Online Startups Get a Boost with Business VoIP

Planning to launch an online startup? You’re entering a crowded field, but not one that should be avoided. The opportunity in eCommerce is significant, if you have the right strategy, the right product or service and the right way to connect with customers. To keep costs low and your presence local, you should closely consider business VoIP. 

Gone are the days when ensuring voice communications meant a call to the local phone company for an analog line deployment. You can forget all the cords, the cumbersome hardware and even the excessive long distance charges. A business VoIP connection leverages the Internet and allows you to turn a voice signal into digital data. This is not only a more economical way to communicate over distance, it also allows for significant integration with other network applications and solutions. 

For instance, you can readily record calls in the call center for compliance and integration with your customer relationship management (CRM) solution. If you want to mine data from these conversations, it’s much easier to do when the conversation is already synced with the right application. Plus, softphone applications enable you to use a smartphone or tablet as your primary business phone. As a result, you can manage the workings of the business while you’re on the move. 

A recent article highlighted the benefits of leveraging business VoIP for your online startup. In addition to the basic functionality and cost improvements, you can also take advantage of virtual numbers. This is where you can create the local feel with a virtual number that has the same area code as your target audience. Your customers located in that area won’t incur additional fees to contact you and they’ll appreciate the fact that you have a local presence. 

When evaluating service providers to launch the VoIP solution you need to support your online business, you’ll have two deployment options from which to select: SIP trunking services and hosted PBXs. The former is very inexpensive, but designed for those companies able to maintain their own PBX hardware or software in-house. If that doesn’t describe you, ask for the hosted PBX. It’s also budget-friendly, but is scalable, easy to own and reliable. 

A recent success story highlights how business VoIP can deliver the right mix of functionality and efficiency. Retrospec Bicycles leveraged VoIP to enhance the customer experience. In forming a partnership with Nextiva, Retrospec has enjoyed a high level of continuous support. As a result, the business doesn’t lose leads or cause frustration due to long wait times. The company has created a customer-focused user experience, answering nearly 95 percent of calls by the second ring. 

Regardless of the product or service you plan to offer your target market, it must be supported with quality service. This service demands an efficient communication strategy. If you haven’t considered the virtues of business VoIP, take a look and see what else it has to offer.


Edited by Jamie Epstein