South Carolina’s First Gigabit Community · Raving Fans. MARCH 2014 5 MeadWestvaco Corporation W ith locations around the globe, MeadWestvaco Corporation (MWV) is a dynamic business

Enhance Call Quality with Hosted PBX 3 // Who’s Minding Your Business? 3

Brand Advocates are Your Raving Fans 4 // Spotlight on MeadWestvaco 5

Optimize Your Website for Mobile Devices 6 // Tips for Building Website Traffic 7

March 2014 • Volume 7 • Issue 1

South Carolina’sFirst GigabitCommunityNexton is currently being developed by MWV

2 MARCH 2014

MAR

14

Business Connections is a publication of Home Telecom. 579 Stoney Landing Road, Moncks Corner, SC 29461.

No part of this publication may be repro-duced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, electronic, photo-copying, recording, mechanical, or otherwise without the prior written permission of Home Telecom. All rights are reserved.

Editorial and Circulation - Contact: Gina Austin, 579 Stoney Landing Road, Moncks Corner, SC 29461, 843-761-9178.

Trademarks - All brand names and product names used in this publication are trade names, service marks, trademarks, or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Additional Issues - Extra issues are available to business customer employees on a limited basis while supplies last. Contact: Gina Austin, 579 Stoney Landing Road, Moncks Corner, SC 29461, 843-761-9178.

Copyright © 2014 by Home Telecom and Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc.

POSTMASTER Send changes to: Gina Austin - Business Connections Home Telecom 579 Stoney Landing Road Moncks Corner, SC 29461

Wanda MingoBusiness Services [email protected] Robert ReimersBusiness Services [email protected]

Judy CroninDirector of Sales and Business [email protected]

Faster speeds and expanded access are changing how businesses run. With speeds up to 110 Mbps and, in many cases, fiber-optic cable built right to homes and businesses, it’s easy to see why more and more companies are moving to Internet-based phone service, and why some businesses now market exclusively online.

In this issue of Business Connections, you’ll find several articles that help you make

the most of your Internet connection. They start on page 3, with a look at Home

Telecom’s ComVerge Hosted PBX. This technology offers a sophisticated telephony system without the investment in equipment required by a traditional system; it’s also affordable and easy to operate and manage.

On page 5, you’ll learn about an exciting technology partnership that has taken place between two local companies, Home Telecom and MeadWestvaco (MWV). The innovative partnership is bringing the first gigabit Internet speeds to SouthCarolina in the planned community of Nexton.

You’ll also find three valuable articles about marketing your company online. They cover the topics of building traffic to your website, optimizing your website for

mobile devices, and cultivating brand advocates.

Based on Internet predictions for 2016 on page 7, Internet usage will only continue to grow, and savvy companies will grow with it.

Sincerely,

William S. HelmlyPresident & COO

Home Telecom

// BUSINESS CONNECTIONS //

MARCH 2014 3

Home Telecom’s ComVerge Hosted

PBX service delivers a powerful, full-

featured, business-class phone system

without the cost and hassle of having an

on-site PBX. Calling features include Shared

Line Appearance, Multiple Appearance Directory

Numbers (MADNs), Call Pick-up Groups, Music

on Hold, Unified Messaging, and Short Code

Dialing. Included with the services is our easy-

to-use web portal, which allows you to have

complete control over how your phone system

is set up and used.

ComVerge is a more cost-effective solution

than purchasing your own phone system and

it leaves phone system management in expert

hands (ours). This allows you to concentrate

on your core business tasks. You’ll also benefit

from these additional advantages:

• Hosted services will never be out of date.

When new features become available, we

do the upgrade from our central office

and push the new features to customers;

no more costly equipment upgrades.

• You can easily customize how you

handle calls. With Find-Me-Follow-Me

and SimRing, you can be reached on any

phone you choose so you don’t have to

give out multiple telephone numbers.

• Disaster recovery is built in. If there’s a

power outage, a line is cut, or a building

gets flooded, it’s easy to reroute calls to

mobile phones or to a secondary office.

• Y ou can perform all moves, adds, and

changes in real-time. You can make

changes without having to wait on an

outside party and there’s no charge for

changes made.

.

This service is fully managed over Home

Telecom’s private network, guaranteeing

security and quality that cannot be provided

through VoIP providers that use the “open”

Internet. Through our partnership with

Polycom, we can also provide HD Voice,

which uses a frequency range unavailable

with traditional telephone service, improving

the clarity of phone calls.

To learn more about ComVerge Hosted PBX,

visit business.homesc.com or contact one of

our Business Services Representatives at

888-571-5775.

Enhance Call Qualitywith ComVerge Hosted PBXUpgrade to this affordable, easy-to-manage phone system

Who’s MinDing Your Business?HOWIE BAUMER Sales Engineer

Howie Baumer, Sales Engineer, started

working for Home Telecom in November

2013. His duties include supporting cus-

tomers in pre-sales strategy and design,

demonstrating technical leadership and

understanding product capabilities, and

developing strong technical consulting

relationships with customers. Baumer’s

favorite part of the job is, “working with

customers to determine their business

needs, coming up with a plan to meet

those needs, and building relationships

with those customers.”

