Whether you’re a solopreneur hoping to grow your business, a rapidly growing organization that’s adding staff and locations quickly, or an enterprise looking to save money and improve flexibility, you know one thing: communicating with your customers is key to meeting your goals.
The real question is: how can you communicate affordably and reliably while still maintaining compliance and security and giving yourself and your customers multiple channels to connect?
A VoIP number might be the ideal solution for you!
What is a VoIP number?
‘VoIP’ stands for ‘Voice over IP’, and it refers to voice communications that take place over the Internet. A VoIP number is a real telephone number assigned to a person or entity, not a physical location, and it can work through a VoIP app from any device that’s connected to the Internet.
VoIP numbers allow businesses to scale up as they need to without incurring unnecessary costs. Businesses can add numbers without purchasing additional hardware, and many VoIP providers give organizations a simple online portal to purchase new numbers.
VoIP numbers also give employees the flexibility to work from anywhere, and additional APIs can give businesses the ability to connect with customers on other channels, such as SMS.
VoIP numbers vs. traditional Voice numbers
Traditional voice numbers, or PSTN numbers, are phone numbers that are attached to a specific location or even a specific phone. PSTN numbers refer to analog numbers that are carried on physical wiring. These numbers are also referred to as POTS (Plain Old Telephone System) lines.
VoIP and PSTN both have their place in the modern communications landscape. PSTN lines have a long and storied history, and some organizations may need the security and control of PSTN lines, especially in locations without reliable Internet infrastructure.
If your organization is still operating with PSTN lines, it’s important to consider whether your lines are facing elimination in the near future. Many PSTN numbers use outdated equipment and copper wiring, which is expensive to maintain and replace. Some countries, such as Estonia, The Netherlands, Germany, and the UK have all started or entirely completed the process of shutting down these circuits.
VoIP numbers have many advantages over PSTN lines. VoIP offers greater cost-efficiency, flexibility, scalability, and a range of features that maximize an organization’s ability to communicate.
See a quick comparison chart to see the differences between VoIP and PSTN here.
Types of VoIP numbers
One advantage to acquiring VoIP numbers is the flexibility of number types. VoIP allows organizations to tailor communications to the specific needs of their employees and customers.
For instance, an organization that wants to emphasize its local presence can reserve a number with a local prefix. Larger organizations that want to emphasize a brand can choose a vanity number.
Here are a few of the specific types of numbers available with VoIP.
Local numbers, toll-free numbers, and vanity numbers
Companies that want to use a memorable combination of letters or numbers can reserve a vanity number, such as 1-800-FLOWERS. Vanity numbers are usually easily memorized and help create strong brand recognition.
Local VoIP numbers help emphasize presence in a specific region, which can help build trust with customers. This option can be helpful to organizations that don’t maintain a physical presence, but still want a recognizable number for local or regional advertising and marketing.
For organizations that need one or more toll-free phone numbers, VoIP is a less expensive option than PSTN. Because VoIP uses existing Internet connections, there’s no need for additional hardware, and the costs incurred from incoming calls will be included in Internet usage. In addition, some toll-free numbers give companies the additional ability to leverage messaging, such as SMS and 10DLC.
Direct Inward Dialing (DID) numbers for businesses
DID stands for Direct Inward Dialing. These numbers allow customers to reach a specific department or employee directly without navigating a phone tree or memorizing an extension number. With VoIP DIDs, extension owners don’t need to work in a specific location, which allows them to interact with callers anytime, anywhere. DIDs can even be enabled for SMS, giving users the ability to meet customers on the channels they prefer.
Steps to get a VoIP number
Whether you’re transitioning from a legacy phone system to VoIP or starting fresh, signing up for a VoIP number is a pretty straightforward process.
Select a VoIP provider
Start by choosing a VoIP provider. If you are a solopreneur or small business, you might be able to start with just a free VoIP through a service such as Google Voice.
For organizations that need multiple numbers, there are a variety of factors to consider. Pricing is important, but it’s not the only factor. Depending on your needs, you should also consider available features, customer support, and overall reputation.
Another vital consideration is uptime guarantee. Your provider should offer a 99.9% uptime guarantee or better. At Bandwidth, we maintain a core network uptime of 99.999% with multiple geo-redundant data centers in North America and 99.995% globally on our owned and operated network with global reach.
Set up your VoIP service
A good VoIP provider will make setting up your VoIP service as easy as online shopping. Your number purchase journey could look like: select numbers and configure the features you want for each one, and check out! A good VoIP provider will give you access to an online dashboard or mobile app to allow easy management as well, giving you the flexibility to add numbers as necessary.
When you set up your numbers, consider what types of numbers and features you need. Will your numbers need voicemail? Do you need to enable SMS? What about call forwarding or call routing? Make sure you address other settings such as time zones, user access, and device connections as well.
Your VoIP provider should also offer highly responsive customer support, no matter how many numbers you purchase. Whether you have a question about getting started, need to resolve a glitch, or want to navigate a complicated customization or integration with a little help, your provider should be responsive and easy to work with.
Number porting and selection
Already have a phone number or multiple numbers and don’t want to change? Many VoIP providers, including Bandwidth, allow you to port numbers from a previous provider.
In the past, porting numbers has been plagued by different carrier requirements and lack of support. Bandwidth’s painless porting process reduces the manual steps typical to old porting processes, gives users an easy-to-navigate API, and maximizes support for those knotty questions or complications that sometimes arise.
Features to consider when getting a VoIP number
As with any business service, it’s important to consider what features will meet your business communication needs. VoIP numbers can offer features far beyond standard calling, including caller ID customization, voicemail-to-email functionality, and voicemail transcription services.
Remember, it’s not just about phones or phone numbers; it’s about effective, efficient communication. What features will enable you to conduct business seamlessly while building your brand recognition and strengthening your reputation?
Business VoIP systems
A single number from a free VoIP provider can be an effective solution for a small business or solopreneur, but for organizations that need multiple numbers or greater functionality, a business VoIP system is a better option.
Paid business VoIP solutions often include advanced features such as call analytics, team extensions, call routing, CRM integrations, and dedicated technical assistance. These systems are designed to handle higher call volumes, provide enhanced security, and ensure consistent uptime, making them essential for companies that rely heavily on dependable communication infrastructure.
For startups, VoIP offers some clear advantages, including reducing startup costs by up to 90%. Not only does VoIP take out the hardware costs of a PSTN system, but it can also help organizations maximize communication features without additional equipment. In addition, because of the mobility of VoIP numbers, startups can reduce other overhead costs such as office space, by allowing employees to work remotely.
Enterprises can run into particular challenges with communications systems. For organizations that still run on legacy PSTN systems, the approaching phaseout may create challenges to communicating across the enterprise or integrating old and new systems. Other challenges can include managing multiple providers across the globe, varying regulatory environments, and uneven support. A provider with global reach such as Bandwidth can help large enterprises manage communications reliably and seamlessly.
Get VoIP service from Bandwidth
Whether you’re ready to make the transition to VoIP solutions or need to scale up to meet growing needs, Bandwidth can help! Our VoIP solutions offer not only dependable reliability and 24/7/365 support across the globe, but also a toolkit for easy management and customization that meets your organization’s unique needs.
Discover what organizations such as Navex have learned: VoIP doesn’t have to be complicated. Start your VoIP transition today.
