The benefits of VoIP, starting with a lower phone bill

VoIP has grown out of its experimental phase and is now a proven business tool. If you've held off on switching, you're far from alone. Moving cautiously makes sense when you're changing something as important as your phone system.

The technology has matured. The early bugs have been worked out, and VoIP has gone from bleeding edge to mainstream. There are many reasons to switch, but the biggest is cost. Clinging to a traditional voice system now costs more than running a modern cloud phone platform.

Lower phone bills

This one leads the list. Remember the adage that time is money? With traditional phone lines, it's literally true. Voice communication over a Packet-Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is charged by the minute, and the cost climbs even higher for international calls.

VoIP frees you from that dedicated, expensive network. It uses the internet as a backbone, so your main expense is the monthly internet charge you already pay your ISP. In most cases, the cost of VoIP becomes a predictable monthly fee. Many businesses that switch see meaningful savings on local and international calls, and CallSprout's VoIP is often around 30% less than legacy phone service. If you want to put real numbers to it, see how much CallSprout's VoIP can save your business each year.

Less expensive equipment

Unlike many technology swaps, moving to VoIP doesn't mean buying all new equipment. In many cases the phones you already have will do, and your computers can be pressed into service.

Older technology like fax machines isn't a problem. If your business still needs them, an inexpensive adapter keeps them in service. You can also retire them entirely, because a VoIP system lets you send and receive faxes from your computer.

Your employees probably all have smartphones, and their internet connection means those devices can use your new VoIP service too. Teams especially like call routing, which lets calls to an office extension follow them while they're out on the road.

Extra features built in

Nobody likes coming back to their desk and wading through a full voicemail box. Voicemail-to-email transcription is common on VoIP systems. You can set yours to transcribe voicemail and calls to text and deliver them straight to your inbox.

No more notepads full of scribbled names and transposed phone numbers. You can also archive these messages or add them to a searchable database.

Smarter answering and routing

Miss a customer's call and you may lose the customer. A VoIP service lets you add an auto attendant so callers can use a simple menu and reach the right place quickly. It's a cost-effective way to give callers frequently requested information, such as your store hours, without tying up your team.

You can go further with an AI Voice Agent that answers every call, transcribes the conversation, and routes the caller based on what they need and what's in your CRM. Instead of pushing people through a rigid phone tree, it has a natural conversation and sends each caller where they should go. If you're weighing your options, our guide on whether an AI voice agent or a human answering service fits your business is a good next read.

Connected-system features work through your existing CRM or business system and depend on that system offering a compatible API. Availability varies by provider.

More than voice

With VoIP, computer technology and communication blend together. Call a client and share a presentation while they follow along on their screen. Send files in the middle of a conversation. Your phone is no longer just a device for sending and receiving sound, and video conferencing becomes a standard part of the toolkit.

Fewer obstacles to switching

The capital expense of changing business systems is often a main reason companies put off switching to VoIP. Because VoIP is internet-based, it's easy to integrate with the business applications you've already invested in.

You'll like being able to place an outbound call straight from a contact in your everyday tools. A VoIP system that connects to the tools you already use, including your CRM, gives your team a real boost in productivity. Scalability gets easier too. Because the platform is virtual, adding lines is inexpensive, and you only add them when you need them. CallSprout runs on a cloud phone system built on a 99.999% uptime network, so reliability scales right along with you.

At CallSprout, we build affordable communication systems with voice, video and fax for desktop, web and mobile. Check CallSprout pricing, or book a demo to watch the AI Voice Agent answer a call live.