How E-commerce Businesses Can Benefit From VoIP

Traditionally companies have always used a physical landline number, associated with their geographical location, and long-distance fees were just considered a cost of doing business internationally. As the world becomes more globalised, it's crucial for businesses in the e-commerce sphere to be able to communicate with their clients all over the world without overspending. Nowadays VoIP phone systems allow your online business to save lots of money by using VoIP instead of a standard landline for business communications.

E-commerce businesses have many options when it comes to VoIP phone systems, including Skype, which has a business suite and is easy to use. However, competitors such as RingCentral and Grasshopper offer lower rates for international calling and CRM-integration capabilities. Not only does a VOIP phone system simulate a landline in the physical and operational sense, but it allows you to do business over your smartphone while on the move as well. This is an advantage for e-commerce businesses that are location-independent, as it allows employees to deliver excellent customer service over the internet, no matter where they are in the world.

Faster response time

Response time is the name of the game when it comes to providing top-notch customer service. Long wait times will turn off new customers and can lead to existing customers leaving in favour of your competitors. Fast and responsive customer service is the cornerstone of any successful e-commerce business. 8x8 Virtual Office, for instance, allows you to not only talk over the phone with your clients using VoIP, but you can also transfer files and instant messages through the platform to other customer support agents as well.

With the client still on hold, the CSR is able to then collaborate with team members or escalate issues to supervisors for resolutions quickly. Since most VoIP phone systems are linked to CRM’s such as Zendesk and InfusionSoft, the data is easily accessible company-wide by employees. This makes resolving issues quick and painless, compared to the traditional way of dispatching and organising customer support jobs in the past.

Excellent customer service around the clock

Speaking to someone directly over the phone is usually the best way to resolve any issue. Customers dislike endless emails, especially when they can tell they are receiving semi-automated generic responses. By calling in, they get to speak directly to a human that is able to resolve their issue on the spot instead of having to fill out several customer support tickets.

Employees working through a VoIP phone system are also more mobile and able to work remotely or on the move. With a global workforce that is connected via VoIP, it’s possible to achieve 24-hour customer support coverage, since local time is no longer a barrier. Effectively, VoIP is able to better connect CSR’s and customers at any time of the day, allowing e-commerce businesses to hire customer support agents based in each timezone for more efficient coverage.

Reduces business phone expenses

The great thing about switching to a VoIP phone system is that you can still use a classic desk phone with it, for those that prefer the physical and aesthetic feel of using a desk phone or dislike wearing a headset all day. Many phone makers already include VoIP-compatibility in their desk phones such as Polycom and cost relatively the same as traditional office phones.

The VoIP phone system provider you choose can range from less than $20 per month if you go with a cloud-based provider, to several hundred dollars depending on your business specifications. Although it may seem expensive at first glance, it still saves businesses money in the long run if their company operates globally. Not to mention it has fewer limitations compared to a physical landline when compared to a desktop app that also runs on mobile phones.

Why eCommerce businesses should upgrade to VoIP?

VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) is basically a fancy word for audio calls that are made between two devices connected to the internet. Apps such as Skype use VoIP to allow users to talk over the internet, no matter where they are in the world. It creates a "virtual landline number" that you can use to make phone calls through your laptop or mobile phone.

So e-commerce businesses can save on monthly phone expenses upgrading to a VoIP-based phone system. You can get a business plan that will allow employees to call internationally for much cheaper than any plan offered by traditional landline and mobile phone providers. RingCentral also integrates into CRM and other business software, giving you much more value than having a standard landline phone.

Many e-commerce businesses have switched over to VoIP services such as Vonage and RingCentral by now. VoIP services can also be connected to a standard office desk phone, which can replace a landline phone entirely. As we get faster internet speeds, VoIP will become more common in the average household as well, as traditional landlines will eventually be phased out.