If you run a small business, you should be continually finding ways to improve your standing and your reputation amongst your customers and clients. One of the ways that you can do this is with a virtual number.
A virtual phone number works in place of your traditional phone line. Unlike a traditional phone network, a virtual phone service works via the internet. As a result of this face, the virtual phone number is not tied to a landline as they are with standard phone lines.
What are the benefits of having a virtual number?
In this article, we’ll discuss the five key benefits of having a virtual number for your business.
Table of Contents
2. Enhance Your Business Profile
3. Make Use of Advanced Features
1. There Are Cost Savings
Without the need for physical connections or the management of a phone line, there are some definite cost savings when it comes to setting up your virtual phone number.
You can use your virtual number on any device you like. You don’t have to worry about where the device is situated.
This means that you can use your service from anywhere in the world for the same price. For many companies, this means that you can have your customers calling remote workers where the labor costs are either lower, or the premises running costs are less.
You could also opt to use a toll-free number as an additional feature. This will pass on the savings to your customers all over the country.
Often, prohibitive call charges can put customers off phoning. You may lose customers due to costs. With local numbers as standard, your customers won't need to worry about the cost of their calls.
2. Enhance Your Business Profile
If you run a small business, having a virtual phone number can enhance your business profile.
Having phone numbers for different departments or functions even if they route through to the same place can make a business seem bigger than it may be. This helps build customer confidence and enhance the reputation of the business.
First impressions count for a lot in business and often the only thing that your customers will see of your business is the phone number.
You'll get a number that will show up as a local number on your customer's caller ID when you call out and be a cost-effective number for your customers to call.
3. Make Use of Advanced Features
Often, a virtual phone number will have a range of advanced features that you can take advantage of. These might include:
- The ability to send and receive texts
- A voicemail service
- The ability to record calls
- A transcription service
- International calls
- Auto Attendant
You may wish to use a toll-free number rather than a local number, in which case you can get this as an additional feature.
If you need more than one phone number, you could use extensions that allow you to maintain one main phone number that routes to multiple people
All of these features will enhance the experience for both your employees and your customers.
4. Improved Security
If you work in an industry that handles sensitive information, such as the healthcare sector, then you’ll no doubt have some concerns about your phone system. You’ll need to ensure your chosen virtual private number is compliant with the HIPAA regulations.
A concern may be that your phone could get hacked into and vital information may be stolen. While this may be a concern with traditional phone networks, your virtual number will be safe from such concerns.
With enhanced security and HIPAA compliance as standard across all of the services offered by iPlum, your virtual phone will be safe and compliant.
Your virtual number will ensure that all of the data that is stored in the form of texts or other digital communication will be encrypted rendering it secure.
5. Flexibility
Hopefully, you have a business that is growing. As your business grows, you need an infrastructure that will grow with you.
With traditional phone systems, as your business starts to thrive you’ll need to install new phone lines. This can be both costly and time-consuming to put into place. Your business expansion may take a considerable amount of time due to continually having to wait for engineers to come out.
With a second phone line, there is no need to install phone lines. You’ll be able to get instant access to the number of lines that you need.
Similarly, if demand for your phone service drops, you don’t want to be left paying for redundant phone lines. If you need phone lines removing, this can be done easily with a virtual phone service.
If you need additional features adding to your phone such as an auto-attendant function, then this can be done easily.
Having a virtual number will allow your customers to call your team wherever they are. Even if one of your team is out of the office, the call can be routed through to their smartphone. All the client sees is your main business number and not the smartphone of your employee.
Setting Up a Virtual Number for Your Business
Setting up a virtual number for your business is effortless. The whole process of setting up the service is very straightforward.
Not only is iPlum easy to set up, but it is also very cost-efficient.
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