One of the greatest benefits of VOIP phone systems over legacy phone systems are the features that they can provide without doing upgrades. Most legacy phone systems require a hardware upgrade on the premises to add new features or upgrade the whole system depending on age. VOIP phone systems provide many features right out of the box because they are controlled at the service providers end and not on premises of the business. One of those features is a virtual number.

 

What are virtual numbers?

The idea is really what it sounds like. Virtual numbers are telephone numbers that are not directly associated with a telephone line like a traditional phone. Virtual numbers can be assigned to any device like your mobile phone app or desktop phone through an IP address. Virtual numbers are not unique to VOIP phone systems, but they do have the advantage that they don’t need a copper line run to your office to put one in place. So what are we really talking about here are VOIP phone numbers. VOIP phone numbers are essentially a virtual phone number in the cloud that allows you tremendous flexibility in where and how you can use your phone that you may not have been able to before with a traditional copper line phone system from service providers like Fairpoint in the Northeast.

 

What are the benefits?

There are many reasons to switch your business to a VOIP phone system and there could be a million different cases in where you can use a virtual number, but here are some of the many benefits of virtual numbers.

 

1. It helps you to establish a local presence

Virtual numbers allow you to assign multiple phone numbers to your business locally. If you are running your business in multiple locations in different parts of the country, a virtual number local to that region will help customers feel better about calling you.

 

2. Helps establish trust and cuts cost

Virtual numbers that are local the region you are in will help cut costs when dialing long distance calls. In the past, you would pay extra for making a long distance call. For example: If you have dedicated customer service agents, they prefer to give out local numbers to customers making it easier for the customer to call for help.

3. Helps establish a professionalism

The last thing that any small business owner wants to do is lo0k unprofessional. When you use your cell phone, a Gmail address or anything that makes you look unprofessional. Virtual numbers allow any business to establish multiple phone numbers for their business for various reasons like customer service, mainline or tech support etc..

 

4. Virtual number provide flexibility

Virtual numbers can be used anywhere in the world. I had one customer that would pick up their desk phone and move it from one location to another and it works. All virtual phone providers have the ability to allow you to make phone calls through your virtual number on your cell phone with an app.

 

5. Multiple phone numbers

Virtual phone systems allow you to assign more than one phone number to your IP phone at your office. This can save you a lot of money when you are in sales. Sales people need the flexibility to work in the office and take the phone number with them on the road. Features like “find me or follow me” can allow a single user to utilize their virtual phone number when on the road.

 

 

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