Many businesses today have switched from their traditional analog or TDM PBX phone systems to a VoIP system. There are many advantages to making the switch: better scalability, increased quality, and, in the long run, can decrease your overall telecommunication costs and increase revenue. Most VoIP systems come with a mobile app so that you can handle calls over your device, but there are many more options that you should look out for when choosing a VoIP service for your small business.
Two Numbers – One device
When you get an app from your VoIP provider make sure that you can call grandma with your personal number and a client with your business number from your mobile device. So if your employees bring their own device, they can keep their personal information private while your business’s identity remains in the forefront.
You can get your business phone tied to your mobile device as well. This means that when your business phone number is called, you can program that phone to ring until the third ring, for example, but upon the fourth, your mobile starts to ring.
There is another feature called a softphone. It allows you to make calls from your PC or Mac. That way if you want to go to Starbucks and work, you can still take and make calls from your laptop. This program, if you choose a premium VoIP service, can integrate with CRM, Outlook, and others.
Company Directories and Call Recording from Anywhere
It’s great to have a mobile phone that has a business number out on the go so that people can call you anywhere; but what if you need to call an office extension and you don’t want to mix your business contacts with your personal contacts? Be certain that your VoIP service app has the ability to access your business’s company directory and, within that, has an option for extension dialing.
If your business is reliant on metrics and data, then look for a VoIP service that is able to log call information from the business phone system as well as the mobile device. That way, if one of the employees is away from the office, they can still get credit for taking a call outside of the workplace.
Multi-media Email Transcriptions
There are two important features that can come with a VoIP service that can make your mobile on-the-go experience positive and productive.
The first is voice mail to email transcription: this allows your voicemails to get transcribed into text and then sent to your email. So, if you are unable to answer the call, you can just check your email to see what you missed. If you are uncertain of the tone of the email, some VoIP providers send a WAV or Mp3 file along with the email so that you can always listen, too, if you want. This feature is great on the run: you don’t have to worry about taking notes about names, numbers, or addresses – it all transfers directly to your email in a tidy package.
The second office on the go feature is fax to email. If your business is reliant on fax machines, this service allows you to receive incoming faxes to your inbox. You can also send outbound faxes as email attachments. What’s the benefit of that? Going green! This is a great way to reduce your company’s paper use, which is not only great for the environment, but great for your wallet as well.
Both of these services makes it a breeze to sort, file, and organize faxes or voicemails even when on the go. When was the last time that you were able to sort and store voicemails in an organized fashion? Or organize faxes without a filing cabinet? These features allow you to do just that without paper, hassle, or frustration.
So, small businesses, look carefully at all the features of your VoIP to make sure that you are getting the best deal on your mobility options. You do not have to be anchored to your desk in order to take calls or look professional, these mobility features allow you to go do business where you’d like.
