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WooCommerce vs Shopify: Who Should Be Using Each Platform

jerry — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 02:31:26 +0000

There are a lot of platforms you can use to set up an online store nowadays. Two of the most popular options are WooCommerce and Shopify, and it’s easy to see why since they both pack so many features. In fact, choosing between them can be a challenge in itself.

In this article, we’re going to give you our two cents on the WooCommerce vs Shopify debate. We’ll compare both platforms on ease of use, cost, customizability, and security to help you pick the best one for your needs.

Let’s get to it!

What to Look For in an eCommerce Platform

At its core, an eCommerce platform needs to provide you with the basic tools you need to create product pages and process payments. Technically, this is the bare minimum you need to set up an online store. However, in practice, you’ll want to access more functionality than that if you want your store to be a success.

Let’s break down some of the features you should look out for in a solid eCommerce platform:

Support for multiple payment processors.
Product taxonomies and a search feature.
In-depth customizability.
Third-party service integrations.
Robust security.

That’s a lot to keep in mind, but the good news is that you have plenty of excellent options to choose from. Shopify and WooCommerce are two of our favorites, and throughout the next sections, you’ll come to see why that is. First off, let’s introduce both platforms briefly before we dig into what makes them special.

WooCommerce

When it comes to WordPress plugins, few of them are as ambitious as WooCommerce. This open-source plugin transforms WordPress into a full-featured eCommerce platform.

With WooCommerce, you can sell both digital and physical products. You can also use regular WordPress themes and plugins alongside it, which means the platform is almost endlessly customizable.

Shopify

Shopify is a fantastic eCommerce platform that features an intuitive drag-and-drop store builder, and you get access to several modern themes. On top of that, the platform also provides integration with over 100 payment gateways, so you’ll never be lacking ways to process payments. Shopify stores also include built-in analytics, which can be invaluable when it comes to growing your store.

Unlike WooCommerce, Shopify is a hosted platform, which means that you’ll need to sign up to the platform to use it. Shopify’s plans start at $29 per month.

WooCommerce vs Shopify: A Head-to-Head Comparison

It would be impossible to discuss what makes both these eCommerce platforms such great choices in a single section. With that in mind, we decided to compare them from five angles. First off, let’s talk about the process of setting up a store with each of them.

1. Setting Up a Simple Store

You can use both WooCommerce and Shopify to set up complex eCommerce operations. However, for this section, we’ll judge them solely on how simple it is to set up a basic online store.

With Shopify, you need to sign up for an account before you can do anything else. The good news is the platform offers a 14-day free trial which doesn’t require a credit card. That means you can test the platform thoroughly before committing to it.

Once your account is ready, Shopify will set up a basic store for you. This will apply the default theme, which looks like this:

Go ahead and switch to a new theme from the Online Store > Themes tab:

Once you find a theme you like, you can customize it using the drag-and-drop editor we mentioned earlier. When you get your store looking the way you want, you can start adding products from the Products tab:

When you go to add a product, you’ll see a simple editor that enables you to set a title and description. You can also upload product images and categorize the item from this screen, on top of setting a price and configuring its shipping options:

As soon as you publish your product, it’ll show up on your homepage. At this point, you’ll also need to configure your payment settings before your store is ready. However, Shopify doesn’t enable you to do this until you purchase a plan and enter your credit card information.

That’s too bad, but it should give you an idea of how simple it is to set up an online store with Shopify is pretty straightforward. In fact, adding a few items and customizing your homepage shouldn’t take you more than a couple of hours.

Let’s move on to WooCommerce. If you want to use the plugin, you’ll first need to have a WordPress site ready to go on your web host of choice. As soon as you install WooCommerce, the plugin will prompt you to complete a setup wizard. We recommend you do this since the wizard covers all your store’s basic configuration. Bear in mind that the steps and options available will vary slightly depending on your store’s location, so the following example may be somewhat different from what you’ll see.

First off, the wizard will ask you to enter some basic information about your store. This includes where it’s based, what currency you want to use, and what type of products you want to sell:

Next up, you’ll be able to choose which payment processor to use. Out of the box, WooCommerce supports both Stripe and PayPal, but you can add more options later:

In the following section, WooCommerce will ask you what areas you plan on shipping to, and which measurement units you want to use:

Finally, the plugin will show you a list of recommended settings you can use to get your first store up faster. For example, it can set you up with free Storefront theme, automate the way your store collects taxes, and integrate with MailChimp:

We want to get our store ready ASAP, so we enabled all three options. Your store will now be ready, and you’ll be given the option to add your first product by clicking on the Create a product button:

Adding products is done using the standard WordPress editor, with a few extra settings. Overall, the product-creation experience is very similar between Shopify and WooCommerce:

After your first product is ready, your store is basically good to go. You’ll still need to configure your payment options, though, which you can do from the WooCommerce > Settings > Payments tab:

Overall, both platforms make it pretty easy to set up a new store. Shopify does enable you to customize your store’s aspect more easily, though, thanks to its built-in website editor. You can also get similar functionality using plugins and themes, but it takes a couple of extra steps.

2. Calculating the Cost of Opening Your Store

Next up, we’re going to talk about what type of budget you need to get a store running with both platforms. With Shopify, you can use your free trial to build your store, but you’ll still need to activate it before you can start processing payments. As we mentioned earlier, Shopify’s plans start at $29 per month with access to the platform’s basic features:

Keep in mind, you’ll also need to purchase a domain, which usually costs around $10-50 per year. Some of Shopify’s apps are also pay-to-play, so if there’s a particular feature you intend on adding, you’ll probably want to browse the store beforehand to see how much it’ll cost you.

Finally, it’s worth noting that Shopify will take a percentage of all your sales depending on what payment processors you use. The percentages themselves are low, but they can add up over time:

As for WooCommerce, you’ll also need to pay for hosting for your site. However, in most cases, a small online store should perform nicely with a good shared hosting plan or a Virtual Private Server (VPS). At most, you should be looking at anywhere between $5-15 for hosting. Likewise, you’ll also need to purchase a domain, so add another $10 or so to that price.

