Are you planning to upgrade your business phone system? While searching for the best business phones, you may come across hosted VoIP. So what is it, and how can it benefit your business? It is essential to know. Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, lets businesses make and receive calls online. Hosted VoIP services are managed by third-party service providers allowing businesses to connect with their customers globally in a budget-friendly way.
Phone calls are the most preferred way by customers to contact businesses (325), followed by email (20%), text messages (12%), and chatbots (5%). Even world-top digital brands Airbnb, Netflix, Uber, and Adobe offer phone support to assist customers.
So whether you are thinking of making a support team or already have one, it is worth investing in a hosted VoIP.
Let’s explore everything about this cloud-based phone solution so that you can understand its benefits and make the right decision.
What Is Hosted VoIP?
A hosted VoIP is an advanced business phone system that allows you to make and receive calls using the Internet instead of regular phone lines. Moreover, you do not need a desk phone to communicate; you can use your web browser or a mobile app to communicate with your customers globally.
Hosted phones can be perfect solutions for businesses looking for advanced business phone features at an inexpensive rate. These solutions have advanced features such as call transfer, auto attendant, voicemail, and barging.
How Does Hosted VoIP Phone Work?
In an analog phone system, one phone is connected to the other through a PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network). It uses electrical signals to generate audio in the speaker of the receiving side.
In contrast, a Hosted VoIP phone converts voice signals into digital packets and transfers them over the Internet. It is, however, a bit different from an on-site VoIP phone because the data packets first travel to one of many data centers. Your VoIP service provider handles data conversion and transfers it to the recipient’s phone. You can still enjoy VoIP features with SIP trunking if you have a PBX.
What Are The Top Features Of Hosted VoIP Phones?
Hosted VoIP provides all the necessary call center features. From auto attendant to call forwarding, it offers everything you need to provide robust customer support.
Following is the list of features you can have:
- Conference callsÂ
- Mobile AppÂ
- CRM integrationÂ
- Conference callsÂ
- Auto attendantÂ
- Advanced call analyticsÂ
- Find me, follow meÂ
- Toll-Free phone numbersÂ
- Voicemail to emailÂ
- Unlimited scalabilityÂ
- Local phone numbers
These are only a few of the calling features different VoIP providers offer different features in their VoIP plans. You can shop around and compare different providers to choose the right one according to your business needs.
Benefits Of A Hosted VoIP Phone
A hosted VoIP phone solution offers numerous benefits for your businesses, some of which are as follows:
1. Reduced Operational Cost
Unlike a private branch exchange, hosted VoIP systems offer significant advantages when it comes to cost. One major benefit is that you don’t need a large upfront investment. You don’t have to worry about maintaining or upgrading the system since your VoIP provider will handle everything. They take care of important tasks like data backups and ensure the security of your communication.
Switching to a hosted VoIP system can lead to substantial savings for businesses. On average, companies experience a 30-50% reduction in phone bills. This cost reduction is possible because hosted VoIP providers offer competitive pricing and eliminate the need for expensive traditional phone lines.
Another way hosted VoIP providers help you save money is by minimizing call charges. Since all communication occurs over the Internet, the per-minute charges are significantly lower than traditional phone systems. You can have more cost-effective conversations with your clients and colleagues without worrying about hefty charges.
2. Increased Accessibility
With a hosted VoIP service, you can make calls from anywhere, as long as you have a good internet connection. It means you’re not tied down to a specific location and can stay connected on the go. Even if you can’t personally answer customer calls, you have options. You can easily forward those calls to another person who can assist, or you can receive voicemails directly in your email.
This flexibility is particularly crucial for businesses that have a distributed workforce. It allows your team members to have complete mobility and work from various locations. Whether in the office, at home, or on the road, they can stay connected and engaged with customers.
Moreover, when your hosted VoIP service is integrated with your CRM (customer relationship management) system, your employees can access customer information on their mobile devices. This integration empowers them to provide personalized service, as they have the necessary details at their fingertips, enhancing the overall customer experience.
3. Improved Business Communication
Traditional phone systems are prone to outages, especially when natural calamities exist. However, most hosted VoIP providers offer guaranteed 99.99% uptime in their service level agreement.
