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Category: Learn

How to Display International Contact Phone Numbers on Your Website? (with Examples)

21st November 2022 blog
Best practices for displaying multiple phone numbers on website.

It seems pretty straightforward, right? Display your phone number on your website, so customers know how to call your business for support or sales. But, what if you have multiple …Read More »

Which International Phone Number Type is Right for My Business?

11th November 2022 blog
Choosing the right type of international phone number for your business.

More than 76% of consumers prefer phone calls for support interactions. This means your business needs a way to offer reliable and convenient voice communication to customers worldwide. In other …Read More »

Top 8 Tips to Creating a Multilingual IVR

8th November 2022 blog, Call Management
8 tips for creating a multilingual IVR.

As a global business pushing into new markets, languages, and geographies, you should do everything possible to “localize” yourself. In other words, you want to make your global business appear …Read More »

What is Redundant Routing?

4th November 2022 blog
What is redundant routing?

Businesses that experience any type of downtime face the risk of financial penalties, reputational damage, loss of customers, and more. And with 1 in 5 organizations reporting that they experienced …Read More »

What are Outbound Dialers? (Definition, Types, and Benefits)

24th October 2022 blog, Cloud Telephony
A complete guide to the different types of outbound dialers.

Looking for a way to streamline your team’s outreach efforts? Then, an outbound dialer may be the solution for you, as it helps your employees place calls faster. This technology …Read More »

Global Call Forwarding Launches New Call Reporting Feature

18th October 2022 Press
reports

Global Call Forwarding launches a new Custom Reports feature that enables users to instantly filter detailed information about calls made to their virtual phone numbers. DELRAY BEACH, FL, October 2022 Custom …Read More »

Things to Add to Your Marketing Strategy for the Hotel and Hospitality Industry

15th February 2017 Learn, Tips

Hotel and Hospitality Overview

There has been record-breaking growth in the travel and hospitality industry in recent years. In 2015, business travel grossed $1.2 trillion, five percent more than in 2014. In the US, the growth rate of leisure bookings was significantly better than that of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This was due to renewed consumer confidence and a shift in household spending from goods to services. Deloitte projects travel and hotel industry growth to continue through 2017.

Factors that are helping to reshape the travel landscape include global economic shifts, innovation, geopolitical turmoil, pandemics, and rising consumer demands. In 2016, major hotel groups, including Marriott, Hilton and InterContinental, reported steady earnings. However, online purveyors, such as Airbnb, will present significant challenges to sectors of the industry sustaining growth in 2017.

Cyber attacks and data breaches are expected to increase. Food safety incidents in hotel restaurants, will also be more common due to the demand for locally sourced, organic foods. Hotel personnel should expect consumers to have increased expectations in the coming year. Non-travel brands like Amazon, Starbucks and Seamless feature innovation and speedy services to consumers, and they will be expecting the same from their travel hosts.

Hotels need to harness the power of mobile for their guests to remove pain points and improve their travel experience. Streamlining business processes will help in that regard and result in reduced operating costs. In addition, hotels should shift to enabling technologies to benefit from the Internet of Things (IoT), which is the internetworking of connected and mobile devices, smart devices, sensors, electronics, computers, machines, etc.

Stay Connected to Your Markets

Stay connected to your markets using virtual phone numbers. Virtual phone numbers are local phone numbers and toll free numbers. Your customers call these numbers, and international call forwarding services connect those calls to your virtual call center or virtual phone number.

Global Call Forwarding provides its core service to various luxury hotel brands. One particular subscriber has two toll free numbers in North America and six local phone numbers servicing the following areas around the world.

  • Caribbean, Mexico, and Central and South America
  • Europe, Middle East and Africa
  • Asia Pacific
  • China
  • India
  • Japan

When club members call local phone numbers or toll free numbers, they feel they are dealing locally. However, they may be connecting to virtual call centers or virtual phone systems halfway around the globe, through the “magic” of international call forwarding.

Global Hotel Rankings by Rooms

In 2016, Marriott acquired Starwood Hotels giving Marriott the largest number of rooms in the world. The following table shows the top 10 hotel groups worldwide at the end of 2016 and their respective number of rooms.