When it comes to extensions, WooCommerce offers plenty of free options. However, the paid options can be rather expensive:

Overall, both Shopify and WooCommerce are similar when it comes to the cost of setting up a new store. However, if you play your cards right, you can set up a WooCommerce store for less than $15. Plus, you won’t need to pay a fee for any of the sales you make. This can make WooCommerce the cheaper alternative.

3. Customizing Your Store

Both WooCommerce and Shopify provide you with plenty of options when it comes to customizing your store. With Shopify, you get access to a simple drag-and-drop editor that’s a walk in the park to use:

You also get hundreds of themes to choose from, so creating a visually appealing store is pretty straightforward:

WooCommerce is no slouch when it comes to customizability either. Although it doesn’t include a website-builder tool right out of the box, some themes provide you with similar options.

If you want more options, you have access to thousands of themes and extensions you can use to customize every aspect of your WooCommerce store.

Although changing the style of your Shopify store is easier, WooCommerce takes the cake in this aspect due to sheer numbers. Given WordPress’ popularity, few (if any) other platforms can compete with all the customizability options it offers.

4. Making Your Store Secure

One of the great things about using Shopify is you don’t have to worry much about security. They’ve paid a lot of money in security bounties over the years, and they make sure users don’t have to worry about breaches. That being said, if you don’t follow good security practices for your store – such as using a unique username and password – all the features in the world won’t keep it safe.

WooCommerce, on the other hand, approaches security differently. Your web host will provide some basic security features if you chose a good one. However, if you really want to protect your WordPress website, you have to take matters into your own hands.

Since WordPress is an open-source platform, you can do pretty much anything you want with it. If you have the time, you can turn your store into the online equivalent of Fort Knox, all using manual tweaks and free plugins.

Shopify provides a more secure experience out of the box. However, it doesn’t enable you to play around with advanced security settings. If you want full control over those, then you’ll likely want to use WooCommerce.

Conclusion

When it comes to picking a platform for your online store, both WooCommerce and Shopify are excellent platforms. Which you should use depends largely on your store’s requirements and how much control you want over its settings.

If you’re looking to set up a simple online store, it can be easier to get started with Shopify, and you won’t even have to look for hosting. However, WooCommerce offers a lot more customizability. After all, the platform is built on top of WordPress, and it’s a good fit for almost any kind of store.

The post WooCommerce vs Shopify: Who Should Be Using Each Platform appeared first on Real To Web Website.

30 Customer Service Books Everyone at Your Company Should Read

jerry — Fri, 17 Apr 2020 22:23:09 +0000

Every person at a company should have customer service as a priority, whether they’re the CEO or a front-line support agent. We’ve collected 30 of the best customer service books, some that take a broad look at various aspects and others that drill down into niche topics. You’ll learn plenty while you’re on-the-job, but books pack in years of experience, research and real-life examples you can only get from a seasoned pro.

1. The Amazement Revolution: Seven Customer Service Strategies to Create an Amazing Customer (and Employee) Experience Authored by Shep Hyken

The Amazement Revolution is filled with actionable advice you can start applying as you read it. Strategies that will help you improve customer happiness and increase loyalty include:

Building a community
Offering appealing membership awards
Treating customers as partners

Instead of focusing on one-off “wow” moments, Hyken guides you to create a company culture that consistently provides value.

Price: $9.99 (Kindle) | More Information

2. Anything You Want: 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur by Derek Sivers

Sivers is the founder of CDBaby, a company that sort of did the impossible. They helped little-known musicians sell their music at a time when enormous music stores put big record labels front-and-center. In Anything You Want, Sivers talks about how he built his company and won customers by focusing on stellar customer service.

Price: $10.99 (Kindle) | More Information

3. The Art of Explanation: Making Your Ideas, Products, and Services Easier to Understand by Lee LeFever

If you feel that your customers aren’t quite grasping something about your product or service, you may be explaining it wrong. In The Art of Explanation, LeFever explains how to explain, which is something that every customer support agent should be able to do. Instead of thinking there’s something wrong with the product or service itself, consider that you may have an explanation problem.

Price: $15.19 (Kindle) | More Information

4. Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service by Theodore Kinni

Love it or hate it, Disney is a leader when it comes to customer service. In Be Our Guest, Kinni shares the strategies that Disney cast members (the in-store and in-park employees) are expected to use. The techniques can be adapted for traditional types of support, like chat and email. The book also talks about how creating a great employee experience leads to a better customer experience.

Price: $11.99 (Kindle) | More Information

5. Customer Experience 3.0: High-Profit Strategies in the Age of Techno Service by John A. Goodman

Goodman developed the GE Answer Center, considered the first customer satisfaction contact center. In his book, Goodman talks about the best way to collect data and how to let it guide new product features or business strategies. He also explains how to improve your customer support strategy instead of being content with the status quo.

Price: $12.99 (Kindle) | More Information

6. The Best Service is No Service: How to Liberate Your Customers from Customer Service, Keep Them Happy, and Control Costs by Bill Price and David Jaffe

Price and Jaffe walk you step-by-step through setting up self-service, covering options like community support, documentation and forums. They also help you decide if self-service is right for your company. They talk about “bad contact,” meaning the conversations that aren’t valuable for either you or the customer. You’ll focus your support where it will make the most impact.

Price: $15.99 (Kindle) | More Information

7. The Customer Support Handbook: How to Create the Ultimate Customer Experience For Your Brand by Sarah Hatter

This curated book is a collection of articles and essays penned by professionals in the startup world. There isn’t one specific customer service focus, making it a good starter book for an all-around education. Topics range from hiring the best support team to whether or not you should say, “I’m sorry,” to an angry customer.

Price: $8 (Kindle) | More Information

8. Customer Loyalty: How to Earn It, How to Keep It by Jill Griffin

Griffin goes through the customer experience and shows how you can promote loyalty in each stage. For example, first-time buyers can become repeat customers, and you can also reduce churn by holding on to longtime customers. Instead of assuming there’s magical customer service pixie dust, Griffin says to focus on fundamentals to make customers stay.

Price: $10.20 (Kindle) | More Information

9. Customer Obsessed: A Whole Company Approach to Delivering Exceptional Customer Experiences by Eric Berridge

Customer Obsessed may be best read by your company’s decision-makers. It suggests that competitive customer support starts at the top and becomes a company-wide effort. Berridge also discusses when you do and don’t need to try new technology, and how to determine where to improve your customer support to beat competitors.

