Your business needs phones and there are several plans to choose from. The traditional telephone carriers in your area would love to set up physical phone lines in your office or venue for the usual set of installation fees and a stacking plan fee on top of this.
The business phone package likely comes with a PBX and a handful of business features like queues and pools and conferencing. However, over the last decade, the business world has been going through a shift in telephone tradition.
As VOIP virtual phones have become more prominent and feature-rich, thousands of businesses have been making the switch to cloud-based communication instead of being tied to one physical line per phone number.
In addition to the benefits of online business resources, VOIP offers some specific advantages in businesses for whom traditional phone lines are not a good logistical choice.
Why are companies making the switch or getting started with VOIP instead of landline phone systems? Check out the following six reasons; you might just realize that VOIP has more to offer your company as well.
Your Location Doesn't Have Pre-Installed Phone Lines
If you have a business location that needs a phone system, often there are already a few wired phone lines installed from the previous resident. But that is not always true. Sometimes recent renovations removed those lines, or a new enough location may have never had phone lines installed.
The installation itself is a serious investment so often, it's more cost-effective and logistically wise to go for virtual phones from the start. Why invest in the old methods that leave you tied to the desk when you can skip the installation cost with cloud phones?
Or Your Pre-Installed Lines Don't Fit Your Business Needs
Even if your current location has pre-installed phone lines, those lines might not fit the needs of your business. The lines may be run to the wrong locations in your venue or there might not be enough lines for your team. Your business model may need a different pattern of installation or you may need more scaling ability (more lines and fewer lines) than the installation allows for.
In this case, pre-installed lines aren't an asset, they're just wires in the wall that you won't use. This leaves you back at square one and able to consider virtual phones which are far more flexible - therefore supportive of your business model and business needs.
Local Business Phone Plans are Not Cost-Effective
Often, it comes down to a matter of cost comparison. The cost for a traditional phone services varies from region to region. There are usually two to five phone providers in your area and their prices compete only with each other. If you're choosing a business phone solution, compare the local phone providers and a VOIP package. When VOIP is more cost-effective for all the same features, then it's the better choice for your business.
VOIP makes a great cost comparison because its prices are consistent despite your region - as cloud phones are provided and are available everywhere.
Your Team is All or Significantly Remote Right
In many business models, in-office phones don't provide their complete value. If your team is on the road or working from home, for example, then landlines are hardly useful.
As a greater portion of the workforce is now working remotely, many businesses are making the transition to VOIP phone systems for a comprehensive phone plan for the whole team.
You Have Multiple Business Locations
Landlines may work well for your on-site business, but multiple locations can complicate matters. VOIP offers something that traditional phones have never managed, they provide the same phone network and extensions for more than one office location.
In fact, you can have rotating managers who answer the same number and extension no matter which location office they occupy each week.
Your Business Sets Up Temporary Offices
Finally, there are companies that often set up temporary offices. Major construction projects, destination events, surveying, and other businesses where the team goes to the site cannot rely on one set of landline phones. But you can rely on VOIP.
With virtual phones, any team with temporary or regularly relocated offices can use the same phone system project after project. No need for changing numbers or even to provide personal cell numbers to clients for steady contact. You can also manage home-office matters no matter which off-site project you are attending.
So why do businesses choose VOIP or switch to VOIP phones instead of traditional landlines? The reasons for your own company will depend on your business model, local prices, and your percentage of remote employees. If you want to explore your options for business VOIP and cloud phone systems, contact us today!