Hotel Group Number of Rooms
Marriott + Starwood 1,108,852
Hilton Worldwide 751,350
IHG 744,368
Wyndham Hotel Group 678,042
Jin Jiang + Plateno + Vienna Hotel Group 572,340
Accor Hotels + & FRHI 554,517
Choice 507,483
Home Inns 321,802
Best Western 311,870
Huazhu 278,843

Tourism Outlook for Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and the United States

Here are the latest projections for these hot tourism areas.

Philippines

Business Mirror projects an upward trend of the hospitality industry in the Philippines until 2018. A vibrant influx of foreign investment is partially fueling this trend. According to the Department of Tourism, foreign tourist arrivals have been rising since 2015. Much of the increase is due to Korean and American travelers.

Business and domestic market travel are also increasing. The business portion is due to meetings, conventions and exhibitions. The gaming industry is also generating growth. For example, Entertainment City in Parañaque City by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation is helping to make the Philippines a top tourist destination in the world.

Foreign hotel brands are moving into the country to capitalize on this business increase. The aggregate supply of rooms may reach 18,000 in 2017 and 20,000 by 2018.

Indonesia

Indonesia has 12 major hotel markets: Bali, Bandung, Bintan, Bogor, Jakarta, Lombok, Makassar, Medan, Palembang, Semarang, Surabaya, and Yogyakarta. Market performance varies from market to market. However, from 2015 to 2016, Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) had been declining because room supply was outpacing demand.

However, HVS Indonesia Hotel Watch 2016 predicts that demand will surpass incoming room supply in the leisure and upscale market segments. For Jakarta and Bali market segments, the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) in RevPAR was 5.1% and 5.8%, respectively. Secondary markets (Bogor, Makassar and Surabaya) will suffer a RevPAR performance dip due to the addition of branded midscale and budget rooms. Bandung, Lombok and Palembang will become hot markets due to their short-term demand outlook. Considering all Indonesian markets, room supply in 2015 was 71,970 rooms. In 2018, there will be 93,930 available rooms. That is a 14.2% increase in CAGR.

Thailand

According to the US News and World Report, Thailand ranks high in the following categories: Business Opportunities, Heritage, Best Country for Investment, Adventure, and Rising Economy. Thailand is Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy because of tourist spending mainly from China. The six major airports in Thailand are handling a record number of travelers. Furthermore, for newcomers to Bangkok, Ritz Carlton Residence Bangkok, Waldorf Astoria, and Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 will be adding 5,500 additional rooms to the city.

United States

STR Hospitality Net sees slower growth for the US hotel industry through 2017. Projections suggest a drop in occupancy but increases in demand, supply, RevPAR, and Average Daily Rate (ADR) for rooms.

Have you had good experiences traveling to these countries? Any travel plans for 2017? We would love to hear your thoughts.

Small Business Marketing Trends

8th February 2017 Learn, Tips

The year 2017 promises to be an exciting year for small businesses, and small business owners will need to prepare for changing marketing trends. This article discusses some marketing strategies that companies will use this year. Some of these may be perfect for your business.

Mobile Friendly Websites

In recent years, more people search and use websites on mobile devices than on desktops. Therefore, your websites should be mobile-centric, i.e. optimized for mobile use. Better yet, get a mobile app for your business. There are many available DIY app builders. Take a look at this list of the Best App Makers of 2017.With them, you can build an inexpensive mobile app. A Gallup poll reported that 75% of Americans check their mobiles hourly and use apps 90% of the time.

Consumers are becoming comfortable making mobile payments using mobile pay services. You may want to advertise and offer this service.

New marketing channels that are available to small businesses are mobile-only, downloaded apps such as Periscope, Instagram or Snapchat. These apps are not available on desktops, but they are very popular and have a wide audience.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is not a new trend. However, it continues to be one of the most effective techniques for getting and retaining customers. In a March 2016 survey of US SMB Retail Professionals, over 80% of respondents rated email over other marketing methods for acquisition and retention of customers. Furthermore, a 2014 Email Marketing Industry Census found that 68% of respondent companies rated email marketing over SEO (organic search), content marketing, paid search, offline direct marketing, social media, affiliate marketing, mobile marketing, and online display advertising.

Video Content

Consumers prefer to watch videos than to read text. Videos increase the reach and duration of marketing content, drive leads and sales and, as a result, contribute to the bottom line. In fact, predictions are that global mobile video traffic will increase exponentially from 3.6 million terabytes per month in 2016 to 23 million terabytes per month in 2019. Small business owners should consider increasing the video content on their web pages as well as adding videos to their social media.