Price: $13 (Kindle) | More Information

10. Customer Satisfaction Is Worthless, Customer Loyalty Is Priceless: How to Make Customers Love You, Keep Them Coming Back, and Tell Everyone They Know by Jeffrey Gitomer

Like others on this list, this book also discusses customer loyalty and why it may be more important than customer satisfaction. What’s most useful, though, is the evaluation test that lets you appraise your customer service strengths and weaknesses. If you don’t know what you need to know, you may want to start with this book.

Price: $9.99 (Kindle) | More Information

11. Customer Success: How Innovative Companies are Reducing Churn and Growing Revenue by Nick Mehta, Dan Steinman and Lincoln Murphy

This book is aimed at SaaS businesses, but any type of business can benefit from the ideas in it. The authors circle back to customer loyalty a lot. They discuss the difference between customer attitudinal loyalty and behavioral loyalty, i.e., choosing a brand because they love it vs. choosing a brand because there’s no other choice.

Price: $14.99 (Kindle) | More Information

12. Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose by Tony Hsieh

The CEO of Zappos discusses his very-outside-the-box ways of creating a company culture and how that leads to happier customers. For example, when he knows a new employee won’t work out, he’s paid them to quit. He doesn’t just throw his radical choices out there but instead turns them into bite-sized steps you can follow and apply.

Price: $11.99 (Kindle) | More Information

13. The Effortless Experience: Conquering the New Battleground for Customer Loyalty by Matthew Dixon, Nick Toman and Rick DeLisi

In The Effortless Experience, Dixon shows how big companies use tiny “surprise and delight” moments to improve their Net Promoter Score (NPS), which assesses customer loyalty. He also talks about ways that companies – of all sizes and budgets – can reduce customer effort and create the same kind of delightful moments.

Price: $13.99 (Kindle) | More Information

14. Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit: The Secrets of Building a Five-Star Customer Service Organization by Leonardo Inghilleri and Micah Solomon

It seems that a lot of customer service experts agree about the importance of customer loyalty, and this book is another in the category. In Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit, the authors show you how to provide service that’s so phenomenal that customers won’t have a choice but to be loyal. They give real-world examples of how their suggestions have worked.

Price: $10.99 (Kindle) | More Information

15. Getting Everything You Can Out Of All You’ve Got: 21 Ways You Can Out-Think, Out-Perform, and Out-Earn the Competition by Jay Abraham

Abraham suggests thinking beyond basic customer support to become a customer advisor. He feels that companies have a lot more potential than they take advantage of. After spotting the so-far-ignored assets, opportunities and resources within your reach, you’ll apply your discoveries to customer service, with the goals of multiplying your influence and income.

Price: $12.99 (Kindle) | More Information

16. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Carnegie’s famous book is like a bible for connecting with people, and everyone should read it, whether they have a hand in customer support or not. In terms of the customer service realm, the book will show you how people are influenced and motivated. You’ll learn how you can position yourself to make them happy and, in effect, get what you want.

Price: $12.99 (Kindle) | More Information

17. Hug Your Haters: How to Embrace Complaints and Keep Your Customer by Jay Baer

While traditional customer service techniques are still relevant, Hug Your Haters ventures into the modern world of support: messaging apps and social media. Businesses with an online presence (i.e., all businesses today) are exposed to negativity and criticism. There’s a savvy way to handle the haters and trolls, as well as the usually-pleasant-but-now-dissatisfied customer.

Price: $13.99 (Kindle) | More Information

18. The Loyalty Effect: The Hidden Force Behind Growth, Profits, and Lasting Value This book is authored by Frederick F. Reichheld

In The Loyalty Effect, Reichheld talks about different aspects of customer loyalty, including:

Loyal customers are less expensive to serve than non-loyal customers.
They’re willing to pay higher prices because of how satisfied they are with your brand or product.
They’re highly valuable as word-of-mouth marketers.

Reichheld is one of the people who created the NPS, making him a longtime customer support expert.

Price: $15.10 (paperback) | More Information

19. Managing the Customer Experience: Turning Customers Into Advocates by Shaun Smith and Joe Wheeler

While this book is also about customer loyalty, it zeroes in on how loyal customers become brand advocates. It also shows what it’s like from the customer’s point of view. The authors give examples of companies that have found ways to bond with customers and utilize them as strong brand advocates.

Price: $23.72 (hardcover) | More Information

20. May I Have Your Attention, Please? Your Guide to Business Writing That Charms, Captivates and Converts by Mish Slade

Customer support agents have to write a lot when offering chat, email or social media support. Slade talks about all sorts of business writing, including the micro-copy businesses have to create for short-form outlets, like live chat, social media, etc. The book discusses how to concisely and clearly respond to customer concerns.

Price: $5.99 (Kindle) | More Information

21. The New Gold Standard: 5 Leadership Principles for Creating a Legendary Customer Experience Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company by Joseph A. Michelli

The New Gold Standard goes into revolutionary techniques for empowering agents and satisfying customers, based on the Ritz-Carlton’s methods and principles. For example, the company gives employees a $2,000 daily allowance that they can use to improve the customer experience. The book also talks about defining and refining the customer experience specifically for your company.

Price: $15.12 (Kindle) | More Information

22. The Nordstrom Way to Customer Service Excellence: Creating a Values-Driven Service Culture by Robert Spector and Breanne O. Reeves

Nordstrom is one of the country’s leading department stores. Since they’ve been around for more than a century, it stands to reason that their customer service is superb. In this book, the authors talk about how Nordstrom creates a winning employee experience to drive the customer experience, proving that you have to start from within the company.

Price: $9.99 (Kindle) | More Information

23. Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein

While not a straightforward customer service (or even business-focused) book, Nudge goes deep into the psychology behind choices and how people think when making a decision. For any professional who has to influence decisions, this book explains how to present choices correctly and gently push people toward the best one.

Price: $9.99 (Kindle) | More Information

24. The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less by Barry Schwartz

The Paradox of Choice is an excellent book to read along with Nudge, as it goes more into how people make choices. More importantly, it talks about how more choices aren’t necessarily better, and how you may be turning your customers off – and harming your business – by presenting too many options.

