6 Benefits of VoIP for Small Business

From 2021 to 2026, the global market for VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is expected to grow by nearly $20 billion. One of the main drivers of this increase is business usage, which has accelerated recently because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many businesses let their employees work from home for the first time during the pandemic, so they had to switch to a phone solution that would let them run operations remotely while maintaining security.

Many adopted VoIP, the digital form of voice communications, and other cloud-based communications platforms to make their teams more flexible.

But for small businesses, VoIP offers far more than increased flexibility. It provides important benefits that can enhance the customer experience and drive growth. Let’s look at the main benefits of VoIP for small business so you can decide if you should modernize your company’s phone system.

1. Lower Business Phone Costs

Because VoIP sends voice data over the internet instead of relying on phone lines, your small business will see lower operational and calling costs. Businesses see about a 30 percent drop in phone bill costs when they switch to VoIP, and they can save as much as 75 percent on operating costs.

• You don’t have to maintain separate networks for your data and voice, letting you consolidate your expenses.
• Your business can avoid expensive landline setup fees because you don’t need to pay for a PBX (Private Branch Exchange) system, hubs, switches, telephone adaptors, and other hardware.
• With a virtual number rather than one that’s connected to a physical landline telephone, you can save on both local and international calls.
• With hosted VoIP, you can easily use a cloud-based communications platform that lets your employees communicate from anywhere via video conferencing or voice. With this capability, your business can save on office space.

2. High Call Quality

As long as your business has a strong internet connection and adequate bandwidth, your customers and employees will experience excellent call quality. Your business also has more control over call quality with VoIP because you can use a headset or microphone and adjust the settings to create the sound you want.

3. Advanced Call Features Without High Costs

One of the biggest benefits of VoIP for small business is functionality. VoIP and cloud-based communications technology have been evolving rapidly in recent years, so you can find a provider that offers a rich set of useful features when comparing platforms.

With a modern VoIP solution, features like call forwarding, Interactive Voice Response (IVR), call recording, analytics, auto attendant, call queuing, and integration with your other business applications are the norm rather than the exception. These tools can help you better serve your customers because you can improve call flows and gain insights into performance.

With a landline business system, you’d likely need to invest in a high-priced PBX system and pay add-ons for extra features.

4. Better Security with the Right Provider

Just as your business has access to more call features with VoIP, you also have more security tools in your toolbox. That’s why – despite the fact that both landline calling and internet-based calling have vulnerabilities – you can create a more secure system with a properly configured VoIP phone system.

With VoIP, your business can use the following tools to increase security:

• End-to-end encryption to prevent eavesdropping
• Endpoint security
• Two-factor authentication for call apps
• SPAM call blocking and tagging

To ensure top-notch security, you also want to choose a hosted phone system provider that lives up to extremely high standards regarding data center, network, and product protection.

5. Employees Can Work from Anywhere with VoIP

Another game-changing benefit of VoIP is work flexibility. Once you modernize your phone system with internet-based calling, your staff can work from anywhere. That means your organization can go fully remote or use a hybrid model, where some employees come into the office for at least part of the week.

This work-from-home option makes your business more flexible – if people can’t be in the office, whether it’s because they’re traveling, they prefer working from home, or there’s an emergency that won’t let them, operations can continue as usual when your phone system is hosted in the cloud.

But there’s more to it. Being a work-from-anywhere small business might also help you attract and retain talent – according to surveys conducted by Morning Consult and Owl Labs, 30 to 40 percent of American workers would consider leaving their job if their employer required them to work in the office full-time.

6. Digital Calls Are Just the Beginning

When your small business uses VoIP technology, you can get far more than digital voice communications. You can choose a system that includes all the important communication channels under one umbrella. A cloud-based unified communications system, or UCaaS (unified communications as a service), combines:

• Voice
• Video conferencing
• Chat
• File sharing

You can also integrate with your contact center solution, enabling your employees to provide an even better customer experience.

Empower Your Small Business with VoIP

If you’re considering switching to a modern phone system, explore the options offered by Intermedia.

We have the cloud communications solutions your organization needs to take advantage of all the benefits of VoIP and transition to a work-from-wherever organization, including Unified Communications, Contact Center software, and more. Even better, we make cloud migration and onboarding worry-free. Contact us to learn more.

Mark Sher

Mark Sher, a 30-year telecom and cloud communications executive, is the SVP of Product Marketing for Intermedia Cloud Communications, a leading provider of UCaaS, CCaaS, and business cloud application solutions to partners and the businesses they serve. In his role, Mark has global responsibility for all direct and indirect product marketing at Intermedia including product launches, product messaging and positioning, competitive intelligence, analyst relations, and cross-channel pricing.