Improvement of Blogs

SEO practices affect blog writing. However, if a blog is not useful or informative, readers are likely to leave the website. Therefore, this year is a good time to improve the content of your blogs. Use industry experts or professionals for writing and make sure the content is topical and on point. Your business will benefit from the changes.

International Call Forwarding Service

Global Call Forwarding (GCF) provides an international call forwarding service used by many successful global businesses, both big and small. We provide toll free numbers and local phone numbers to clients in over 150 countries and thousands of cities. We have an advanced network structure and provide customers with 24/7 technical support.

Using either local phone numbers or toll free numbers, your business will have a virtual office in your global marketplaces. The local phone numbers and toll free numbers portray a local presence to your customers. GCF forwards calls made to those numbers to specified destinations. It is a toll free call.

In addition to the many standard features that one expects, such as voice mail, customized greetings, and rollover minutes, GCF’s international call forwarding service provides service features that help small businesses manage call flows. These specialized features are Advanced Call Forwarding, Interactive Voice Response (IVR), and Auto-Attendant.

Advanced Call Forwarding

Incoming calls can be directed to standard landlines, mobile phones, or computers using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). The destination can be anywhere in the world. Subscribers to the international call forwarding service can customize receiving phones based on time of day, day of the week, holiday schedules, etc. The combinations are unlimited. Calls from non-English speakers (such as Thai, Tagalog, Cantonese or Mandarin) can be routed to agents that speak those languages. Advanced call forwarding is a very useful tool for small businesses.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

The IVR is a computerized system that greets incoming callers and transfers their calls to the proper department or extension. You can program the IVR to meet your specific business needs. Customization includes greetings, announcements, prompts, extensions, and email destinations. A free PBX service is part of the IVR. This is what allows customers to establish a private telephone network, which connects incoming calls to the appropriate extension.

Auto-Attendant

The auto-attendant answers incoming calls and gives a pre-recorded message. Users can program it based on their needs. Often, an auto-attendant gives the following options:

  • If you know the extension, dial it.
  • A list of departments and a number to dial to reach that department
  • Dial “0” for operator.
  • An option to repeat the above menu

Global Expansion

Through the use international call forwarding services and by subscribing to local phone numbers or toll free numbers, even a small business can maintain a global posture. Consider the possibilities of being able to tap into markets in Singapore, Hong Kong, or Thailand. If you own a business in those countries, provide local phone numbers or toll free number to your customers or prospects in North America, South America or Europe and then reap the benefits.

Perhaps 2017 will continue to be a year of growth for small businesses around the world. The Dow has already eclipsed 20,000 for the first time in history. Why not try some of the above marketing trends and supercharge your business.

5 Call Center Features You Need for an Inbound Sales Team

25th January 2017 Learn

Inbound call center agents handle incoming calls for your company, usually in large volumes. Traditionally, call centers take on product orders or provide customer service during hours when your office is not available.

Call centers will typically use international toll-free numbers when the call center is located outside the country. They are especially beneficial in areas where labor is less expensive. For example, you may have a few call centers setup in the Philippines or India. Depending on your industry, you may even have call centers specified just for bringing in new sales opportunities.

International call forwarding services are imperative to sales teams. Whether you are the owner of a call center in the Philippines or India, a toll free call forwarding service provider can get your enterprise set up with a call center phone system so you can increase sales at your company. We highlighted 5 key features that can increase the effectiveness of your inbound call center.

Your Inbound Sales Team

Inbound sales, by definition, is the budding relationship between a potential client that reaches out to your company and a salesperson from your organization. Because the digital realm has transformed the way companies interact with consumers and make sales, enterprises have now included digital phone numbers, or virtual phone numbers, to streamline the process.

When these features are integrated into your processes, your inbound call center can be more effective than ever. Global Call Forwarding is able to help you attract the revenue you want with new and more modern techniques than ever before.

Below you can read about 5 of the top call center phone system features that can improve the performance of your inbound sales team.

1. Call Recording

Call recording is a feature that allows you to record any inbound calls automatically. Simply select the number you want to record and enable or disable the feature as needed. With this in place, you can monitor your international call center’s conversations and understand how to improve the sales process. As a manager or business owner, you may find that after listening in on a few calls, you will have just the right knowledge to help out your employees. You can also use these recordings to train new sales staff.