Price: $12.49 (Kindle) | More Information

25. The Starbucks Experience: 5 Principles for Turning Ordinary into Extraordinary by Joseph A. Michelli

In The Starbucks Experience, Michelli shows how the company took an inexpensive product – coffee – and figured out how to sell it for a lot more than people were used to paying. The book talks about how Starbucks influences customer service from all sides – listening to employees, customizing the customer experience and reaching out to the community.

Price: $14.53 (Kindle) | More Information

26. Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek

This book is aimed at company leaders, showing them how to inspire the rest of the team by focusing on the driving “why” behind the brand. When everyone understands the greater purpose, it’s easier to act accordingly. That trickles down to all team members, including customer support agents. Moreover, anyone who works directly with customers will find it easier to discover their “why,” too, and to cater to that purpose.

Price: $12.99 (Kindle) | More Information

27. Strategic Customer Service: Managing the Customer Experience to Increase Positive Word of Mouth, Build Loyalty, and Maximize Profits by John A. Goodman

In Strategic Customer Service, Goodman talks about turning lemons into lemonade. By considering complaints and negative feedback, improved practices and better customer service can emerge. Ultimately, Goodman believes that companies can create a customer experience roadmap that gets it right the first time, but only by learning from mistakes they’ve already made (and a few you can avoid, thanks to this book).

Price: $14.99 (Kindle) | More Information

28. The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk

Vaynerchuk is a major influencer in the marketing world, and he often pushes the idea of one-to-one marketing. In The Thank You Economy, he covers ideas like:

Listening to the customer
Asking for more information
Offering resources that are simple to use

Vaynerchuk believes that every company should care more about genuinely caring than the ROI.

Price: $10.49 (Kindle) | More Information

29. Uncommon Service: How to Win by Putting Customers at the Core of Your Business by Frances Frei and Anne Morriss

Uncommon Service takes an interesting approach: the authors suggest not focusing on certain areas so that other areas can get more attention. You’ll discover where your energy should be directed, as well as the areas where you should let your business fail. The end goal is to cater to your customers, no matter what you have to neglect to get that done.

Price: $21.08 (Kindle) | More Information

30. What Customers Crave: How to Create Relevant and Memorable Experiences at Every Touchpoint by Nicholas J. Webb

What Customers Crave is another book that talks specifically about the customer experience. Instead of taking a bird’s eye view, Webb suggests looking at every single touchpoint and figuring out how to improve it. Also, he covers how to collect customer insight to determine exactly how to maximize each touchpoint. Go above and beyond instead of simply satisfying customers.

Price: $12.99 (Kindle) | More Information

Featured Image via blockberry / shutterstock.com

The post 30 Customer Service Books Everyone at Your Company Should Read appeared first on Real To Web Website.

Vanity Phone Numbers: Everything You Need to Know for Your Website or Business

jerry — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 20:20:21 +0000

Vanity phone numbers are easy for customers to remember, which also makes them better for brands to promote. Examples of toll-free vanity phone numbers are 1-800-CONTACTS and 1-800-FLOWERS. For the customer, there’s little guesswork because the wording relates so closely to the brand or product. Also, both of these 800 numbers have websites with the same name: 1800contacts.com and 1800flowers.com. For these businesses, the vanity phone number has also served as an easy-to-recall URL. There are also vanity phone numbers that may not spell anything but that are catchy because of the sequence of numbers. For example, 1-800-123-4567 or 1-800-222-3333.

How Do Business Phone Numbers Work?

Business phone service usually runs over the internet. This is called VoIP, which stands for “voice over internet protocol.” This type of phone service is less expensive than if the business used a traditional landline. Also, it comes with tools like call monitoring and analysis, call redirection and customized greetings. So long as you have an internet-connected device, like a smartphone or a laptop, you can use VoIP. Then, you can have calls forwarded to a landline or a mobile phone.

Toll-free numbers have certain dialing codes. The 800 number is probably the most well-known, but there’s also 888, 833, etc. When a customer dials a toll-free number, they won’t be charged for the call. Vanity phone numbers are often toll-free numbers, and it’s more cost-effective to buy a toll-free vanity number than a local vanity number. Toll-free numbers cannot be hoarded, traded or resold. While you’ll probably pay a fee charged by the phone service provider, the toll-free vanity number itself won’t cost a premium. Also, note that you can’t sell a toll-free number, so don’t buy one with the hopes of reselling it.

6 Services That Supply Vanity Phone Numbers

It doesn’t cost a lot of money to buy a vanity phone number, and you don’t need a ton of technical experience or specialty equipment to get set up with one. The main question is whether or not the vanity phone number you want is available. Vanity phone numbers are first come, first served – if the number isn’t available, it doesn’t matter which service you use (similar to buying a domain name).

Several companies provide vanity phone numbers, plus other call management features. Here’s what these services typically offer, though features will vary between providers and plan tiers:

Personalized vanity phone number (and local and toll-free numbers)
Extensions for different departments and/or employees, plus a name directory
Custom brand greeting that callers will hear, plus on-hold music
Professional caller ID for when you make outbound calls
Easy call routing to other extensions or departments
Business texting and video conferencing
CRM integration and reporting features

Let’s get into a few of the best business phone services out there.

1. AirCall

AirCall is a top choice vanity phone number provider if you have a sales team or run a call center. Features include call queuing and unlimited domestic calls, and you can set up vanity phone numbers without paying an extra fee. AirCall also has a click-to-dial feature, which lets your employees auto-call a phone number. And with the call whisper feature, supervisors listen in on active calls and coach employees in real-time.

AirCall is pricier than the other options on this list. The Essentials package, the least expensive option, is $30 per user per month. The Professional package is $50 per user per month, and it comes with advanced sales features, like integration with Salesforce and live call monitoring. Both plans let you choose vanity phone numbers.

2. eVoice

There’s one standout feature of eVoice that separates it from the rest: you can hire a live receptionist. If you feel it’s important to your business that a real person always answer the phone, eVoice will be your top choice. They have vanity phone numbers, too, but you’ll have to contact the company to claim yours and to find out the add-on charge. Use the search feature of another provider to see what’s available first so that you know what to ask for.

