How to Launch an OTT Cloud PBX Service: 8 Easy Steps

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March 28, 2024 · 15 min to read

A cloud PBX is a mass B2B service that can help you earn well without huge investments and having an operator infrastructure. To start sales, you need only to become a phone company’s agent, select a cloud PBX vendor, and launch an OTT service. In this guide, we’ll explain how to do it properly.

Step 1. Conduct Cloud PBX Market Research in Your Country

Begin launching the service by researching a cloud PBX market. The obtained information will assist in developing your business in the right direction. To correctly analyze the situation in your country, do the following:

Find out the number of cloud PBX offerings. As a rule, local telephone companies usually provide this service, often mentioned under the "business services" tab on official websites.
Pay attention to service quality. For instance, check if existing solutions allow call tracking and online call monitoring or if an operator provides VoIP equipment to subscribers.

Analyzing cloud PBX offerings and quality will demonstrate how to build a business promotion strategy. Either the market already has many good offerings, requiring a focus on a higher-quality product, or there's an emerging demand for the cloud PBX, making it easier to become a leader in your country.

Step 2. Build a Financial Model

Develop a financial model to ensure the cloud PBX will meet the profit standard — it should be no less than 35%. Pay attention to the following features:

Pricing plans depend on a market's willingness to pay, competitor prices, and agent-related conditions.
Revenue is influenced by the number of subscribers, Average Revenue Per User (ARPU), ARPU growth dynamics, and subscriber churn rate.
Costs are based on customer acquisition costs (CAC), vendor service costs, platform maintenance, and technical support.
Threats and scenarios should also be considered in the model: various factors (e.g., excessively high lead costs) can impact financial results.

Step 3. Create a Company

Create a unique name and corporate style, then establish a legal entity. If possible, hire employees. For instance, you will need a sales representative, marketer, and technical support engineer in the future, but initially, launching the OTT service and developing it can be done solo.

We won't dwell in detail on these nuances because it's much more important to consider the specifics of launching the OTT cloud PBX service.

Become a partner

With Digital Tide, you can start your OTT cloud PBX service with just one employee. We take on technical support, a marketing strategy, and platform maintenance.

Step 4. Provide Telephony to Customers

Subscribers find connecting the cloud PBX directly with operational telephony is much more convenient. Therefore, find a fixed-line operator and become their agent. This partnership will allow you to receive agent commissions and ensure good service sales.

When choosing an operator, pay attention to the following criteria:

Established partner collaboration process. Work with a company experienced in entering into agent agreements. If you become the operator's first agent, they might not be familiar with the legal intricacies of this scheme.
Favorable agent conditions. Typically, operators are ready to pay their agents 10% of the subscriber fee, but you may negotiate even better terms.
Nationwide number availability and services. Some operators' services are restricted to specific regions, aligning differently with an OTT provider's needs. Subscribers from any part of the country should have access to telephony along with the cloud PBX.
Automated number connection. Find an operator where subscribers can be connected automatically. Otherwise, each new subscriber may require engagement with the operator's engineers.

This partnership allows subscribers to connect phone numbers and cloud PBX services centrally. Two contracts will be needed in this case, which can be conveniently signed only with your company.

Step 5. Choose a Cloud PBX Platform

Consider the following criteria when selecting a platform:

Vendor professionalism. Choose a vendor who will handle platform customization and technical support and aid in devising a marketing strategy.
Platform relevance. The vendor should update the platform every 2-3 weeks and ensure the functionality meets market demands.
Service scalability. The platform must accommodate growing subscribers without compromising service quality.

After choosing the platform, initiate installation, connect telephony, and then enroll a few dozen test subscribers to verify if everything works smoothly.

Step 6. Choose a Billing Platform, a Payment Acceptance System, and a CRM

You will invoice customers and receive payments for a successful OTT service operation. Plan by integrating billing systems for invoicing, payment acceptance on a website, and CRM. Even if you initially create invoices manually, such a system will soon be essential.

Step 7. Build a Sales System

Since, for the OTT service, you'll be using the cloud PBX vendor's infrastructure and the communication operator, you won't directly influence the platform's performance or communication quality. However, sales will unquestionably fall within your responsibility, and the sales system needs to be structured as follows:

Choose the target audience. Determine who you'll sell the service to – small, medium, or large businesses. Understanding the characteristics of your potential clients will help establish realistic sales plans.
Define short-term and long-term sales goals. For instance, a short-term goal might be acquiring 400 new clients in the first year of cloud PBX launch, while a long-term goal could be to become the cloud PBX market leader in your country within two years.
Develop a sales plan for the first, second, and third years. Remember that the ARPU increases as the subscriber base grows while the Churn Rate decreases.
Describe the client onboarding process. Outline the client onboarding process from "the client agrees to the cloud PBX activation" to "the client confirms everything is operational."
Deal with equipment. Subscribers require a turnkey cloud PBX connection, so the OTT provider must connect VoIP equipment themselves or through third-party specialists.

Step 8. Organize Marketing

This stage is the most comprehensive because the success of your cloud PBX will depend heavily on the marketing strategy. Let's explore the key components of it.

Create a Website

Prepare a website featuring a detailed service presentation, cloud PBX interface screenshots, links to documentation, and a feedback form. Explicitly outline pricing plans to facilitate easy access for customers.

Since you already know your target audience, define a unique value proposition for them and present it on the site. Answer questions such as:

What distinguishes your cloud PBX service from competitors?
What problem does your OTT cloud PBX service solve, and what benefits does it bring?

Ensure a clear call-to-action on the site. After reading the CTA, users should understand that they'll receive a free trial of the cloud PBX, a demo, or a consultation with a specialist. In any case, connecting potential clients with a manager who will thoroughly explain the product's advantages and sell the service is essential.

Set Up Advertising

Advertising isn't just Google ads; there are other channels for promoting the cloud PBX. For example, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Capterra suit this purpose.

Advertising also allows for retargeting, which involves re-engaging those who previously visited your site. This tool increases the likelihood of acquiring your cloud PBX by 60%.

The debate about what's better, advertising or SEO, continues. However, these approaches should be used simultaneously to enhance overall promotional effectiveness.

Don’t Forget About SEO

Despite the long-term effect of SEO, businesses still need organic promotion. Besides, the earlier you start, the better.

Pay attention to the following SEO types:

On-page SEO. Create a blog on your site and regularly publish long-form content with keywords.
Off-page SEO. Write articles mentioning your site on various resources to boost your domain authority.
Technical SEO. Ensure your site pages load quickly and make sure the site is mobile-friendly.

Engage in Social Media

Over 3.6 billion people use social media worldwide – perhaps your audience can be found there. Promoting the cloud PBX on social media will help educate your clients and enhance your brand's recognition.

For instance, you could have a small LinkedIn brand media covering exciting cloud PBX and telephony topics. Relevant posts will attract the attention of various company representatives who might consider purchasing your product.

Sell additional options to existing clients: This option becomes increasingly relevant as your subscriber base grows. Selling additional options through email newsletters is the easiest – personalized offers can be prepared this way.

Become a partner

Digital Tide will assist you in developing a marketing strategy from scratch — this way, you’ll save time and resources.

Conclusion

If you follow all the outlined steps, you can launch your OTT cloud PBX service and set up all the business processes correctly. Of course, much depends on the chosen cloud PBX vendor, who can assist you in building the sales system, developing a marketing strategy, and taking care of platform maintenance.

As your subscriber base grows, you should consider obtaining an operator's license and establishing your infrastructure — this will be the next step in the business's development.

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Alexey Belyakov

CEO