When you keep and store these calls from your personalized Control Panel, you can also recover lost information from previous calls in case that you need to remember important details about your prospects. Let’s say, for example, a prospective client has spoken to a salesman in your India call center. However, when the same client calls back a week later, your salesman is either out of town, on vacation, or no longer working for your company. To find out information about this specific client, you can access your Control Panel and pull important information from their previous conversations. Now you will be able to hand off the inbound client to another member of your call center in India without worry. This can be a useful add-on to your current plan with Global Call Forwarding.

2. Call Transfer

This feature is just like having an auto-attendant or virtual assistant! Call transfer allows you to make a transition immediately or place a person on hold while you brief the individual on the other line. This can be done even if all three parties are in different countries or area codes.

How does this help your inbound sales? If a potential client contacts your call center in the Philippines and has reached your virtual assistant, your assistant can place that person on hold while they brief the salesman. This allows your salesman the opportunity to quickly research the client’s needs or requirements. This is especially useful if a salesman would like to offer unique products or services that are even better than the competition.

3. Simultaneous Ringing

There are many reasons to have simultaneous ringing in a call center. With this feature, you can forward calls from your line to two or more numbers through your inbound call center. Even though they will ring at the same time, the call will only be connected to the first salesman to answer it.

This is useful if you have a sales team that is not always in the office or at their desk. Perhaps they frequently travel and meet with different business partners. With simultaneous ringing, they could get calls transferred to their personal cell phones if this is a more convenient option for them. This ensures your team does not miss out on important communication while they are away.

4. Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) gives your callers a computer greeting and directs them to the appropriate line for their needs. All of this is automated for their convenience as well as yours. All they have to do is navigate through the menu system through their voice and keypad. Best of all, this system is customized to your needs. Within your IVR, you can include company announcements and new deals. This even gives you another opportunity to sell!

IVR also saves your employees time and effort if there are individuals who tend to call your company for a simple, specific reason. For example, if a customer contacts your India call center because they only need to receive their account information, your Interactive Voice Response can do it for them!

5. Black and white lists

Filtering calls is now easier than ever. Reject numbers coming in from specific area codes to maximize your efficiency. No more unwanted or unsolicited calls!

If your call center in the Philippines is getting hounded by spam, for example, you can integrate black and white lists with toll-free forwarding services. Your “Black List” blocks unwanted callers while a “White List” places preferences on those you want to hear from.

Improve Your Inbound Sales Team

These are just a few of the call center technologies that can improve the performance of an inbound call center sales team. It is incredibly important, now more than ever, that your sales teams remain consistent in the way you provide service.

How a Coworking Office Space Can Improve Your Startup

23rd November 2016 Learn

The past few years have been remarkable for the technology industry. It seems like every week that another tech startup is valued in the billions of dollars. With private market valuations of technology companies continuing to grow, more and more entrepreneurs are looking to get in the startup business. How many entrepreneurs would rather have a monotonous desk job than own their sure-fire startup?

A “Unicorn” is a startup company with a valuation exceeding $1 billion. In the past decade, unicorn startups like Airbnb (Founded: 2008, valuation: $25.5B), Uber (2009, $68B), and Snapchat (2011, $17.8B), have all seen a massive inflow of funds from private tech investors.

California is home to numerous technology corporations, and Silicon Valley is probably the first place that comes to mind when you think about startups. Venture Beat pointed out that almost half of the startup “unicorns” are in California. They also show, however, that unicorns are scattered across the globe, with headquarters in China, Germany, India and Canada.

These days, an entrepreneur can open his own startup anywhere. Email and phone forwarding enables you to run a business effectively from anywhere in the world. As a result, coworking spaces have popped up in major cities around the world.

Where Can Entrepreneurs Find Cheap Alternatives to Office Space?

Deskmag gives a great definition of a coworking office: “Every workspace with flexible structures that is designed for and by people with atypical, new types of work – that is not exclusively for people from one certain company.”

Before the rise of coworking spaces, entrepreneurs had very few options apart from leasing office space. Sure, you could set up shop in a (cramped?) home office, but every business needs an address. Nowadays, entrepreneurs can occupy coworking spaces on a membership basis.