Monthly plans start at $12.99 per month with a 30-day free trial. You’ll only get 300 minutes per month with this plan, though, so you may want to upgrade to the Standard plan, which is $29.99 per month and comes with 1,000 minutes. Live receptionist plans start at $129.95 per month. Every plan includes standard features like call forwarding, call screening and custom greetings.

3. Grasshopper

Grasshopper provides virtual phone numbers for businesses, and they have local, toll-free and vanity phone numbers. Their search feature is helpful because even if the number you want isn’t available, they’ll show you alternatives:

There are two types of plans to pick from, and both come with a business number (which can be a vanity number). The regular Grasshopper plan is for businesses that need a virtual phone system and related features, like call forwarding, texting and voicemail transcription. There’s also Grasshopper Connect, which comes with additional ways to connect with clients, like Gmail integration and unified messaging to manage all communication in one place.

Once you’ve chosen your plan and signed up, you’ll use the desktop and mobile apps to manage phone calls. If you conduct business and normal life from the same smartphone every day, the app helps keep business and personal communication separate. That functionality makes Grasshopper a great choice for freelancers and other types of solo workers who don’t want to juggle devices and whose personal and work lives often overlap.

4. Phone.com

Phone.com lets businesses buy local, toll-free and vanity phone numbers. Plans with Phone.com have a monthly call minute limit, which makes it best for businesses that don’t expect a ton of phone communication. Other services have unlimited calling, so if you receive a high volume of phone calls, a different service may be best for you.

Phone.com’s search function is helpful because you can enter part of a word, or a number or pattern, and see what’s available. You can also set your desired price range and see how much a specific vanity phone number will cost (this fee is in addition to the plan you choose). Toll-free numbers are a lot less expensive than local phone numbers. Compare the “daycare” to “dog” numbers below:

Once you’ve chosen a number, Phone.com reserves it for one hour. At that point, you’ll pick your plan. The Base plan is $12.99 per month and comes with 300 minutes and 5,000 messages. The Plus plan is $19.99 per month and comes with 500 minutes and 10,000 messages, and the Pro plan is $39.99 per month and comes with 1,000 minutes and 20,000 messages. There are also plans with unlimited minutes, and prices start at $29.99 per month.

5. RingBoost

With RingBoost, you can buy vanity phone numbers, both local and toll-free, without having to pay for advanced phone services. Enter your keyword and get a selection of available phone numbers. Here are the toll-free results for “coffee”:

Their local search function is the most helpful of any service on this list. Enter your area code and click “Search” to find a list of available vanity phone numbers for your area. They represent all sorts of industries, like cleaners, exterminators, therapy, roofing, etc. When you click on a phone number, you’ll be brought to a page to fill out a contact form and inquire about the cost of the phone number.

Once you’ve purchased your vanity phone number, you can set it up to forward to your business phone. When you buy a toll-free vanity number, you’ll get a certain amount of free minutes per month. If you need more, you can buy one of their “minute packages,” which start at $12.99 for 100 minutes.

6. RingCentral

RingCentral is primarily for small businesses that need a local, toll-free or vanity phone number. A basic RingCentral plan with phone support costs $19.99 per month. There’s a one-time charge of $30 to set up a vanity phone number, followed by a $4.99 charge each month to continue using that number. If you have 100 or more users, you’ll have to sign up for the Standard plan or higher, starting at $24.99.

To get started, you’ll select your main business phone number. Enter the number you’re interested in to find out if it’s available. The asterisks are wild cards, which means that you can let RingCentral pick whatever toll-free prefix is available. I was able to get 1-833-333-LINS:

Using Click-to-Call Vanity Phone Numbers on Your Website

If you have a WordPress website, you can use a plugin to add a click-to-call button after purchasing your vanity phone number. With WP Call Button, you’ll install and activate the plugin, enter your number, customize the button’s appearance and choose where to display it.

WP Call Button has two types of call buttons. There’s a sticky call button, which means it’ll stay visible by moving as the user scrolls up and down your website. There’s also a static call button that will stay in the same place and not move. Customers can use the call button whether they’re on a computer or a mobile phone, and you can also opt to have it only display on mobile devices.

There are a few other click-to-call button plugins for WordPress (some for mobile-only), like the Really Simple Click To Call Bar, Call Now Button and Smart Floating Action Buttons.

If you don’t have a WordPress website and need to add a click-to-call button using HTML, it’s not too difficult. Once you’ve decided where you want the clickable phone number, you’ll use the following HTML. I’ve used the number 8 as placeholders, but you’ll use the actual phone number format.

The first digit will be your country code. In the U.S., that’s “1,” so your number would be formatted +18888888888. You can replace “Click here to call us” with whatever text you want – you may even want to use just the phone number.

How to Encourage More Calls to Vanity Phone Numbers

If your goal is to convert website visitors into calling customers, you can maximize the clickable phone number. Here are a few best practices:

Put the click-to-call number at the top of every web page so that customers can find it wherever they are.
Add the click-to-call number in the footer of your website, too. Visitors will often scroll all the way to the bottom of the page to find your contact information.
Include the number in your lead magnets. If people are interested enough to give you their email address, they may be ready to call you, too.
Put a click-to-call number in your exit pop-up. If a potential customer is leaving your site because they didn’t find an answer to a question, this may salvage the relationship.

Not sure what’s working and what’s not? Use a bit of A/B testing. For example, see if different button colors encourage more calls. Or, see if placement makes a difference – do people call more if the number is on the top-left of the page instead of the top-right?

Wrapping Up

All types of businesses can benefit from vanity phone numbers. Big companies that handle a ton of incoming calls should look for rich features, CRM integration and reporting tools. Small businesses and companies with just one person at the helm may need fewer bells and whistles. They may even find that a vanity phone number with call forwarding suits their needs, no extra services required.

Before you sign up for a service, make sure the vanity phone number you want is available. RingBoost has the best search function on this list, whether you want a local or toll-free number. When adding your phone number to your website, make sure it’s clickable from any device. Place it anywhere a customer may look for it or wherever it’s likely to encourage a call.

Explore this topic even more by checking out our article Telephone Links: How to Add “Call-able” Links and CTAs to Your Website.