Originally from Buffalo, N.Y., Baumer had

been visiting family in Charleston for the

past 15 years. He notes, “When I saw the

opportunity for the Sales Engineer position

with Home Telecom, I was very interested.

The rest is history.”

Baumer’s previous positions included Sales

Engineer with EarthLink Business and Tele-

communications Analyst with Rich Products.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in communi-

cations from Canisius College.

When not working, Baumer spends time

with his family including driving his four

kids to various activities.

4 MARCH 2014

C ustomers who buy your products are great, and those who

tell a few others about you are even better! But the most

valuable customers are your raving fans, otherwise known

as brand advocates. These customers can have a huge impact on

your business because they love it so much they regularly want to

sing its praises. Brand advocates will tell glowing stories about your

products and services during conversations with friends, family, and

co-workers. They will also post enthusiastic recommendations online

via social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Since potential customers tend to believe messages that come

from other customers more than messages directly from companies

themselves, brand advocates are valuable tools for bringing in new

business. While some people will naturally be more excited about

your offerings than others, you can take steps to help encourage and

develop brand advocates. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. Hire employees who are passionate about your products

and your mission. This enthusiasm will naturally spread to cus-

tomers with which they interact.

2. Provide great products with desired features. It may seem

obvious, but product features are the factor that advocates mention

most when asked what makes them want to rave about a company.

3. Find out what your customers are passionate about and

create promotions that drive those factors. For example, many

consumers are passionate about outstanding customer service;

Nordstrom and Zappos are two companies that have taken note and

created exceptional customer service — and many brand advocates.

4. Make it easy for brand advocates to cheer about you. Provide

social links on your website product pages, articles, blogs, and

any other content you post online.

5. Consider offering rewards. Acknowledging brand advocates

with discounts, freebies, and special services can ensure they continue

spreading the word. However, proceed carefully with this since

other customers may be turned off if they believe you are “paying”

advocates to share their enthusiasm.

6. Make it easy for advocates who create their own content

to share it with the world. You could create a section on your

website devoted to customers who want to post photos of them-

selves using your products.

7. Track and measure advocacy for your brand. Research the

best online tools to use to determine what people are saying

about you, and use the information to build future promotions.

Loyal brand advocates are more than just customers; they are actually an informal extension of your marketing department. Nurture them and watch your business score!

Your business can win big by encouraging these customers

Brand Advocates are Your

Raving Fans

MARCH 2014 5

MeadWestvaco Corporation

W ith locations around the globe, MeadWestvaco

Corporation (MWV) is a dynamic business involved

in a variety of services and industries. The company

started in 1846 and 1888 as two separate companies, Mead and

Westvaco, respectively. Today, MWV’s Community Development

and Land Management Group manages an extensive portfolio of

company land holdings. In its development, the Group maintains

respect for the land, a commitment to sustainable practices, and

a long-range view of responsible stewardship.

South Carolina’s First Gigabit Community Nexton is a master-planned community currently being developed

by MWV. The community encompasses 4,500 acres and is strategi-

cally located in the path of growth at the intersection of I-26 and

Highway 17A, near Charleston and Summerville, S.C. The project

plan consists of over 10,000 residential homes, over 2,000 apartments,

and over 6 million square feet of commercial space to be built over

the next 20 years. “When populated, this live-work-play environment

will offer a way of living that makes life healthier, more convenient,

and more inspiring,” says Kenneth T. Seeger, President of the Com-

munity Development and Land Management Group. Offices and

residences will become available to move into throughout 2014.

In addition to being a planned community, Nexton will be a gigabit

community — meaning gigabit broadband service (GigaFi) is available

to everyone. The notion of gigabit communities was spurred by

Google Fiber and the FCC’s Gigabit City Challenge, which encourages

every state in the country to have at least one such community.

Gina Shuler, Director of Marketing at Home Telecom, notes, “Nexton

is South Carolina’s first gigabit community and South Carolina will

be the 21st state to meet the FCC challenge.”

An Innovative Technology PartnerSeeger explains how this part of the planning came about: “As we

shaped the vision for Nexton, many people told us that technology

is changing their lives in ways that they never dreamed possible.

With Nexton, we set a goal to become South Carolina’s most

technologically advanced community.”

To reach this goal, MWV partnered with Home Telecom. Shuler says,

“Home Telecom’s innovation and experience with Fiber to the Home

(FTTH) — the only technology that could deliver on MWV’s aim for

Nexton to be the most technologically advanced — and our easy-to-do-

business-with mentality are two of the key features that won them over.”

Seeger adds, “When we decided that Nexton would meet the challenge

to become South Carolina’s first one-gig community, we met with a

number of providers. With Home Telecom, we found true entrepreneurial

spirit in an innovative local partner, a company willing to join us in

this bold step.”

Another part of MWV’s commitment to this project is its longevity

in the Charleston community. Seeger says, “We have been a part

of the Charleston community for nearly 100 years. We greatly value

our relationships with local companies and believe the entire community

is strengthened when we work together.”

