Running a business in this economy is no easy feat. However, one problem that often exasperates many business owners and executives more than expanding their net revenue pool is the concept of internal communications.
A growing business needs an efficient means of internal communications that helps employees become more productive and provide better service to its customers. Fortunately for many contemporary businesses, we’re currently living in the era of Voice over Internet Phone systems (VoIP) that have made it easier for many of us to conduct our business on a budget!
Experts suggest that businesses that switch from traditional landline systems to VoIP systems are able to save around 50 to 75 percent of their annual communications costs. And that’s only the beginning. With a market base of over 205 billion subscribers, it’s no surprise that businesses want to switch to VoIP technology; after all, it’s offering some of the most cost-effective telecommunications solutions to businesses around the world.
If you run a small business or startup, then you probably know better than anybody else how important it is to use money wisely. In today’s blog, we’re going to walk you through the marvelous world of VoIP phone systems and how they’re giving many new businesses an edge over the competitors with some serious cost-saving!
1. Say Goodbye to Telephone Line Costs
Conventional landline systems can be pretty expensive, especially when you’re making frequent long-distance calls. The VoIP system has effectively replaced the underground copper wire era with internet-based communications. The main piece of technology here is known as the SIP Trunk—a communications protocol that converts analog voice signals into digital data packets that can be transmitted over broadband internet. The result is a remarkable saving of up to 50 percent of your monthly phone bills!
2. Call International on Local Rates
One of the most useful features of VoIP phones is that they allow businesses to make international calls easily. Since these phones work via the internet, they’re also able to guarantee you better voice quality and faster connections compared to traditional landlines.
Most VoIP service providers will offer you special price plans and packages for international calls. For example, Ooma is offering its World Plan subscribers unlimited minutes to call landline numbers in over 60 countries. Calls can also be made to cell phones in more than 10 countries. All of this can be availed for a monthly price of $17.99 only.
Businesses that deal with many international clients and often make overseas calls can give Ooma’s World Plan Plus package a try. Here you can call landline numbers in over 70 countries and cell phone numbers in over 40 countries at a nominal price of $25.99 per month!
A similar international calling package is also available at Vonage with its World plan.
Compare this rate with what traditional landlines have to offer and you’ll realize that VoIP phones are giving you a truly remarkable deal. However, there are more ways to save up on costs!
Did you know that you can purchase a local number in a country of your choice? VoIP service providers can help you register with one and the best part is that you’ll be charged for your calls on the local rates only! If you’re more interested in appealing to a global audience, you also have the chance to win your company a highly coveted 1-800 number.
3. Options for Remote Workers
The contemporary business model is shifting and more employees are choosing to work from remote locations. Not to mention, travel has become an essential part of most job descriptions. Studies show that over 70 percent of people work remotely at least once a week. Knowing these numbers, it helps to know that VoIP phones are able to facilitate remote workers.
From video conferencing to online faxing, VoIP allows employees to stay productive no matter where they’re working from. The benefit for managers and executives is that they can keep tabs on work progress with services like voicemail to email translation and call monitoring. Some VoIP service providers even let managers see the status of their employees on their desktop or phone screens. The flexibility in work schedules and settings offered by VoIP save businesses many overhead costs.
4. Automatic Call Attendance
If you’re a small business or a startup that’s worried about investing in a reception desk or HR department to greet clients, then VoIP phones offer a fantastic solution for you. Most VoIP service providers offer a virtual receptionist feature that takes care of incoming calls and directs them to the correct extensions. This is also known as the auto-attendant feature and guarantees your customers are greeted promptly without being put on hold for long periods of time.
Another option is to take advantage of the new Direct Inward Dial feature that connects internal stakeholders to bypass small talk with a virtual receptionist and get immediately connected to the correct extension. You can also switch from an audio call to a video call with this feature!
So, you’re saving up on customer service costs and don’t need to hire a full-time receptionist for your small business!
5.No Training or Maintenance Costs
VoIP phones may be different from conventional landlines but they’re not something that requires extensive training or maintenance. If you’re making the transition to a VoIP phone for the first time you can continue to use it on your existing landline network. You can also keep your existing phone number.
If there’s a troubleshooting incident—which is rare—you can call up your service provider for immediate customer support. The VoIP user-interface is fairly easy so you won’t even need an IT team to be on standby.
There’s no better way to save on business costs than investing in a corporate VoIP phone system.
Find some of the best VoIP service providers at Top5 Business VoIP today! Go through our comprehensive reviews and compare providers side-by-side to find the ideal service for your business.
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