The post Vanity Phone Numbers: Everything You Need to Know for Your Website or Business appeared first on Real To Web Website.

Can a Standing Desk Help You Be Better at Your Job?

jerry — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 02:38:46 +0000

A couple of years ago, I made the executive decision to get rid of my couch. I replaced it with a set of chairs and matching ottomans, comfortable but not so tempting I’d plop down and work there all day.

This wasn’t quite the same as making a leap to a standing desk, but I knew that extra comfort meant less productivity. I was right. I work more often now and spend most of my work time in my office, not in front of the TV.

The Problem with Sitting…and Sitting…and Sitting

On its own, sitting isn’t inherently bad. The problem is sitting, and only sitting, for several hours per day. Your entire 8-hour shift should not be spent in a chair. Even those four-hour stretches before and after your lunch break could be too long.

This 2018 study found that sitting for several hours a day can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and early death.

While going for a run in the morning and staying active at night is great, that won’t counteract the effects of sitting for long stretches. That’s kind of like having a healthy meal for breakfast and dinner, and then eating a whole pizza for lunch. Yes, you’re making some good decisions, but the bad decision is still undeniably bad for your health.

6 Benefits of a Standing Desk

Posture is naturally improved because you’re more aware of slouching. You may notice that your core feels tighter and more toned.
You’ll engage in more physical activity. For example, you may end up walking more because you’re already standing.
Your energy will increase. Standing can help with blood flow and keep you more alert. You may nod off or get groggy when sitting, but it’s less likely to happy when standing. That dreaded 3 p.m. slump could completely disappear.
That study I mentioned above didn’t just measure the health effects of sitting, but also the job performance of people using “sit-stand desks.” They found that people who were able to stand part of the time had better job performance and engagement than those who only sat. Sit-standers also experienced less job fatigue and anxiety.
Being at eye-level with passersby means it’s easier to chat or to take notice of something that’s going on.
Multi-tasking is easier. I tried this at my counter and was able to multi-task without feeling too distracted. I was already standing, so making a cup of coffee while skimming email wasn’t a big interruption.

The Problem With Standing Desks

Standing is not a cure-all. Ergonomics expert Alan Hedge told Time that standing when working can be tiring and it can put a lot of strain on the circulatory system. It may also result in problematic posture, especially if you lean a lot. Here are a few more drawbacks of standing while working:

Your legs and back may be numb or in pain, especially as you get used to using a standing desk. This can last for the first few weeks.
If you don’t position yourself correctly, you could develop soreness in other areas. For example, when I stood at my kitchen counter, I had to wedge myself into the right angle the counter makes, then twist a little to see the computer. My lower back was aching within 45 minutes.
The fact that it’s easy to multi-task also means it’s easy to get distracted. Consider saving standing for simple, automatic tasks, then sit when you need to focus distraction-free.
You’re super exposed. Everyone in your office can see you (assuming you work with other people).

Standing while working isn’t for everyone, especially if you already have issues with your knees, legs or back, or with carpal tunnel. That doesn’t mean definitely don’t get a standing desk, but you should chat with your doctor first. For me, while I can see where a standing desk may help me with my back problems when it comes to posture and stretching, I also get a lot of benefits from taking an hour here or there to work on my laptop while leaning back on a heating pad.

How to Work at a Standing Desk

You can reduce the risks of using a standing desk if you do it the right way: maintain proper posture, limit strain on your body and adjust the keyboard, mouse and monitor to the best heights.

Your monitor should be at eye-level (this is true if you’re sitting, too). Your arms should be parallel to the floor as you type. You should be far enough away so that if you were to extend your arms in front of you, you wouldn’t quite touch the monitor. If you have a laptop, you’ll want a separate monitor, and then either use the laptop as a keyboard or get an external keyboard.
Put a supportive mat on the floor, like one chef’s use – the padding will decrease leg pain.
Wear comfy, supportive shoes.
If your legs start to get sore, go into a one-legged yoga pose, like a tree pose, for a couple minutes. Or you can put a raised object on the ground to rest your foot on. It’s fine to lean so long as it’s comfortable – you have to be off your bum, not a soldier standing at attention.
March in place to increase blood flow. Bend, stretch and even do exercises like squats to keep your body loose and ward off stiffness.

How to Sit When You’re Not Standing

Posture is still important even if you’re sitting. According to Fast Company and medical director Mladen Golubic from the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute, slumping can make it hard to breathe deeply. Instead, sit straight without tensing; you have to sort of balance a straight spine and a strong core with being relaxed instead of tight. Basically: sit up straight, just not in that “the teacher’s going to scold me” way.

You can also get the benefits of standing by, you know, standing, no desk needed. Start by taking a five-minute standing/walking break for every hour of work. Set a reminder if you need to – my FitBit watch has a vibrating reminder to walk every hour. Working at home makes this easy because you can hop up from your desk as much as you need to without annoying coworkers.

Standing Desks to Consider Buying

When looking for the best standing desk for your purposes, these are the features you want to consider:

Do you have to remain in the same position all the time or can you change the position to sit, stand, lean to one side, raise your leg, etc.?
How large is your setup? What size desk will you need?
What customization options do you need? Power strips, keyboard trays, holes for cables?

Also, check out the warranty, especially for advanced desks with electronic components.

Adapt Your Own Desk

If you want to adapt your current desk to a standing desk, try the Kangaroo Pro Junior, which starts at $399 before add-ons. It’s stable, has a decent size workspace and doesn’t require any other equipment, unless you want to add a detachable work surface. If you need more options, check out ErgoTron’s selection of standing desks. They have several types of desk mounts that lock sturdily to your desk, and adjustable arms can accommodate all sorts of setups, whether you have one or two monitors, a laptop, a keyboard, etc. Standing desk solutions from VIVO are also worth checking out – they have monitor mounts, desk risers and frames to create your perfect setup.

Stand-Alone Standing Desks

The GeekDesk (starting at $749) platform goes up and down by pushing a button, and the Max version (starting at $949) lets you set height presets. The Uplift V2 Bamboo Standing Desk ($495) also has programmable heights, and you can switch between four stored adjustments.

If you want to save money, the Devaise Adjustable Height Standing Desk ($229.99) lets you adjust the height via crank instead of electronically. There’s also the Muv Stand-Up Adjustable Height Desk ($390), which has three surfaces plus a keyboard shelf.

