Many things contribute to the growth of a business and in this digital age, a phone number is one. However, not all businesses have considered using a virtual phone number, like the 1300 numbers in Australia, which has been proven to be more effective. While it is common practice to use a personal phone number or the traditional phone system like the landline, there are too many limits to them. This poses a high chance of leaving many calls unattended and could lead to a loss of potential customers. Customer service is a huge part of a business and using a virtual phone number can make a difference.
Virtual phone numbers carry a lot of benefits for businesses. While they function pretty much the same way as a normal phone number, they are more versatile and will allow you to run seamless customer service over phone calls. This article highlights important reasons why you need a virtual phone number and how it can help grow your business.
Why You Need a Virtual Phone Number for Business Growth
1. Improved Customer Service
Any business, whether local or international, needs to communicate with its customers and portray good customer service. Did you know that once a provider loses a customer, 68 percent of consumers will not go back? To get the most from your business, you not only have to make proper channels of communication available but also ensure they are effective. Good customer service, starting from access to easy communication, is a fundamental step to the growth of your business.
Instead of turning customers away, you can always reroute them to the proper channels without feeling overwhelmed or losing a customer. Every lead is important in a business and a customer treated properly can eventually be a gamechanger.
2. Worldwide Business Growth
There are currently some 60,000 multinational corporations worldwide, controlling more than 500,000 subsidiaries and responsible for half of the international trade. How do they communicate with staff and customers all over the world at any time? The answer is simple – they do this virtually, and one of the ways they go about it is by using a virtual phone number system.
By incorporating virtual numbers, you can easily set up a new branch abroad and not worry about any disruption in operations. This simplifies communication and you can always hire anyone from anywhere or target customers from all over the world with no restriction in communication. A single virtual phone number can be linked to several devices in different locations and departments, enabling your company to answer as many calls as possible at the same time. This helps you save time, energy, and resources, all of which improve efficiency in your business.
3. Improved Collaboration
One of the best ways to grow as a team in a corporation is by collaborating effectively and how would this be possible if you have your staff across different locations? With the traditional phone system, you would need access to several apps to collaborate as effectively as you would want to. This includes a messaging service and a video conferencing tool, among others. What if you can have all of these in one place? This is where a virtual phone system works as a more effective option.
A virtual phone system has all the collaboration tools you need built-in, including internet messaging, SMS texting, and video conferencing. This makes collaboration much more effectively across departments in your company, regardless of how many locations you operate in.
4. Improved Campaign Performance Visibility
One of the best ways to measure campaign performance is by tracking the calls made to your business before and after a campaign. The traditional phone number will make this tedious, as you will have to do it manually, which is almost impossible if you operate on a large scale.
However, with a virtual number, tracking campaign performance becomes easier. This is because you can assign a virtual number to a specific campaign that you expect calls from and then use the call tracking software to know how well the campaign is performing. You can repeat the same process for as many campaigns as you want, to track individual campaigns.
5. Improved Credibility
By using a virtual phone number, you present your brand more professionally. This increases the level of trust potential customers have in you, as it shows how credible you are. Anyone can get a local number, which means even businesses that are not legit can take advantage of it and scam people. As a result, a lot more people are skeptical of local numbers.
You can stand out from many other businesses by employing a virtual phone system that would boost your business’ credibility. This enables a smoother experience in running your business.
Potential Downsides of a Virtual Phone Number
As much as a virtual phone number allows versatility, it is also not perfect and poses some downsides.
One of these downsides is the reliance on internet availability and connectivity. You need a strong internet connection to communicate across teams and locations. To find a way around this, choose a reliable internet service provider or get a backup service to keep operations running smoothly.
Another downside is the possible vulnerability to malicious attempts. Security is important and this is why, when choosing a virtual phone system for your company, you should opt for a reputable system provider. Do your research and check the multiple layers of security offered to ensure your security isn’t breached.
Bottom Line
Using a virtual phone number can be a game-changer in your business and should be considered if you want to experience growth in the long run. However, it is not just about using a virtual number but also about doing it right, as it is a big decision that can make or mar your business. This is why you should be careful as you choose your virtual system provider, so you don’t expend the same time, energy, and resources you were trying to conserve.
Laila Azzahra is a professional writer and blogger that loves to write about technology, business, entertainment, science, and health.