Most small businesses weak on phones

A majority of Americans use their cell phone at least once a day, and an increasing number of small businesses and startups are employing mobile devices for business purposes.

However, even with this increase in use, a surprising number of small businesses have yet to tap into the benefits a mobile strategy can bring, particularly considering the cost and mobility benefits new technology services offer, such as a virtual phone system.

According to a recently released Small Business Mobile Survey by Web.com, more than 61 percent of companies surveyed have no clear mobile strategy in place. Conversely, nearly 70 percent of SMBs said they believe mobile marketing is the key to business growth within the next five years.

“With more and more consumers specifically searching for local businesses on their mobile device, it is imperative that small businesses invest in a mobile presence,” chairman and CEO of Web.com David Brown said in a press release.

This is especially pertinent given that nearly half of Americans are using smartphones. In February 2012, research from the Pew Internet and American Life Project showed 45 percent of U.S. cell phone owners have an internet-enabled device, Fox reported.

This development can give businesses that utilize cloud services such as a virtual phone system the ability to incorporate professional features like call forwarding or call recording.

Small businesses that incorporate a virtual phone system from a provider such as United World Telecom or Onebox gain the advantages of a professional phone system without the high cost and need to install hardware. Benefits include a professional greeting, extensions, call forwarding, call recording, voicemail to email, and more.

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