Wrapping Up

There’s no single posture that’s best, and standing desks are beneficial because you can easily switch positions. Standing for eight hours isn’t much better than sitting for eight hours, especially considering the strain it will put on your body. Shift between a variety of postures throughout the day. Standing should be one of the postures, and sitting can definitely remain part of the mix.

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Is Your Business Ready to Hire Remote Workers?

jerry — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 21:39:30 +0000

My dad worked from a home office for years, long before it was common or popular to have a commute as short as the hallway. He turned my brother’s old bedroom into an office, and he outfitted it with everything he needed. It was fully functional, stocked with all the supplies a stationery-obsessed college girl could want.

When I moved out of my childhood home and into my own apartment, a two-bedroom so I could set up a home office too, I started to realize how different our jobs were. He was an AT&T manager who worked from home full-time. He had meetings to attend, the rest of his team knew when he was on the clock and if he wanted to take time off, he put in a request.

As a freelancer, I didn’t have any of those requirements. I even tried juggling a glass of wine with an article deadline one of my first afternoons as a freelancer (don’t do it, trust me). Freelancers have a lot on their shoulders in terms of creating a workspace that’s supportive of their career and lifestyle, but companies with a distributed workforce have to figure out how to do that for all of their employees. They also have to set up communication paths so that collaboration is smooth. It’s a tall order.

Technology has made it possible for employees to work from home (WFH) often and for some companies to be 100% remote. Tech also changed the perception of remote work, as well as common working locations and the notion of traditional hours. Most importantly, modern companies feel that employees don’t have to gather in the same location in order for them to do their job well.

Types of Remote Workers

Remote workers are not the same as freelancers, though they share similarities. Additionally, an employee who WFH now and then is not the same as a person who works remotely full-time. Each type of employee has their own office setups, expectations, requirements and schedules.

In-Office Team with Flexibility

Today, many companies have office space in a central location but allow employees to WFH on occasion, such as:

An employee has a medical or personal event scheduled, like a doctor’s appointment or a meeting with their child’s teacher. In these cases, working from home is an alternative to taking a sick or personal day, and the company won’t be quite as short-handed for the day.
The employee has recurring WFH days because they’re better able to focus on certain projects from the peace and quiet of their house.
There’s an early meeting to attend and the employee has a long commute to the office.

Since these situations call for only infrequent WFH days, the employee’s home office isn’t optimized for full-time work. They may be missing any of the following:

Dedicated office or workspace
Reliable, fast Internet
Necessary equipment, like a printer or scanner
Office supplies and work-related software
Childcare or pet care

These employees deviate from the normal routine once in a while and make do with what they have. However, their home isn’t necessarily ready for full-time productivity and success. Here are two more issues that may arise:

The WFH employee may miss out on important conversations and decisions by being away from normal, daily work conversation.
For in-office employees, the workday gets interrupted if it takes a while to prep and test the tech needed so the WFH employee can attend a meeting.

Employers who’d like to allow employees to WFH on occasion should carefully choose the days when this is most convenient for the entire team. Company-wide guidelines can clarify when an employee can take a WFH day. For example, maybe WFH days are only approved if there aren’t scheduled meetings, other WFH employees or an excessive number of WFH days that month.

100% Remote Team

On the other end of the spectrum is the fully-remote team. This means that there’s no central office and that every person who’s part of the company works remotely. Here are some ways that remote teams are positioned for success:

Remote workers need a dedicated workspace that’s closed off from the rest of the house. They don’t work on outside projects during the workday or act as the primary caregiver for a relative or child. Typically, remote workers aren’t watching movies, cleaning their kitchen or going out for a run in the middle of their workday. They’re in their workspace, just like they would be in an office.
There are clear standards for when the employee will start and stop working, when and how they’ll be available, and when they’re not expected to work. Remote workers have to avoid burnout just like freelancers because there’s a temptation to always be working when it’s so accessible.
Communication is primarily digital. Team members can communicate one-on-one, in groups made up of specific people or in open chat channels. At Elegant Themes, we use Slack for that.
During meetings, every person participates via video. There aren’t just one or two people seen and heard in the meeting – everyone is present and represented. Holding meetings via video instead of over the phone allows for body language, too, and people don’t talk over one another as much.
Those who are not available for a day get up-to-speed when they’re back, and they’re still involved in decision making. They can read the chats they missed or watch a replay of a recorded meeting.
Employees have regular check-ins with supervisors to go over performance, deadlines and expectations.
The company is responsible for paying for the changes that have to take place in the home. They won’t have to pay for the employee to build a wing for their home office, but they would have to upgrade their WiFi, for example.

Wrapping Up

Figuring out if remote employees are right for your company will take time. You have to decide how many WFH days to allow when starting out, who can request them and how many people can work remotely at once. You may find that some employees are less productive on WFH days while others are more productive. You’ll then have to decide how to tell some employees they can’t work remotely any longer.

For many employees, working remotely is more convenient and comfortable than heading to an office every day. That improvement in their quality of life translates to better work. For companies, having a distributed workforce opens up the door to more candidates regardless of where they live. Today’s job seekers are actively looking for WFH jobs, so smart companies will consider creating remote opportunities.

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13 Best Open-Source Software Apps for Web Professionals

jerry — Sat, 08 Sep 2018 02:37:49 +0000

Being a web professional means your day is filled with software that does everything from cutting screencaps into pieces to streaming videos on a second monitor. Because of the multitude of apps we use over the course of a work-week, the smartest move we can make is using as much open-source software as possible. Mainly, because it’s free, but also because it lacks the often-included malware and spyware corporate software bundles in.

Thanks to communities like GitHub, the quality and quantity of open-source apps has increased dramatically over the years to the point where right now, you can (outside of specialized features your job may need) run almost entirely off open-source software.

1. Firefox

Mozilla Firefox comes in two flavors: standard and developer editions. Nowadays, Google Chrome is the standard web browser, displaying the vast majority of internet content. Firefox, however, is in second place. And for good reason. Firefox is fast, lightweight, and has a focus on privacy that Google Chrome simply can’t compete with. The dev tools are solid (especially in the dev edition), and the extension marketplace is every bit as useful as Chrome’s. You might run into hurdles occasionally with websites being Chrome-exclusive, but in that case, you also have the option of the open-source Chromium.

