Setting up and sustaining a successful small business these days is harder than ever. There’s so much competition out there, so many potential pitfalls to worry about, and so much that can go wrong. You have to make the right moves from day one to push the odds in your favor. One of those all-important “right moves” is to pick the most useful and appropriate technological tools to carry out your business operations and get things done efficiently and effectively. VoIP is one such tech tool, bringing a ton of value to small and growing firms.
An Introduction to VoIP
First, a quick introduction for those who are unfamiliar with this technology. VoIP stands for voice over internet protocol. In the simplest of terms, it’s an online alternative to traditional phone calls. Instead of making calls via phone lines, as has been the standard for so many years, VoIP lets you make calls over the internet. All the voice data gets digitized and transmitted to your recipient instantaneously, letting you carry out conversations anytime, any place, as long as you’ve got an internet connection.
It really is as straightforward as that, and, when compared to traditional telecommunications, VoIP is notably smarter, simpler, and more versatile.
The Advantages of Voice Over Internet Protocol for Small Businesses
VoIP is widely regarded as an essential IT solution for small business owners. Here’s why:
Simple to Set Up and Use
Ask most business owners why they switched to VoIP, and they’ll cite simplicity as one of the key factors in their decision. VoIP is just so easy to work with, and most business owners encounter next to no difficulties setting up their VoIP systems and making calls, even international ones.
Compare that to a traditional phone system, which can be far more confusing. If a traditional phone line goes down, for example, you may have no idea how to go about fixing it, leading to lengthy, costly downtime for your company to contend with.
Top Quality Calls with Minimal Issues
If you’ve ever made an important business call but struggled to understand the person on the other end of the line, you’ll know how frustrating it can be. Fuzzy voices, static sounds, sudden signal drops – all of these little issues can make traditional phone calls a real chore to negotiate.
With VoIP, such problems are far less common. Today’s VoIP technology is so advanced, that the quality levels are second to none. In the vast majority of cases, you should have no worries whatsoever. You’ll be able to hear and communicate with your recipient as though they were sitting right beside you.
Remote Access
These days, there are more people working remotely than ever before. Lots of companies no longer have their entire workforce in a single office. Instead, they can have teams and individuals spread out across the globe, and VoIP helps those remote workers stay connected with one another.
A lot of VoIP providers have mobile apps and software that can be set up on remote workers’ devices, for example. This allows those workers to use the VoIP service from the comfort of their own homes, making business calls without any unnecessary fuss.
A Range of Helpful Features
With a traditional phone and phone line, you don’t necessarily have that many options or features. With VoIP, it’s a totally different story. This technology offers a range of features and functionalities, opening new opportunities for communication for your company.
Call forwarding, call rerouting, call transfers, auto-attendants, conference calls, call recording – the list goes on and on. There’s so much you can do with VoIP, and while you may not necessarily need or use all these different features, there will surely be at least a couple that add value to your business comms.
Cost Savings
Cost-wise, VoIP often works out much cheaper in the long run than sticking with traditional phone lines. A lot of VoIP providers simply charge monthly or annual subscription fees to access their key features and functions. Other services are even free, though may be limited in terms of how they work.
A free service might not suffice, but even with a paid one, you get so much value for money. You can make calls around the world without huge hidden charges, for example, contact other businesses without pricey tolls, and enjoy all those aforementioned extra features, like conference calling, too.
Compatible With Numerous Devices
Lots of people associate VoIP technology with computers. While it’s true that you can make VoIP calls over a computer – and many businesses do – that’s not your only option. VoIP also works on smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other devices, offering numerous ways to communicate.
Indeed, it’s one of the most flexible forms of modern communication technology. So, no matter where your workers are or which devices they have available at the time, they’ll always be able to make reliable, high-quality calls at the click of a button or tap of a screen.
Easy to Scale
Over time, your business may grow. Its needs may change and evolve, and you may find that you need to scale up your comms accordingly. With traditional phone lines, that’s not always easy. It demands costly hardware investment and lengthy wiring installation processes.
With VoIP, it couldn’t be easier. This type of tech is infinitely scalable. Need a new phone line? Add one with a single click. Want more features added to your plan? You can do that too, all in a matter of seconds.
Invest in VoIP Today
All in all, VoIP is fast becoming a must-have technology for all small businesses. It’s a modern, efficient, and convenient communications method, with numerous benefits, delivering serious value to companies that choose to invest in it.
If you’d like to do the same, JD Young is here to help. With years of experience and a range of IT services on offer, we’ve already helped countless Tulsa companies enjoy the amazing value VoIP brings. We can do the same for you. Give us a call today to find out more.