Home Telecom chosen as technology partner to provide GigaFi to developing community

The innovative spirit we see in local companies, like Home Telecom, is inspiring and a great fit for Nexton.”— KENNETH T. SEEGER, PRESIDENT, MWV COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

AND LAND MANAGEMENT GROUP

6 MARCH 2014

In late 2012, Google conducted an

independent survey titled “What Users

Want Most From Mobile Sites Today.”

Of the 1,088 smartphone users that were

surveyed, about 67 percent indicated they

would be more likely to purchase a product

or service from a business that built a mobile-

friendly website. Couple that with the fact

that 61 percent of users also said they’d

leave a site that’s not optimized for mobile

and it’s clear that having a mobile-friendly

site is more important than ever.

According to Google’s “Go Mo” website

(www.howtogomo.com), more people use

their mobile phones than PCs to get online

and there will be one mobile device for every

person on earth by 2015. Your customers

are already mobile. Is your business?

A mobile-friendly website can be viewed

easily on smaller screens and also displays

important company information without

complicated navigation. (See the sidebar for

more details.) It’s important for your business

to have a mobile-friendly website, since

it can pay off in two ways: users are more

likely to be active when visiting the website

and they are more likely to return to the

website in the future.

If your website performs well on a smart-

phone or tablet, your business can reap

your share of the rewards of mobile search

which include:

• Product and price research

• Phone calls

• Store visits

• Purchases

Google reports that 70 percent of mobile

users have compared prices on their phones,

65 percent have read product reviews on

their phones, and 50 percent of mobile

searches lead to purchase.

A mobile-friendly website helps you connect with customers and increase sales

Top 3 FeaTures oF a MoBile-FrienDlY WeBsiTe

What do customers want when they

visit a website on a mobile device?

According to a Google survey, it’s

primarily the following:

1. Fast loading. Customers want to be

on a website in 5 seconds or less.

2. ease of use. Customers prefer large

buttons, easy search, clear and readable

text, and limited scrolling and pinching.

3. Quick access to business information.

Within just a few taps, customers want

to find directions, contact numbers,

product information, and purchase

instructions.

To see how your website looks on a

smartphone, visit www.howtogomo.

com/en/d/test-your-site. Simply fill

in your URL, and this tool will show

you what your customers see on the

screen. It will also provide a free report

with personalized recommendations

tailored to how your business can build

a more mobile-friendly experience.

Is it time for your business to mobilize your website? If you’re already working with a company on your desktop site, contact them about going mobile. Or consider adding a mobile developer to your team.

Optimize Your Website

for Mobile Devices

BEFORE

Who we are

What others say

How to order

Product Listing

Contact Us

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AFTER

// BUSINESS CONNECTIONS //

MARCH 2014 7

Your website can be a powerful, 24/7 way to promote your business and build sales — but only if customers find their way there. How can you attract more website visitors? Start by creating great content, which naturally leads to more traffic. Try these tips:

• Include pillar content on your website. In-depth, well-written content about your

areas of expertise will help drive traffic via person-to-person sharing.

• Publish high-value blog posts. This helps build relationships with your readers and

gives them a reason to check back with your website regularly.

• Share slide decks and other presentations. By posting informative materials to

sites like Slideshare and Scribd, you can increase exposure to new markets and new

potential customers.

• Deploy infographics. Infographics are a fun and quick way to learn about a topic

without a ton of heavy reading. They get shared more often than most other types

of content.

• run a YouTube channel. YouTube is one of the web’s largest search engines, making

it a great way to expose new audiences to your brand.

It’s also important to foster social sharing of your website’s content:

• Add social sharing buttons to your website. These buttons make it easy for people

to share your content with their networks on Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.

• Ask visitors to share your site. Don’t assume they’ll do this on their own. Ask them

directly to forward your articles to others or share them via social networking.

• Over-deliver on your company’s products or services. From a word-of-mouth traffic

standpoint, over-delivering can’t be beat. When you go the extra mile for customers,

they’ll recommend you to others — leading to more traffic.

Tips for Building Website Traffic Focus on creating valuable content and encouraging shares

inTerneT preDicTions For 2016The Cisco® Visual Networking Index (VNI)

Forecast (2011-2016) is an ongoing initiative

to forecast and analyze Internet Protocol (IP)

networking growth and trends worldwide. It

reports significant growth in Internet traffic and

service penetration, driven by factors including:

• An increasing number of devices: The

proliferation of tablets, mobile phones,

and other devices are driving up the

demand for connectivity. By 2016, the

forecast projects there will be nearly 18.9

billion network connections — almost 2.5

connections for each person on earth —

compared with 10.3 billion in 2011.

• More Internet users: By 2016, there are

expected to be 3.4 billion Internet users,

which represents about 45 percent of the

world’s projected population according to

United Nations estimates.

• Faster broadband speeds: The average

fixed broadband speed is expected to

increase from 9 Mbps in 2011 to 34 Mbps

in 2016.

• More Wi-Fi: By 2016, over half of the

world’s Internet traffic is expected to

come from Wi-Fi connections.

It’s an exciting time of growth and Home

is working diligently to meet our customers’

Internet needs.

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