2. GIMP

GIMP is an open-source alternative to Adobe Photoshop. Powerful enough for heavy design use by pros, GIMP packs a lot of power in its open-source framework. While some consider the UI hard to use (many open-source apps have this complaint leveraged against them), the fact of the matter is that it’s simply different from what many are used to — the Adobe or Affinity standards. If you’re web pro who needs image manipulation that Preview or MS Paint can’t handle, GIMP can save you a lot of money. It can do generally everything Photoshop can do, but without a subscription cost.

More open-source image editing: Paint.NET and Inkscape are more than worth your consideration as well.

3. Blender

For the 3D artists, animators, and video creators, Blender is probably the most important piece of open-source software you can use. Blender is close to being the standard in the field, and can stand up in pretty much every way to the corporate software it competes with. Licensed as GNU, Blender is free in the most liberal way possible. Take the code, do what you want to with it, package it back up, and it’s yours. The same for your work created with Blender, too. There can be a learning curve to Blender (as with any 3D modeling software), but the internet is rife with tutorials and documentation videos that can help ease you into creation, no matter your experience level with this kind of software.

4. KeePass

You might use LastPass or 1Password already, but take a look at KeePass if you want a stable, open-source (OSI certified), password manager that you can use without actually having to install anything. Fully secured using encryption keys that you keep with you, using SHA-256 encryption, KeePass is worth using if you don’t want to have to install apps and extensions or keep your passwords in the cloud. You’re the one who controls KeePass, and that means a lot in the world of digital security.

5. LibreOffice

Take the already-great OpenOffice and make it even better and more user-friendly, and you have LibreOffice. A direct competitor with Microsoft Office, Libre includes correlatives to Word (Writer), PowerPoint (Impress), Excel (Calc), Access (Base), and Publisher (Draw), as well as a charts creator and formulas editor. Many people have migrated to Google Drive as an office suite already, but if you want a powerful office suite that runs locally and has all the bells and whistles you’re used to in MS Office, LibreOffice is your best bet.

6. Audacity

Audacity is the gold standard of open-source DAWs (digital audio workstations) these days. While there are other apps, platforms, and programs that many people use, the most highly recommended and downloaded is Audacity. That’s because it’s easy and accessible. It’s also very powerful. If you’re a web professional who has a podcast on the side, needs to edit some audio for a client, or anything that doesn’t require a mixing board for, Audacity is very likely to be all you need. Not quite as powerful as Adobe Audition, Apple Logic Pro, or Avid Pro Tools, Audacity more than serves its purpose for the vast majority of users.

Additional open-source alternatives (and non-open) can be found in our roundup of audio editors.

7. Visual Studio Code

We know what you’re thinking. A Microsoft product on a list of open-source software? Didn’t we just talk about an open-source replacement for Microsoft software? The answer to both questions is yes.

VS Code is an open-source code editor that is backed by Microsoft, but developed by the community. Extensions are abundant, and you will have a hard time finding a feature or add-on that isn’t available for it. Since its debut, VS Code has quickly become the code editor of choice for many professional developers. Simply put: if you do text editing or coding, Visual Studio Code needs to be on your computer.

8. Atom

If you’re wary of Microsoft as an open-source curator, Atom might be the next-best-thing for you. Take everything we said about VS Code, take away the Microsoft, and you kind of have Atom. It’s a little heavier and slower than VS Code on occasion, but the extensibility it has may even exceed Microsoft’s entry. Now, Atom started as a GitHub-backed project, and GitHub is now owned by Microsoft. But the Atom project is still going on its own, and the community there is dedicated to making this one of the best open-source software apps available.

9. HandBrake

HandBrake has been around for years. And we’ve used it for years. Because when it comes down to video transcoders, HandBrake might just be the simplest and quickest to get it done. Need an MP4 to be a MOV? Easy. The app is also an easy way to encode video and break it into chapters for physical media like DVD and Blu-ray. It’s not a replacement for Adobe Premiere or its competitors, but keeping this one around for those moments when a client needs a video to be something else than the file they provide, HandBrake is a lifesaver.

10. VLC Media Player

As a kind of companion piece to HandBrake above, let’s just say that downloading VLC should be on your list, too. There are pretty much no codecs or video formats that VLC can’t play, so feel confident that as you transcode your videos, you can test them out in VLC to make sure things took. It’s a fantastic media player all on its own, too, and much faster and feature-rich than most default ones. All in all, you want VLC.

11. Greenshot

If you’re like us, SnagIt is one of your most-used tools. Greenshot is the open-source alternative to SnagIt, and it’s pretty solid on its own. Screen capture, annotation, and so on is just a few button presses and clicks away. Crop, paste, point, and number your tutorials with this open-source gem. It’s a lot better than pressing Print Screen and editing in Paint.

12.VirtualBox

Need to run Windows on Mac? Easy! Just install Virtual Box! On Linux? You bet! While virtual machines are nowhere near as powerful as a native installation, sometimes you just need to run an instance of Windows for a specific application (or applications). Using a legitimate Windows key, Virtual Box lets you run both OSes concurrently on your Mac or Linux machine. This one is literally the best of both worlds, and it can save a web developer a lot of time.

13. WINE

As we wrap up our list, let’s pop a cork and have some WINE. Okay, that was not a good joke. But WINE is a good open-source app. If you’re not in Windows, but need to run a Windows application, WINE is probably going to be your best bet. Not all apps are compatible with it, but those that are run as though they’re native applications. So if you want to run Photoshop in Linux? You can do that with WINE. You don’t have to worry about setting up a whole virtual instance of Windows.

Admittedly, many of the benefits to WINE come in that it lets you run Windows games on Linux or Mac, but every web professional has to take breaks, right? That’s when having WINE installed is going to be helpful.

Conclusion

Trying to put together a list of the best open source software is like trying to list your favorite flavors of ice cream. There are just too many that are too good to pick. But we think this baker’s dozen will make your work life simpler, cheaper, and overall a little less laden with spyware and unwanted lines of code.

Article featured image by VectorMine / shutterstock.com

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