The major economic reason why an entrepreneur will use a coworking space is to save time and money. Coworking space operators will usually offer flexible terms that allow renters to move in and out and upgrade or downgrade their pre-furnished offices as the renters please. But a coworking space has value that extends beyond what a business can save on rent.

Coworking spaces deliver value-added benefits that are difficult to quantify in dollar terms. The first benefit is the networking opportunities. The second benefit is helping your business project a more professional appearance.

The first major benefit of a coworking space is the opportunity to network with like-minded people. In the entrepreneurial world, who you know can be equally important as what you know. A great coworking space is a congregation of minds who share similar aspirations. Every person who walks in the door is a professional, and a coworking space is an ideal place to bounce ideas off your peers and create long-lasting business relationships

In addition to networking, a coworking space can help entrepreneurs project a more professional image for their business. Just like a toll-free number is more effective as a branding tool than a personal phone number, a coworking space will make a business look more established than a home office. A business address and phone number will show clients and investors that an enterprise is well-established.

Coworking Trends

These days, it is the small customer, or small group, that supplies the highest amount of demand for office space. There are more small groups looking for office solutions than there are large groups looking to lease an entire building or entire floor.

We look for this trend to continue as large corporations downsize. In addition, we expect coworking operators to modify their approach in order to attract more clients.

We expect four themes to emerge during 2017 with regards to coworking: niche communities, corporate partnerships, around-the-clock renting and added services. First, operators will appeal to specific groups and professional sectors to create a stronger community. Second, coworking providers have started to form partnerships with corporations. Third, the shared-space concept will be extended into living arrangements. Finally, look for some operators to experiment with concierge services, travel offerings, etc. in order to entice renters.

How to Choose the Right Coworking Space

The coworking market currently has thousands of players. Locations have sprung up in huge numbers in cities like New York, Hong Kong and Singapore while operators are designing new service offerings and rental models. Entrepreneurs, especially those with web-based businesses, are able to work in whatever country they choose thanks to virtual phone numbers and offices. No matter which country you reside in, there are several important factors to focus on when choosing a coworking space.

  • Focus on community

Networking is one of the greatest benefits that come with a shared office space. We advise you to consider the types of businesses that occupy the space and decide if these peers will help your business grow

  • Focus on function

What goals does your business have for the future? Some coworking providers have programs to accelerate the growth of occupants. For example, the Hive in Southeast Asia offers partnership opportunities for member companies, along with other great programs. You want a coworking space that will support your business.

  • Focus on location

If your virtual office is far away from where you live, chances are you won’t spend much time there. We recommend choosing an office that is close to your home.

  • Focus on utilities

High-speed internet is a requirement for doing business in today’s internet environment. The facility should come equipped with Wi-Fi, a fax machine and conference rooms. Some locations have a kitchen and free coffee and snacks. Others offers 24/7 access to the office. The utilities you want to look for will depend on the needs of your business.

 

Do you have experience with coworking? How did your business benefit from joining a coworking space? Do you recommend any particular locations? Share your comments below.

GCF’s Guide to Call Forwarding

18th November 2016 Learn

Any business that conducts its operations internationally needs a reliable way of communicating with customers. Accessibility is a major key to customer satisfaction and reliable call-forwarding services will instantly make businesses more accessible to customers. An international call forwarding service can be configured so that customers can call your business at a local calling cost, no matter where your company is located. There are many competing call forwarding service providers, and we hope that this guide will allow you to get the most out of your service.

Using Advanced Features

One of the benefits of signing up for a good call-forwarding service is the advanced features that are included with the service. You will have access to intelligent features that can drastically improve your phone forwarding system and make it much easier to manage a high number of incoming calls. Business users will find it convenient to manage their accounts from an online control panel. There are a wide range of features that can be customized to the needs of any specific business. Some of the top features are:

  • Advanced IVR: an interactive voice response system is a computer system that will greet callers and route them to the appropriate department or extension. Callers can navigate your customized menu by using their voice or keypad. This is one of the best features for businesses.
  • Time-of-day routing: this is convenient for users that move around throughout the day because calls can be forwarded to different numbers at different times or on specific days of the week. This ensures that you have the opportunity to answer every call.
  • Simultaneous ring: this will allow multiple numbers to ring at the same time when your virtual phone number is dialed. If you have an inbound call center with multiple representatives, you can configure the service so that the phone of each representative will ring.
  • Call recording: can be utilized for training and quality assurance purposes. Configure the service so that all or a certain percentage of calls will be recorded. You can play the recordings back through the online control panel. Service providers will typically offer this feature at an additional cost.
  • Voicemail: A voicemail ensures that important opportunities do not go unanswered. This feature lets you listen to messages from customers no matter where you are.

