Making Internet Phone Services Work for You

Businesses are opting for internet phone services over traditional landlines more than ever. In fact, experts foresee continued growth over the next decade, projecting the internet phone market to nearly triple in size.

The reason is that internet phone services can give you everything you need to manage business communications. However, you have to do more than find a good service; you need to learn how to utilize it effectively.

Find out how to make internet phone systems an effective component of your organization.

Key Takeaways:

Deploy internet phone services from a top-rated vendor to be more flexible and to scale up and down as necessary.
Your internet phone services give you access to essential data and can boost your productivity.
Online phone systems also increase your system uptime and security.
Using internet phone systems can save you money while you retain essential aspects of your old phone service.

Use Internet Phone Services To Gain Mobility

Internet phone services let your team access business lines wherever the internet is available. You’ll never have to miss an important connection again because you can forward business calls to personal smartphones, laptops, tablets, and desktops with a secure app.

That flexibility is particularly beneficial for remote companies and teammates who travel. Phone calls, video conferencing, faxing, and text messages are available practically everywhere.

Scale Your Operations as Necessary

In the old days, growing your company meant you had to pay to install new phone lines and equipment. Now, internet phone services offer you access to limitless lines.

Not only do you have more lines available to you, but the adjustment for scaling up or down is easier than ever from an online portal. Plus, you can forget about waiting on technicians to make changes because you can modify your account from anywhere in an instant.

That scaling and modification also include advanced features and add-ons. You don’t have to be a math wizard and predict all of your upcoming expenditures. Changing options quickly means you can adjust your budget and have the tools you need to grow right when you need them.

Access More Data

All of your communications can run through your internet phone services. That means you can track and analyze everything that transmits through your lines.

For example, you’ll have stats and analytics on calls, texts, chats, emails, and other contacts. Also, you’ll have more than historical data. You can see real-time tracking and generate custom reports to find trends and improve decision-making.

Save Money

Internet phone services are now much less expensive than physical landlines. However, you also get access to multiple standard features in your package that would be an extra expense with traditional phone services.

Plus, you don’t have to go to separate vendors for those different capabilities. Everything comes to you in a single bill from one provider, simplifying your accounts payable and saving you money by consolidating services.

Choose the Right Provider

The quality of your provider determines the caliber of your internet phone services. To start with, you’ll need a vendor who meets your budget.

Also, the company should have all of the features you require and have a track record of adding capabilities as new technology becomes available. For example, ensure the company is taking advantage of generative AI and natural language processing in analytics.

Above all, your vendor should offer spectacular customer service. Whether you need to fix an issue or just need help learning how to use your system, you should be able to count on a worry-free experience.

Keep Your Old Number and Equipment

If you already have business numbers, you don’t have to start from scratch when you sign up for internet phone services. Talk to your provider about transferring your old lines to your new system.

Additionally, if you have an existing office and phone equipment, you can bring that to your internet phone service, too. A provider that offers SIP trunking can set up internet phone connectivity for your existing public branch exchange.

Improve Security

Internet phone services increase your level of security, minimizing external and internal threats. Your provider can protect your communications throughout the transmission journey by encrypting your networks.

You’re also able to limit access to different levels of communication by setting up multi-factor authentication for workers. If necessary, you can authorize single sign-on credentials to give teammates limited access to specific records.

Be More Reliable

Downtime makes your company less dependable in the eyes of your clients. Even a few minutes of unavailability can be enough to make someone go to your competitors.

With guaranteed uptime from your internet phone services, you’ll almost always be available to your market. Plus, the ability to forward calls to mobile devices and remote locations can ensure that callers are able to reach someone if an outage or disaster strikes your main office.

A top vendor will have data centers in multiple locations to create “redundancies.” That means if one data center goes down, another can pick up the slack to keep your service running, which can be nearly impossible with on-premises systems.

Integrate Your Business Apps for Better Productivity

You don’t have to rely on your internet phone services alone to access critical data. You can supercharge your business intelligence by connecting your existing productivity apps.

For example, you can connect with popular messaging programs your team already uses to send real-time alerts. Agentless payment processing through interactive voice response can speed up invoicing and improve cash flow.

Another vital feature is the ability to connect to your customer relationship management software. Your team can quickly view customer records, add contacts, and log call details without jumping between numerous applications.