What is VoIP, and What Does it Mean for Your Business?

by Rawzaba Alhalabi Published on October 25, 2019

It’s hard enough to run a business while balancing small day to day tasks, managing employees, and maintaining organization. When adding remote employees into the mix, it’s easy to lose track of the work that is being done for your company. While office technology does exist to simplify many of these tasks, if your business isn’t using the right tools, the benefits of technology will not produce the greatest payoff possible. Virtual phone service or VoIP is one of these technologies.

What is VoIP?

So many new pieces of technology exist these days to keep offices and employees connected and efficient. Managing employees in and out of the office can be difficult without a reliable communications platform that uses the internet as a server, like VoIP. VoIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol, which means that instead of using a traditional phone service that requires phone lines and switchboards, employees can now communicate through devices with an internet connection. Internet-based communication makes working more accessible in a variety of locations, not just the office.

How is VoIP used?

Making a voice call with VoIP is as simple as ever. Dial the number of the individual you are trying to reach from your laptop, smartphone, or VoIP-paired office phone. Receiving calls is even more convenient because you can pick up from any of the previously mentioned internet serviced devices. So, on your morning commute, from your home, or during international trips, you can send or receive calls anyplace that connects to the internet. Not only are these advantages convenient, but they can cut costs for business owners significantly as well, as you won’t have the added expenses of maintaining your phone lines or hardware.

What can VoIP do for my business?

Voice over IP boasts a host of features and benefits for employers and employees alike, including:

Virtual Receptionist: This function automatically directs calls to the appropriate person based on the settings your business chooses. Having a virtual receptionist allows employees to focus their time elsewhere, and less time is spent answering the same questions repeatedly, which can help your employees become more productive. This feature also means that customer service is available 24/7 for customers, and will always answer with the correct information.
Easily Manage Voicemail: VoIP allows users the ability to manage incoming calls by sorting them based on preference. Calls can either ring through to voicemail, or be sent directly to voicemail, depending on your business needs. Not only this, but voicemails can be transcribed with VoIP to easily manage calls based on urgency, without interrupting the workday.
Mobility: Employees can take calls from any location with an internet connection. No longer is a hardwired phone necessary to answer or receive work-related calls. This means calls can take place over laptops, tablets, or cellphones.
Quicker Customer Service: Because many VoIP systems allow calls to be transferred to multiple phones before being directed to voicemail, your customers have a greater chance of their call being received by a member of your team and getting the answers they are looking for in a more timely manner. This will help with customer retention and satisfaction.

No more awkward meetings

VoIP keeps your employees’ communication with clients and with one another on a reliable platform. This means that whether your employees are working from home or in the office, calling into meetings won’t be an issue.

Meetings that don’t take place in the office always have the potential to be inconvenient and awkward, but with VoIP and virtual mobile number, they can take place with ease from any location. Traditional phones have the potential to cut out, forcing callers to use their personal phones. These inconveniences can start to add up when outdated technology fails us.

Oppositely, connecting your calls through the internet will make for greater opportunities for employees and clients to connect. All meeting attendees will be able to speak as if they were all in the same room together, although some may be sitting on their couch, or in a meeting room on the other side of the country. When all parties can easily communicate, more work can get done, contracts will be signed, and businesses will grow.

Faster updates

Fortunately, with VoIP phone systems, updates are done via software, rather than hardware. No phone company personnel will have to stop into the office every so often to switch out phones for better, updated versions. This benefit significantly cuts down on the cost of having a phone system for your office.

What does this mean for employees?

When the right technology is available, employees are likely to be more productive. Employees want up-to-date technology to stay happy as their time will be spent getting larger tasks done, rather than focusing on simple projects that can be simplified with VoIP.

Not only this, but employers can offer their employees the added benefit of working remotely, on a permanent or irregular basis, based upon the employee’s needs. This is perfect for maintaining a work/life balance in the workforce. When employees need to be involved in a meeting or a client call, they can simply dial in from any location using the internet, and instantly be connected to the meeting.

Additionally, the opportunity to cut even more cost is presented when business owners allow their employees to work remotely. Employers won’t have to spend as much on large office spaces if employees can work from home. Thus, employees can choose to work where they will feel most productive. Highly productive employees will increase revenue. And happy employees will feel less inclined to look for work elsewhere when they are given the tools and freedom, they need to get their work done effectively.

Additionally, any device with an internet connection—whether that be a phone, laptop, or tablet—allows employees to dial into meetings with ease and comfortability. Often, when employees can use a device of their choice, they will be more familiar with the platform they are using and will have greater access to information they need during a meeting.