What to look for and what to avoid

Call forwarding service providers should never require you to sign a contract. It is also important that your provider does not require an initial payment or activation fees. We suggest you choose a service that you can cancel at any time.

In addition, the best call forwarding service providers will typically offer a free trial that lasts two weeks so that you can test out the full service, risk free. The free trial should let you try out the full service and not a partial version of the call forwarding service you desire.

Finally, it is important to evaluate the billing procedures and note when your account will be charged for the service. You don’t want to pay for a service that you aren’t using!

The local or toll free numbers and international call forwarding service should be usable within a few minutes of activating your account. You should have complete control over your account features and settings throughout the service, and the option to add/remove numbers at any time is convenient. We hope that this guide explained call forwarding and that it will allow you to pick a call forwarding service that is right for your business.

What is a Virtual Phone Number?

28th September 2016 Learn

Do you own a global business with customers across the world? If so, you might ask what is a virtual phone number. This blog gives you the information you need to unlock the true potential of your business with a virtual number and a call forwarding service.

Virtual Numbers: Definition

A virtual phone number is a local or toll free number that enables users to make and receive calls via the internet. This number is not directly associated with a telephone line and doesn’t look any different from a regular phone number. Virtual numbers are typically used with a call forwarding service so callers do not incur long-distance charges. If you don’t already use virtual numbers, you should start taking advantage of this great marketing tool. You can get these numbers for different countries, cities, and regions from a virtual phone number provider like Global Call Forwarding.

Other names for virtual numbers: cloud-based numbers, cloud phone numbers, hosted numbers, and VoIP numbers.

How Does a Virtual Phone Number Work?

Virtual phone numbers use cloud telephony and number hosting to let users communicate over the internet. Unlike a traditional landline, you can make and receive calls from a virtual phone number from anywhere, and you can route incoming calls to any location. This means your business can expand globally without opening physical offices or relocating teams, and you can improve connectivity among your remote, local, and global teams via one centralized hub.

Benefits of a Virtual Phone Number

A virtual phone number is a cost-effective way to make your business more accessible and more scalable from anywhere in the world. When you get a virtual number, you take strides towards unlocking the true potential of your business.

The main reason to own a virtual number is to make your business more accessible. When you have a hosted number in the same country as your clients, it will cost them almost nothing to call you. This will make existing clients more comfortable and will encourage prospects to call your business.

International growth is another major benefit associated with virtual phone numbers. Virtual business phone numbers enable you to operate remotely because they are not tied to any landline. A business can buy a virtual phone number in almost any market while still operating from its headquarters.

1. Establish a Global Presence for Your Brand

Most scalable businesses will understand that their target markets are not confined to any particular region. Rather, their employees are constantly seeking out growth opportunities in different countries. A virtual phone number enables you to establish a virtual presence in any potential market.

Creating a virtual presence in multiple target areas can do wonders for your brand. Potential customers around the globe will become familiar with your company and the services you provide as you advertise in new regions.

Branding is a valuable marketing component. And a professional image can propel the success of a business. A known brand can build incredible value for companies and corporations. And one of the most effective branding tools is a virtual number.

2. Cost-Effective International Expansion

Before opening a new office, you need to consider several factors. One important factor is performing market research focused on the proposed new location. Before opening a new office, it is important to consider all appropriate growth alternatives. This means identifying new target markets as well as measuring demand and competition. You may even want to consider test marketing as part of your market research. An international virtual phone number can help you communicate with and qualify prospects in that area.

Another important factor to consider is funding for the new location. Opening a physical office in a new country comes with many expenses. You will need to pay rent, hire employees, and cover additional operating expenses. Furthermore, you will need to consider accounting and foreign exchange issues.

3. Work Remotely From Anywhere in the World

Countless business opportunities exist globally. Luckily, we have hosted phone numbers from more than 160 countries around the world. This means that you can seize any opportunity no matter where you are located.

How Do I Get Virtual Numbers?

