sure that your contact information is prominently displayed on every page of your site. This will make it easy for visitors to get in touch with you, no matter where they are on your site. 8) Social media integration Your website should be integrated with your social media accounts, such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. This will allow visitors to easily connect with you on social media, and it will also help to increase your visibility online.   In addition, you should make sure to include social media share buttons on your site so that visitors can easily share your content with their friends and followers. A well-designed website is essential for any business. By taking the time to create a professional and informative site, you’ll be able to reach a wider audience and grow your business. In addition, it’s important to make sure that your website is mobile-friendly and easy to navigate. The bottom line is that your website is a crucial part of your business, and it should reflect your company’s values and culture.

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