Regardless of whether your business consists of ten, a hundred, or even a thousand people, Business VoIP can help reduce the cost of your office phone service. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) uses your Internet connection to route telephone calls, thereby providing an affordable alternative to traditional phone service that is packed full of additional features. On top of saving your business money and allowing you to route calls to employees regardless of location, a whole range of features are available, including voicemail, faxing, conference calls, and call forwarding. In fact, the amount of features on offer can be somewhat overwhelming. In order to make the process easier on you, let’s take a look at some of the key features that all businesses should consider.
If you’re just getting started with Business VoIP, then first you need to figure out how many lines, extensions, and numbers you need. While you probably want a separate extension for every employee, not all of them need a line. Indeed, the number of lines needed depends only on how many simultaneous calls you want to make. By having a few lines with the ability to reach employees by extension instead of an individual number, you can cut the overall cost of your phone system. For clients calling from outside your area, you may want to offer a toll-free number. This comes free with some VoIP services. With VoIP, you can also use your phone number as a fax number, with faxes automatically emailed to you as attachments. This resource-saving measure is very handy, though it’s possible to also maintain a physical fax machine if you wish.
Call forwarding is a simple feature, but an immensely useful one. Employees can have their calls forwarded to any number of their choosing, configured like most features through an easy to use web portal, ensuring that they can get calls on their cell phone if they’re out of the office. Some providers also offer apps with their Business VoIP, usually as a way to access the system portal quickly from your smartphone or desktop. Another highly useful feature is visual voicemail, which transcribes voicemail messages into text and emails it to you. This is a handy way to keep track of your messages, especially when you are on the go. Of course, basic features required by businesses such as conference calling and auto attendant are also available with VoIP services.