You no longer need to agonize over which business phone line to choose: As with most other business operations, going digital is the answer. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a great low-cost option that gives you a local number but streams your calls over an Internet connection.
How Does It Work?
In general, you pay a flat fee per month, and the VoIP provider will give you a business number with two or more extensions and, usually, the option to set automated messages or funnel callers to the appropriate extension. You can use the system in conjunction with a virtual assistant to help respond to callers and connect them to the appropriate people.
Why Should I Choose VOIP?
First, if you’re worried about missing business calls when you’re away, you can let go of that fear by choosing VoIP. You can opt to have calls forwarded to your team’s mobile devices, handled by a virtual assistant, or both.
Second, if you’ve been using a personal number to pick up business calls, you can solve that problem by getting a VoIP number that can be funneled to both your office and personal cellphones without exposing your number. Even better, you can make calls from your personal phone that appear to be coming from your business.
Third, VoIP is just cheaper, with savings of about 40 to 80 percent per month. Long-distance calls are generally no more expensive than local calls. Some providers even offer phones as part of your package, so there’s no need to buy separate devices for your team.
Features To Look For
1. Auto Attendant. It happens. You answer the phone when you’re tired, frustrated, or distracted, and the caller picks up on that in your voice. Ensure a consistently professional response by using an auto attendant to answer calls and route them appropriately.
2. CRM Integration. If you’re tired of manually entering phone calls into your CRM, a VoIP can integrate with your software to automatically log calls to and from a client. Now that’s handy.
3. Instant Conference Calls. There’s no need to sit by a landline or even pull out your laptop. VoIP providers typically allow instant conference calls by easily adding other people to the call.
Are Standard Business Systems Really Going Away?
If you mean the classic landline PBX phone systems, then yes, they are going away. Hosting phone systems in the cloud is the future. In fact, the FCC is evaluating the opportunity to replace the ancient copper-based telephone infrastructure with an IP-based solution.
With so many automation and integration options, why wouldn’t you want to join the future of business phone systems by choosing VoIP?
Conclusion
Whether you’re a solopreneur, freelancer, small team, or medium-to-large company, VoIP providers have a phone solution for you. You can find a system with the complexity — or simplicity — to suit your needs and budget. The primary benefit, however, is that you can rest assured knowing that your customers can easily reach you and not be frustrated with antiquated phone systems. For today’s tech-savvy customers, that’s essential.
So, what are you waiting for? Get started with Omni to get all the features listed above, plus business text and call recording. We can help meet all your phone needs.
Learn how to get started with Omni here.
