What is the best phone system for your small business? There seems to be an unlimited number of choices when it comes to choosing a communication system. There are landlines, Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP systems, virtual numbers, cloud-hosted, and more. Although there are plenty of options to choose from, VoIP Business Phone Numbers might be your best choice.
The Benefits of using VoIP Internet Phone Services
Most small businesses prefer to use VoIP because unlike landlines, the VoIP systems run over a reliable internet connection. Many companies prefer VoIP because they can run their telephone lines over the same internet line that they run their businesses through. Sometimes a business uses the same internet connection for both the phone and the internet. Because of this, the business won’t have to go through any installation processes or have to deal with adding phone lines to multiple offices. In addition, they can integrate with the computers that already have in the office. Employees are able to make calls from their laptops and computers or set up their voicemails to be sent to their email. If a business is using a CRM program, it is very beneficial because businesses will easily be able to keep up with customers’ inquiries.
VoIP systems also make the most sense for small businesses because they work with small and affordable PBX equipment. PBX equipment allows for small businesses to have access to many features that generally only a large corporation would have, like call recording and conference calling, all for a low price.
How VoIP Business Phone Numbers Work
The VoIP system works similarly to how a landline system does. You can choose your phone number and area code, or if you prefer to use a toll free number, you can select that as well. Some businesses prefer to have both. VoIP makes the most sense for small business owners because it is easy to manage in a simple to use online portal. From the online portal, managers can delegate phone numbers as well as extensions and choose which features to turn on and off. From the online portal, administrators can also add new lines whenever they need them.
VoIP began gaining more popularity in recent years because the original problems with VoIP are virtually nonexistent. Years ago there were problems with call quality and static; however, now that internet technology has improved so has VoIP. The connection is so much better now that it sounds the same as if you were using a landline. Because of these improvements and the phone service cost savings, VoIP has been steadily moving to become the standard for all businesses.
Types of VoIP Business Phone Numbers
If you are planning on using a VoIP system for your business be sure that there is a reliable internet connection. It is also essential to decide which PBX equipment is best for your business. There are two options; on-premises or cloud-based PBX. Some phone providers will offer both while others offer one or the other.
If you choose to use VoIP on-premises, you must have room for the PBX equipment installed in your office or store. It is up to you to train your IT staff to upgrade it and keep it running and secure. Because IT staff is the one maintaining the PBX, you are in complete control of the system. On-premises PBX is best for security because everything is run from inside of your business. However, if a business doesn’t have it’s own IT staff, then they will not be able to use the on-premises option.
Another option is cloud-hosted VoIP. These are popular among small businesses because the equipment is housed off-premises by the provider. The provider is the one who is responsible for upgrading software, making sure everything is secure, and housing all of the equipment. This way is also faster because upon activation you’re ready to go. If you decide on a cloud-hosted system be sure that the provider has enough bandwidth to support a growing business. If there is not enough bandwidth, calls could suffer in quality.
The popularity of VoIP among small business owners comes as no surprise. It is one of the best ways to keep you in constant contact with your customers and the most affordable and easy-to-use option. To learn more about our virtual phone number services and how you can integrate them into your marketing strategy, contact us.