You can set up a virtual phone system for your business with Global Call Forwarding. We provide virtual numbers in over 160 countries and thousands of cities. To sign up, visit our Pricing page or speak with one of our experts. Entrepreneurs should take advantage of this great marketing tool and start growing their business today!

Related: How Much Does a Virtual Number Cost? [2021]

Tips to Improve Online Customer Service

8th September 2016 Learn, Tips

When customers are in the process of making purchases or obtaining any services, the very first thing they do is run a search on the World Wide Web. The internet has evolved into an arena that provides infinite information on anything and everything.

What does this mean for you?

Some brick and mortar organizations view this as a threat. Others, an exciting and cheap opportunity to boost sales and increase market share. Be the proactive businessperson and step out into the virtual world to bring forth your organization in the global arena. Here are some tips:

A User Friendly Website

The debate of the design vs. content has been raging for some time. As experts, Global Call Forwarding believes that there is no hard and fast rule that prefers one over the other. It simply cannot happen. A successful website is that which incorporates all the best features, including a professionally designed layout, well developed and credible content, and an intuitive, interactive interface. Make it simple. Remember, less is more. It takes an individual 5 seconds to decide if he likes the website or not.

Start Blogging! And Make It Good!

So, we’re back to content. What is your business about? One of the most effective ways to drive traffic toward your website is by maintaining high quality blogs. This also establishes credibility with customers and website viewers.

Social Media Marketing

This is where the world is at. Some of the world’s top brands heavily invest time and importance on creating and maintaining their social media image. This is where they promote discounts, special offers, contests, etc. It is basically a way to stay connected with followers and build a larger audience of customers and fans.

Create A Forum Where Customers Can Easily Access You

The difference between a good and great company often lies in their customer service support. This is why companies all around the world focus more on “customer retention” than gaining new customers. Creating and maintaining forums allows your customers to interact with you on an avenue that you can control.

The Secret to Having a Virtual Staff Without the Expensive Salaries

7th September 2016 Learn, Tips

Running a small business, or even a home business, is no easy task. There are multiple areas that need attention in order for a business to be successful. You need a strong leader at the top, someone who can make tough decisions and inspire others. Strong financial planning to make sure the business is making money is essential. You also need skilled sales and marketing staff to create and deliver your key messages. Often, solo entrepreneurs find themselves filling the roles of CEO, CFO, Director of Marketing, Sales Manager as well as others like the Shipping Clerk, and even the Receptionist. In fact there are many supporting roles that help a business run successfully. Unfortunately, when most entrepreneurs are starting out they simply don’t have the resources to pay all of these salaries.

Unlike the venture capital-backed silicon valley start-ups that dominate the technology blogs, most home business owners rely on affordable solutions that focus on efficiency and multi-tasking. At Global Call Forwarding we like to think we provide a virtual office solution that assists business owners in fulfilling some of these roles.

The Rock Star Receptionist

Everyone knows the stereotype about the nightmare receptionist that shows up late, talks back, and is just an all round pain. The Global Call Forwarding customized greeting feature is like having a receptionist that answers your calls 24/7. Your calls are always answered politely and professionally, whether you work out of an office space, your home office, or even your mother’s basement. The Global Call Forwarding virtual receptionist never takes a break, never misses a call, and she’ll never make your spouse jealous!

The Ambitious First Assistant

We all wish we could afford a personal assistant. For business owners, one of the biggest challenges is prioritizing messages. There is nothing more non-productive than getting stuck on the phone with a pesky telemarketer or even that college buddy who just wants to complain about his cubicle farm job. With voicemail to email, Global Call Forwarding is like a First Assistant who doesn’t mind listening to all your voicemails and sending them to you via text or email. Say goodbye to long-winded and irrelevant voicemail messages and hello to more time focusing on what’s important.

The Genius Business Partner

Every small business owner dreams of expansion. Watch the looks on people’s faces when you show them your new business card with offices in Beverly Hills, Chicago, and Manhattan. With Global Call Forwarding as your business partner, you can add local business numbers to your account and forward them to your voice mail system. Add as many local or toll free numbers as you want.

The No BS Office Manager

Taking a call from your chatty mother-in-law or a pushy vendor during your busy day can take a toll on your productivity. Like a good Office Manager, Global Call Forwarding screens your calls and makes sure the important ones get through to you. The advanced IVR feature is there to keep you on track and help make the most of your valuable time.

