We know what you might be thinking – what is VoIP?

Is this a typo or crazy talk?!

VoIP is an acronym that stands for “voice over internet protocol” and offers a variety of benefits your business.

At its core, these are services that allow you to get a business phone number and make calls and send text messages from your computer or an app, not requiring you to get an entirely new cell phone device.

In this article, we’re going to explore some of the things that make VoIP services so attractive, especially to photography business owners, then provide you with a list of some of the best VoIP providers for small business that we could find.

Let’s dive in!

How VoIP Services Make Business Better

There are a ton of benefits to having a VOIP service for your photography business.

To help maintain organization and help you digest the content, we listed some of them below in a bulleted format:

• Cost savings for a business phone line. One of my favorite reasons is because of how affordable it can be to set up a business phone number. For myself, I don’t love calling and texting clients from my personal cell phone (you know, privacy and all that!), but I still like having the flexibility to do these things through a business line. Instead of getting stuck into some long term contract and having to buy a new phone, with a VOIP provider you can get an affordable business phone number that’s easy to use with your current devices!
• Reliability. These services are typically very reliable and work off your Wi-Fi or current cell signal to make and receive calls and texts. If you have good internet and cell coverage, you’re going to have good success with one of these providers.
• Scalability. VoIP solutions can be easily adjusted to meet changing needs, allowing businesses to add or remove users and features at any time. This is particularly useful if you end up growing your photography studio to have employees, and you could have unique lines for each.
• Unique features. VoIP can include features like call recording, call queuing, and video conferencing, which can be especially useful for sales and support teams.

Best VoiP providers for small business

There are a lot of different VoiP service providers, but for the sake of this article we’re going to keep it simple for you.

Our top recommendation is going to be Google Voice since it’s what we have the most experience with, and through our research, it remains consistently one of the best options both in terms of features photography businesses would stand to benefit from and it’s cost is incredibly reasonable for what you get. We’ll explore this one in a little more detail.

To keep this post well rounded, we’ll also share some other options that you can explore as well later on.

Google Voice – Our Top Pick!

Google Voice is a telecommunications service by Google that provides users with a phone number to manage all their phone communications. You can actually get a number for personal or business use, but again, the focus in this post is going to be speaking specifically to the business side of things.

Google Voice allows you to make and receive calls, send text messages, and manage voicemail through the Google Voice app or on a desktop computer. I personally love this flexibility in so many ways!

Let’s look at some key features and benefits of Google Voice, particularly for small businesses like a photography studio –

Key Features:

• Unified Communication: Google Voice assigns you a phone number that can be linked to multiple devices, such as your mobile phone and computer. This means you can make and answer calls from any device!
• Text Messaging: You can send and receive text messages from your Google Voice number, which is especially useful for quick communication with clients.
• Voicemail Transcription: The service transcribes voicemails into text and can even send them to your email, making it easier to review and respond to messages without having to listen to each voicemail.
• Call Screening: Google Voice allows you to screen calls before answering. You can listen to the caller’s message and decide whether to pick up the call, send it to voicemail, or block the number.
• Custom Greetings: You can set up custom voicemail greetings for different situations or callers, adding a personal touch to your communications.
• Call Forwarding: Calls to your Google Voice number can be forwarded to multiple phone numbers, ensuring that you or your team can answer calls from different locations.
• Integration with Other Google Services: Google Voice integrates seamlessly with other Google services like Google Calendar and Google Contacts, making it easier to manage your business communications.

Benefits for a Photography Studio:

• Professional Presence: Having a dedicated business number separate from your personal phone number helps maintain a professional image and keeps business communications organized.
• Better Expectation Control: By having a dedicated business number, it makes it easier to set boundaries and expectations with clients. I personally make it a point to not check my business phone messages unless I’m in business hours, so it gives this much needed separation so many photographers struggle with.
• Accessibility: The ability to answer calls from any device means you can be reachable even when you’re on location for a shoot, without needing to give out your personal number.
• Cost-Effective: Google Voice offers really competitive pricing plans, which can be more affordable than traditional phone services and, frankly, even many other VoiP providers. It’s an excellent option for small businesses with tighter budgets.
• Efficiency: Voicemail transcription and email notifications help you manage messages more efficiently, saving time and ensuring you can respond promptly to client inquiries.
• Flexibility: Call forwarding and multiple device support provide flexibility in how and where you take your calls, which is ideal for a business owner who is frequently on the go.
• Enhanced Customer Experience: Features like custom greetings and call screening allow you to provide a more personalized and responsive service to your clients, enhancing their experience with your studio.

Overall, Google Voice can streamline your communication, improve your professional image, and enhance client interactions, making it a valuable tool for a small business like a photography studio.

Other VoiP providers you can check out!

• RingCentral
• Vonage Business
• Ooma Office
• Nextiva
• Grasshopper
• Dialpad
• Zoom Phone
• Jive Communications
• NetFortris

Wrapping it Up

VoIP services will aid your business processes and help you provide better client experiences, while also giving you more flexibility and an easier time setting boundaries with your clients by creating separation between you and your business.

We cover using VoiP services, along with more guidance on effective communication with text messages and email, in our online course Client Experience for Photographers, which is a part of our larger Business Course Suite for Photographers.

If you need any help at all improving your photography business, we highly recommend checking those out today!