In addition, VoIP providers also have disaster recovery plans in place. For example, if something happens to the server on which your VoIP phone system is hosted, they will transfer it to another data center and ensure that any disaster does not affect your services. This way, you will experience a downtime of only a few seconds throughout the year.
4. High Scalability
Over time, your business will grow, and you will need more people on your team, which means you have to add more phone lines that can be expensive and time-consuming. However, with a hosted VoIP phone system, you can add new users quickly at an affordable rate.
You need to purchase new numbers, assign them to new employees, and you are ready to go. Even some leading VoIP providers allow you to assign a single number to multiple employees. It makes scaling more cost-effective.
5. Local And Toll-Free numbers
Another advantage of a hosted VoIP phone system is that you can purchase local numbers in any area, regardless of location. For example, if you are in Australia and you buy a UK number, you can strengthen your presence in Britain, and customers in these areas can trust you more when you have a local presence.
Hosted VoIP providers also allow you to purchase toll-free numbers that allow customers to contact you for free. However, you must pay for incoming calls at the local rates.
5. Better Data Accessibility
You can offer great customer service when you understand your customers’ needs. Similarly, you must ensure consistent support across emails, phone, social media, and live chats.
Select a VoIP provider that works seamlessly with your customer relationship management (CRM) tool. Doing so lets you have all the necessary information in a single location, enabling you to provide top-notch customer service without any hassle or back-and-forth.
6. Prove Your Marketing ROI
As described above, most customers still want to contact businesses over the phone. However, measuring offline conversions’ success and demonstrating a campaign’s return on investment (ROI) can be tricky. That’s where a virtual number comes to the rescue.
By assigning a separate number to each marketing campaign and redirecting the calls to your main line, you can track leads generated by each campaign and determine the value of those deals. It enables you to provide concrete evidence of your campaign’s ROI.
7. Easy Installation
VoIP setup is easy and quick and easy. You don’t need to install additional hardware in your office or home because it runs over your existing internet connection.
The process involves selecting a VoIP provider of your choice, setting up an account, and you are ready to make calls. Some leading VoIP providers enable you to set up your VoIP phone system within minutes.
8. Secure And Straightforward
Regarding your conversations and messages, calls made through servers are protected by advanced encryption, ensuring high security. Once you have installed hosted VoIP at your business, which typically takes anywhere from two to 13 days, depending on the complexity, you can start using it immediately without any additional waiting time or hassle.
Why Should Businesses Shift To Hosted VoIP Phone Systems?
Businesses should consider switching to a hosted VoIP system due to the following reasons:
- It offers advanced features that significantly improve communication efficiency and productivity. Features like call forwarding, voicemail-to-email transcription, and virtual attendants enhance the overall calling experience.
- A hosted VoIP system can lead to significant cost savings. Traditional phone systems often come with high upfront costs and ongoing maintenance expenses. In contrast, hosted VoIP systems typically have lower setup costs, predictable monthly fees, and reduced long-distance and international calling charges.
- Moreover, hosted VoIP systems are highly scalable and flexible, allowing businesses to add or remove phone lines as needed. This flexibility particularly benefits growing businesses or those with fluctuating communication needs.
- Hosted VoIP systems provide enhanced mobility. Employees can make and receive calls from anywhere with an internet connection, enabling remote work and improving collaboration. This mobility fosters better customer service and ensures business continuity even during unforeseen circumstances.
Transitioning to a hosted VoIP system is generally seamless and quick. Installation and setup times are typically minimal, allowing businesses to start using the system without significant downtime or disruptions.
Conclusion - Cold Calling
Hosted VoIP phone systems offer numerous advantages for businesses looking to upgrade their communication system. With the ability to make and receive calls over the Internet, businesses can cost-effectively connect with customers globally. Hosted VoIP has advanced features like call transfer, auto attendant, and conference calls, enhancing customer support and collaboration.
It offers benefits such as reduced operational costs, increased accessibility from anywhere with an internet connection, improved business communication, high scalability, local and toll-free numbers, better data accessibility, and easy installation.
Transitioning to a hosted VoIP system is generally seamless and quick. Installation and setup times are typically minimal, allowing businesses to start using the system without significant downtime or disruptions.
