The Internet can be the great equalizer when it comes to retail business. I've seen one- or two-person operations command a grand Web presence, and major retailers utterly fall down on the job of having anything resembling a professional Web presence. Many major retailers admit they don't even bother answering e-mail anymore. The good news for smaller businesses is that every day new tools appear to help small companies take a substantial bite out of the retail giants.
RingCentral (News - Alert), Inc., whose virtual phone system allows small businesses to instantly unify and intelligently manage all their phone, mobile, and fax communications, today introduced a service promotion tailored specifically for online merchants (and just in time for the e-commerce holiday buying season, too!) Thousands of merchants selling independently as well as on eBay (News - Alert), Amazon and other online marketplaces already use RingCentral to deliver customer service that helps them compete with major online retailers.
“As traditional retailers continue to improve the customer experience they provide online, independent Web merchants face increased customer expectations,” said Vlad Shmunis, CEO of RingCentral, Inc. “Our thousands of online merchant customers tell us nothing closes a sale like personalized service and a live conversation. With RingCentral, Web merchants get a complete customer communication solution that allows them to provide outstanding service and increase their holiday sales.”
RingCentral’s capabilities, including click-to-call, call distribution and customized greetings with auto-attendant, enable retailers to provide online shoppers with a toll-free number and a more personalized and informative shopping experience. Powered by RingCentral, small online retailers can maximize holiday sales and increase customer loyalty.
“The holidays are a critical time for us, and we prepare months in advance to maximize sales,” said Tracy Dixon, owner of GiveAGiftBasket.com, a gift basket company. “RingCentral is a big part of our ability to connect with customers during this peak sales time. With customized voicemail on our toll-free number, we can promote seasonal offerings. The ability to add voicemail extensions in seconds means I can expand my team for the holiday rush. This season we are adding RingCentral's RingMe click-to-call button on every page of our Web site, so our customers can reach us with just the click of the mouse.”
E-commerce is projected to be the best-performing retail channel during the 2007 holiday season, according to TNS (News - Alert) Retail Forward. The firm expects online retail sales to approach $42 billion in the fourth quarter of 2007—a year-over-year increase of 18.5 percent.
To capitalize on this online shopping boom, some Web merchants are using innovative technologies like click-to-call to improve interactions with customers. RingMe, an embedded click-to-call button, allows online visitors worldwide to initiate a toll-free call with the click of a mouse and is one of this season’s must-have business tools for RingCentral online merchant subscribers.
The RingCentral service incorporates a toll-free and/or local number with call forwarding, auto-call distribution, call management, click-to-call, Internet fax and voice mail. The solution enables subscribers to automatically forward, place and screen calls; customize voice mail greetings; allow customers to click-to-call directly from their Web site; view call logs for sales leads; send and receive faxes; and receive message alerts.
Beginning today, November 14, 2007, RingCentral is offering double sign-on bonus minutes for new online retailer customers until the end of the year.
For more information, visit www.ringcentral.com/onlinemerchants.html.
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