5 Advantages Of Using VoIP For Your Small Business
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a service that allows phone calls to be made over the Internet instead of traditional phone lines. VoIP has consistently grown in popularity over the years, and in 2015 the VoIP industry is expected to grow by a whopping $76 billion. While VoIP does have advantages for individual customers, it can be especially useful technology for small businesses. Here are five perks of using VoIP for your small business:
Lower Costs
If your business's phone bill has really been adding up lately, you should definitely look into switching to VoIP. Traditional analog phone service charges by the minute, which means the more you talk the more you pay. Since VoIP uses your broadband connection to make calls, you aren't charged by the minute and can therefore make and receive as many calls as you want, without stressing about your bill.
In fact, studies have shown that switching to VoIP can save your business an average of 40% on phone costs. This is especially helpful if you make a lot of long-distance or international calls for your small business as these are notoriously expensive when using a traditional phone carrier.
Tons of Features
While at its most basic, VoIP simply means making and receiving phone calls over the Internet, it often offers additional perks and features that you just don't get with traditional phone lines. For example, you may be able to send documents, record phone calls, easily share the same main phone line with employees who work outside of the office, and conduct virtual meetings with multiple participants. Another popular feature of many VoIP systems is the ability to have your voicemails sent to your email, where you can listen to them whenever you want or even have them transcribed to text.
Go International
Since you will no longer need to worry about expensive long-distance charges, once you switch to VoIP you will be able to easily and affordably make international calls. You can even hire employees or freelancers who work remotely in different parts of the world and keep everyone connected to the same easy to use phone system. Just be sure to be mindful of time zone differences when scheduling calls.
Great for Conference Calls
VoIP tends to work much better than other types of phones when it comes to conference calls. On a VoIP conference call you can easily connect to multiple clients or co-workers in various locations. The sound quality and data connection tends to be really strong, helping you to avoid unclear conversations or awkward dropped calls. VoIP offers more advanced conference features, including the ability to mute individual participants, or easily check that everyone is on the call when it starts.
Increased Flexibility
Since a VoIP system uses your broadband Internet connection, it can be easily integrated with other Internet services in a seamless way. The way you combine various services can be customized to your own unique small business needs, allowing you the flexibility to use services you really want and skip over the ones you won't use. You may be able to combine your VoIP with email, fax, and conference services.
You can also most likely use your VoIP when you're away from the office as long as you have an Internet connection. This gives you the flexibility to make calls and conduct business from home, while traveling, or even at a coffee shop.
For small business owners looking for greater flexibility and lower costs, switching from old school phone service to VoIP from a company like Alliance Phones makes a lot of sense. Once you make the switch your small business will begin to reap these benefits right away.