Number
Virtual numbers are used both by large companies, for which it is important to combine branches into a single telephone network, to provide telephony for a large number of employees, and by small businesses where work processes are carried out from home. For entrepreneurs who are not familiar with virtual telephony, the question that will bring more benefits to the business remains: VoIP or state (home) numbers?
How to determine the appropriate type of telephony
Since a small business is often associated with a limited budget, entrepreneurs are looking for a solution that suits them in terms of the number of functions, the quality of communication, and the cost of installation. Telephony is a tool that allows the company to achieve financial prosperity. Be guided by the tasks you set for this tool. Answer the questions:
- you need a local number or you are building a business in other countries;
- what types of services may be additionally required (voice mail, IVR menu, etc.);
- you do everything yourself or you have a team whose members are in different cities;
- frequent trips are typical for your business;
- it is more convenient for you to receive calls on a cell phone, home phone, or computer.
In general, it can be said that analog numbers are suitable for small businesses focused on local clients, and when you have slow Internet and an unstable power grid. A VoIP number will be more appreciated by businessmen for whom it is important to be mobile, use various functions that expand the possibilities of the number and make calls abroad.
In order to finally analyze the benefits of virtual and analog telephony, let’s take a closer look at their characteristics.
Comparison of virtual and home numbers
Expenses for telephone services
For a young business, when all processes are conducted from home, the use of an analog number can be convenient, because the telephone line is most often already established. But if you have not connected analog telephony before, then the expenses will not please you. Typical costs for an analog number include:
- telephone cable installation fee;
- monthly payments for domestic calls;
- increased prices for international communication.
Only one channel for incoming calls will be available to you, due to which the number of missed calls may increase, which leads to a loss of profit.
Is VoIP better than a landline phone in terms of service cost? Definitely, yes. Since with a virtual number you do not need to pay for cable installation, you only need access to the Internet.
By ordering a VoIP number, you make a one-time payment for connecting the service and subscribe for a month or more. And then you use cheap call rates. Forwarding to a SIP account for numbers in Ukraine, Russia and many other countries will be free. You can order different types of rooms:
- mobile;
- urban;
- national;
- numbers 800 Toll Free.
Virtual numbers for calls have two channels — if necessary, you can increase their number.
VoIP numbers for the home are the same justified investment as if you were planning to provide telephony to a large office. With it, telephone costs will be lower, and you will have more opportunities.
Call processing functions
When the number of orders increases, the entrepreneur will need assistants who will answer customer calls. When the staff is small, it will be difficult to follow up on all incoming calls to the home number. You can buy a business class phone to have an answering machine or voice mail. But you will still have a limited number of functions that interfere with work.
With VoIP telephony, a small business gets access to many services that can additionally be connected to a virtual number.
Useful VoIP services:
- Welcome message. Record the customer’s voice greeting with information about the company’s opening hours, promotions and discounts;
- Forwarding You can receive incoming calls on different devices and, if necessary, change these parameters to always stay connected;
- Background music. The presence of musical accompaniment helps to retain the attention of clients;
- Voice mail. When the entrepreneur is busy, subscribers can leave a message on the voice mail. Files are saved to email;
- Conversation recording. In order not to miss something important during the conversation with the buyer, it is better to record the information. The presence of a call record will also help to improve the service, since you can systematize the main requests of clients, understand what services they most often come for.
Speaking of systematization, it is worth noting that the virtual number can work together with CRM. Keeping records of clients is not a privilege of big business. The sooner you start collecting information about customers, the easier it will be to offer them loyalty programs and repeat purchases.
The VoIP number is again ranked first in terms of ease of call processing. It is easily connected to additional services that facilitate the process of sales and communication with clients.
Sound quality
VoIP offers compact telephones solutions for the office and home — you can use a laptop to receive and make calls, if it is important to save space; home phone or install a special IP phone. But all these devices will receive calls thanks to the Internet, which means that speed is very important. To ensure a high-quality connection, it is best to use high-speed Internet. Check the network settings before ordering a VoIP number.
For home landline numbers, we will receive a stable, good sound most of the time, since voice transmission is carried out through copper wires. Telephone communications are most often carried out underground, they are not affected by weather conditions, the reception of calls remains even when the power grid is turned off.
As for the VoIP number, in the event of an emergency power outage, it is recommended to order a voicemail service that will save messages from subscribers if you have a power outage. You can also redirect to another phone, for example, a smartphone.
In terms of sound quality, VoIP and home numbers can be on equal footing as long as you have high-speed Internet and electricity. But if you are not sure of the reliability of your Internet provider, then the analog number has a more stable connection.
Mobility
Home analog numbers are tied to landline telephones. Of course, there are phones with a wireless handset, but its range remains limited – within the premises. This is not the way to keep you mobile.
Entrepreneurs often use mobile numbers by connecting a separate SIM card for business. But this method is not ideal – with a large volume of calls, there will be many missed calls from clients, since you are limited to one communication channel for incoming calls.
For virtual telephony, you can communicate through any device connected to the Internet:
- personal computer;
- laptop;
- tablet;
- smartphone;
- IP phone.
You get a SIP account for a VoIP number, install a call application, for example, Zoiper, on the selected device and communicate. If it is more productive to work with a PC and answer customers’ questions, immediately processing their orders, then when you are away from the workplace, you stay in touch by receiving calls on your smartphone. This can be done with the help of call forwarding or using another SIP account on the smartphone.
Even if a mobile VoIP number is connected, it does not need a SIM card, which is why it is not linked to the device or location. If at first you did business at home, and then you decide to move the activity to the office, the number does not change. When going to another country, the call rates remain the same, unless the forwarding type is changed.
If it is important for an entrepreneur to be mobile and not pay large sums for calls, a VoIP number remains the best option.
Communication security
Data privacy and security is a problem for any type of telephony. There are still no ideal methods that will provide 100% protection for corporate information. On a technical level, both VoIP and PSTN (analog communication) are vulnerable to eavesdropping. Their data transmission methods are different, therefore physical access to the telephone cable is required for wiretapping an analog line, and various technical methods are required for intercepting VoIP calls.
If you look at security methods, there will be more of them for VoIP telephony:
- end-to-end encryption;
- creation of complex passwords;
- IP access restriction;
- protection for endpoint access points (PC, IP phone).
An additional advantage of a virtual number is that you can not disclose information about your real number and maintain confidentiality.
Despite the fact that, in theory, digital data is easier to intercept, VoIP telephony provider Freezvon is tracking new ways to increase the security of virtual numbers, which makes your telephone conversations more reliably protected.
Summarizing, in comparison of VoIP and home numbers, virtual telephony is in the lead. You get an economical, fast, multifunctional and safe way to communicate with clients and business partners. Freezvon is ready to offer virtual numbers for more than 120 countries and IP PBX services, with which you can provide the best level of service for customers.