For far less than the price of land line phone service through your local carrier, and even less than the cost of a business lunch, your Global Call Forwarding service is there to work for you.

What other services help you work more efficiently?

International Call Forwarding Explained

31st August 2016 Learn

Customers dial 800 numbers to make a product inquiry, get customer service, book a hotel room, etc. Many businesses today offer toll free numbers as a point of contact to allow callers to call the business for free. These businesses utilize call forwarding to direct incoming calls. Furthermore, companies that offer services internationally or wish to expand globally use an international call forwarding service. Here we explain what international virtual call forwarding is and how it can help your business.

What Is International Call Forwarding?

Call forwarding is a telephone service that redirects a call from one phone number (ie, an 800 number) to another destination phone number. The destination number is typically a call center or company headquarters, but can also be a home phone, smartphone, etc. International call forwarding can be used in a number of ways to improve a business’ system of communications.

Now, let’s look at how a call forwarding service works.

How Does International Call Forwarding Work?

When a business buys a toll free number from Global Call Forwarding, they select a new phone number and a destination phone number. Calls placed to the ‘new’ number get forwarded to your destination number. This destination phone can be located anywhere in the world.

For example, a business in the US buys a US toll free number so that customers can contact them for free. US customers will call the new US 800 number and the call will be forwarded to an existing business line. Calls placed to your USA toll free number connect automatically to a local public switched telephone network (PSTN). The Global Call Forwarding network then forwards calls, via your local carrier, to your destination phone number.

International call forwarding is primarily designed for businesses that want to establish a virtual presence in any country. For instance, you can get international toll free numbers for countries that you want to target or enter and establish a channel of communication.

So, Why Should Your Business Use International Virtual Call Forwarding?

Your competitors probably already use a call forwarding service to their advantage. Most successful companies advertise a toll free number so that customers, vendors, and business contacts can speak with a representative at no cost to the caller. Businesses that use international call forwarding have many valuable advantages. These include:

1) Increased Expansion Capabilities — A business with call forwarding can attract customers from any country. And so, if you want to add new countries, cities, states, or regions to your customer base, this is a reliable solution.

2) Flexibility and Mobility — Call forwarding enables users to receive calls anywhere and at any time of the day. You are, therefore, not limited to one geographical location, you can move around or work remotely and still provide excellent service.

3) Eliminating Roaming Charges — Avoid international, long-distance, or roaming charges by forwarding calls virtually.

4) Establish a Local Point of Contact — An important initial step when expanding a business is entering new foreign and local marketplaces. After targeting a country with sales potential, use this call forwarding service to answer calls from customers in the target country.

5) Growth, Reliability, and Scalability — In addition to helping your business grow, you can make your business more reliable with advanced call forwarding. Add new numbers, new locations, and new customers as and when needed.

6) Advanced Communication Features — Take advantage of a variety of settings to ensure that your business is always available. For example, call forwarding with sequential ringing will send calls down a sequential list of phone numbers when the first call fails.

How to Set Up Call Forwarding

International call forwarding is very easy to set up and the service can be activated quickly. The easiest way to get international call forwarding is to buy a local or toll free number from Global Call Forwarding.

On our homepage, select a local or toll free number from one of the many countries we offer. After choosing your business number, view our competitive rates to determine which plan best fits the needs of your business.

Next, decide whether you would like to add “Rollover Minutes” to your account. Rollover Minutes can save a business a lot of money if the firm has unpredictable call volume. You may also consider adding “Outbound Calling” and “Call Recording” to your account. Outbound Calling supports your outgoing or outbound calling efforts and gives you the ability to customize your outgoing caller ID. Call Recording lets you record both inbound and outbound calls and store recordings for up to 6 years.

Add these additional services to your cart, then enter your contact and payment information and checkout. Your new business number will be activated as soon as possible, in as little as two days!

Once your virtual phone number is active, there are a number of features you can use with the service. Set up call forwarding from our online control panel, which is accessible through our website. Log into your account and click the call forwarding tab to set up desired call forwarding rules.

Get Call Forwarding Today!

Call forwarding makes it possible for customers in a foreign country to call a business without incurring expensive per-minute costs. Having this feature gives you a new way to engage customers and bring new ones to your business. An international call forwarding service is a great sales and marketing tool, giving your business greater sales potential. Sign up for the service now or chat with us to learn more.