Most useful cloud phone system features for SMEs

VOIP headset

Today, implementing a cloud phone system is a future-proof solution for small businesses to manage their communications with limited resources.

Cloud telephony systems improve team productivity with enhanced features, enabling companies of any size to provide high-quality customer service. Any manager or company owner knows that businesses that offer better customer experience are the ones that thrive and grow faster. Your business phone system features are a key factor that defines/determines how smooth and efficient the interaction with your customers will be. All these integrated/built-in features can give you a competitive advantage and help you create a successful sales strategy.

The diversity of your business phone functionalities ensures that your specific communications needs will be met in the best possible way. In the article below, you will discover 10 of the most useful features for your small or medium organization.

10 cloud phone system features every small business should use

A cloud phone system is not just a simple tool for making and receiving calls. It has gone beyond this basic functionality and has become an advanced communication and collaboration platform. Still, inbound and outbound phone calls have their primary spot among all the calling options available via a VoIP phone system аs they are one of the most important communications channels for small and medium businesses. Below are listed the most important calling features that allow small companies to ease call-flow management.

Call Forwarding

call forwarding

Call forwarding is one of the small businesses’ most useful cloud telephony features. It allows you to forward calls from your office phone to another number, such as your cell phone, ensuring you never miss a call. Additionally, you can set up rules so that only certain calls are forwarded, or all calls are forwarded during specific hours of the day. This flexibility means you can always access your business calls, no matter where you are. Call forwarding is a VoIP function that is especially helpful for businesses on the go.

Diverting incoming calls to the right agent allows you to solve faster customer problems. This feature is equally useful for companies with just a few phone lines or a separate call center. It is a feature that helps you improve your customers’ phone experience in multiple ways. Ensuring that any lead, prospect, or client can always reach out to you is of utter importance for any business. Lastly, call forwarding allows you to route any inbound call to local phone numbers – mobile and landline- to build a local presence and establish your company as a trustworthy partner.

Find out which Mixvoip cloud phone system features are the most useful for your business!

Call Routing

call routing

Call routing is an enhanced feature of virtual phone systems that optimizes incoming calls. It lines up inbound calls before sending them to a specific agent based on pre-set routing rules. The call is directed before someone takes it.

The pre-determined criteria vary among different business phone solutions. They are based on call volume, requested department, agent’s availability, skills, and language preference. The system analyzes all these attributes to decide which number to route the call. That ensures that the right person will handle the incoming customer’s inquiry. Being able to dispatch calls to a customer representative who can help ensures productive and efficient customer support management. It is a benefit that no business can ignore, as it enhances customer engagement and loyalty.

This whole process can be automated, thanks to the VoIP functionalities of your phone system. As a result, another advanced feature emerges – Automated Call Distribution.

Auto Attendant

artificial intelligence robot with headset

Auto-attendant is considered one of the top features of cloud phone systems, simplifying and speeding up call flow management. It allows you to skip live receptionist as the system automatically routes the inbound call to the right agent based on the pre-defined call routing rules. One of the top benefits of this so-called digital receptionist for small businesses is that it allows you to move faster through the call flow. 

Some of the most popular characteristics of the Auto-attendant include hold-on music and prerecorded messages. It is a handy solution for small businesses and freelancers who need some automated help to manage efficiently their small to medium call traffic.

For companies that experience high-level call traffic, cloud phone systems provide an IVR feature – Interactive Voice Response. That is a multi-level auto-attendant offering high customization of greetings and routing to multiple numbers. 

IVR

interactive voice response

Interactive Voice Response allows you to create a phone menu with directions on how the caller can contact a specific department, group, or agent via self-service. It is an automated phone system feature that enables your callers to reach out to the right service agent and access information via a step-by-step guide of prerecorded messages.

With the help of multi-level interactive voice response, small to medium companies can navigate their customers to the right contact person or department without a hassle. That function allows businesses to offer more efficient customer support and improve service for their prospects and clients. IVR is used to manage incoming calls. Other benefits, except for the enhanced customer support management, include:

• better lead conversion
• saved time for both customers and call agents
• higher customer engagement and profits

Call analytics

call analytics

Cloud phone systems have call analytics features that allow business owners to track the success of their sales and marketing campaigns. This data is presented in an easy-to-understand graphical interface, making it simple to see what marketing efforts are working and where improvements can be made. Additionally, cloud phone systems provide information on how long each call lasted and the number of connected and disconnected calls.

This data can help businesses understand customer behavior and identify possible areas for improvement. For example, if a large percentage of calls are disconnected, it might be worth investigating whether the product or service meets customer needs. Finally, this data can also be used to generate reports for management or funding purposes.

CRM Integration

CRM solutions

Many cloud phone systems offer CRM integration, allowing businesses to manage customer contact information within their phone system. The integration makes it easy for businesses to keep track of customer interactions but also helps to ensure that all customer data is accurate and up-to-date. The integrated CRM allows businesses to create custom call scripts, as well as record and store calls for future reference. Additionally, cloud phone systems with CRM integration can automatically populate contact information when a customer is called into the CRM system.

The top benefit of integrating CRM and the business phone system is that employees can access all data from a single place. That streamlines communication and collaboration among teams.

Find out the Best 5 CRM software for small businesses in 2022!

Voicemail to Email

This cloud phone system feature allows voicemails to be sent as an audio file attachment directly to an email address of your choice, making it easier to stay organized and manage your voicemail messages. You can also have them transcribed into text and sent as an email. That is a very useful feature for small businesses as it can mean that they don’t have to check their voicemail every day. Voicemails can be easily listened to and managed by reading them in your email inbox.

Video conferencing

Video call

Cloud phone systems offer video conferencing capabilities, which allow businesses to hold online meetings with clients and colleagues. That feature can be used to provide product demonstrations, presentations, and training sessions. Video conferencing also allows businesses to reduce travel costs by holding meetings online instead of in person. Additionally, it can help to improve team communication by providing a way for team members located in different locations to communicate effectively. 

Businesses using video conferencing tools integrated into the phone system often report that it has helped them save time and money and increase their productivity. It allows even smaller companies to access more flexible opportunities, such as conducting remote job interviews, team meetings, or business negotiations.

Start your video meeting now with Mixvoip!

Numbers Porting

Cloud phone systems can port numbers, allowing businesses to keep their existing phone number when moving to a new telecom. This feature is helpful for organizations with many customers who are used to calling a specific number. Keeping your business phone numbers even if you switch your telecom providers ensures service continuity, as you will not miss any important calls during the transition period.

Cloud phone systems that offer number porting make the process simple and easy to complete. Porting numbers also helps minimize the disruption caused by moving to a new phone system. Additionally, it can help businesses to maintain their branding and reputation.  

Click-to-call

click to call

Cloud phone systems offer click-to-call or click-to-dial options as a web-based or mobile solution. With its help, customer agents can make calls by clicking on a number on their computer screen. The feature is useful for growing businesses that conduct many online sales. The click-to-call feature eliminates the need to enter numbers manually, saving time and reducing the chances of making mistakes. Additionally, it provides a convenient way for businesses to keep track of their call activity. 

Try Click-to-call to optimize communication with your customers!

Cloud phone systems are the right solution for small businesses to stay productive and efficient. They offer a range of features that can help with tasks like call forwarding, call analytics, auto-attendant, and voicemail. These features can help improve communication within the business and track how calls are made. Overall, cloud phone systems are a great investment for any small business. Thanks to their features, small and medium companies access enterprise-level functionalities. That ensures high flexibility for the teams and customer service continuity in any circumstance.

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