VoIP (or Voice over Internet Protocol) has been around a fair while. But now, as the internet is getting faster and more reliable, this technology is really proving itself to be invaluable… especially for small businesses. By removing the need for a traditional phone line and instead making phone calls via the internet, there are a range of benefits you will experience in your business. Plus, you don’t have to personally be a techno whiz to set it all up because managed IT support companies like Keyspace exist that both sell the systems and provide IT support for you. Read on to discover five ways in which VoIP will benefit your small business.
1. Lower Costs
By eliminating traditional phone lines, you can save the money that was previously going into your business’s phone plan. Also, because VoIP runs over the internet, and you most likely already have a significant data allowance for your internet usage, some of the costs of the phone calls made will already be covered by what you’re paying anyway. Plus, the costs of additional features (e.g. leaving voicemails and conference calling) are typically lower for VoIP users than traditional phone users.
2. More Efficient Workers
Not having to go back and forth between their computer and their separate phone will end up saving your employees a lot of time, which is particularly handy if your workplace depends on getting a lot of phone calls made in a short amount of time (e.g. telemarketing centres or event planning businesses). Also, the dialling mechanism on VoIP systems tends to be very intuitive and fast to use, including allowing workers to copy and paste phone numbers rather than typing them when convenient to do so. VoIP can also seamlessly integrate with most CRMs, which will save time as well.
3. Nifty Bonus Features
Some VoIP systems do some excellent things that traditional phones simply can’t compete with. For example, some systems make it possible to receive or send voice messages via email, while others maintain online calling records for you, which are very useful for making sure your workers are hitting their desired targets.
4. Improved Mobility
VoIP allows you to connect multiple handsets and phones to the same phone number. This means that an employee could work from home, on their mobile or from the office all using different handsets but the same phone number. This eliminates the complexity of dealing with expense claims for phone calls made away from the office, as well providing a more flexible solution for modern businesses that value having a mobile workforce.
5. Dedicated Support
Depending on who you purchase your VoIP system through, you could bundle the system with IT support. This means you would have direct access to IT professionals if you ever have any issues or difficulties, rather than being stuck waiting on the major telecommunications companies like you would be when problems arise with your traditional phones.
VoIP really is the way of the future for businesses that rely on phone communication for a large part of their business activities. Even if the technology behind how it works is a bit hard for you to grasp, you can easily see how the benefits of VoIP would make an impressive difference to the way your business operates.
