Top 5 Features of a Virtual Phone System: What Business Owners Want

How would you rate your office phone system? Is it outdated? Are you unsure that it meets your current needs? If you answered yes to either question, then you should consider upgrading your business phone service. A cloud-based communication solution, such as a virtual phone system, is a modern alternative to traditional phone systems, utilizing internet-based technology (VoIP) to provide cost-effective, flexible, and easy-to-use business calling across multiple devices.

Reliable phone systems are essential for running a successful business. It’s key to successful business communication both with clients and employees. A virtual phone system offers flexibility, scalability, and advanced features that allow you to monitor important metrics such as call volume, missed calls, and client satisfaction.

If you are considering whether your current business phone service truly meets your business needs, here are five features business owners look for in virtual phone systems.

What is a Virtual Phone System? 

Simply put, a virtual phone system is a phone system that is not a premise-based piece of hardware. It doesn’t live in the business environment like traditional phone systems do. Instead, it’s usually hosted in the cloud (i.e., on the internet). The responsibility for managing it should be a part of the phone service provider’s offering.

There are many reasons why a business should choose a virtual phone system, not the least of which is a significantly improved communication experience between your business and its clients, as well as internally within your organization. That said, identifying the features most useful for your business can seem overwhelming given how many options many systems offer.

So how do you choose the key features most beneficial for your business? Start by asking yourself what’s important to your organization. How do you want to communicate with your clientele? In what ways could the process of answering inbound phone calls or returning messages be improved?

Key Features Business Owners Want

Here is a top-five list of key features that our clients want from their business telephone systems, whether that is a VoIP business phone system or a cloud-based PBX (private branch exchange system). Note that none of the following are considered advanced features or additional features of virtual phone systems.

#1: Call Routing

Call routing is sort of the front door of business phone systems. It’s getting incoming calls to the right people in a quick, appropriate manner. Virtual phone systems can route calls based on specific criteria like caller needs, agent skills, or business rules, streamlining customer support and improving efficiency. To do this, we usually give callers choices on what they can do, whether it’s dialing somebody at an extension (directly or choosing from a list) or waiting for the next available operator.

All of that is customizable and can be adjusted based on the business’s needs, their inbound call volume, how they want to improve their business, etc. The system routes calls efficiently to the right department or individual. Businesses can also use call forwarding to send all incoming calls to different devices or locations, enhancing flexibility for remote workers. Call routing is just one of the many fluid and flexible features of a virtual business phone system.

Though it can be beneficial, call routing may not be for everyone. It depends on how people know you and interact with you as an organization. If you want to deliver a live answer every time somebody calls in, then you need a receptionist or someone to manage incoming calls for you. If you want to reduce call volume or offload some of the responsibility of managing calls, then you may want to consider call routing. Call forwarding is another option that ensures calls are answered regardless of location, improving customer service and operational efficiency.

#2: Inbound Messaging

Inbound messaging can be customized for every business. It can be based on time of day, time of the week, whether you’re open or closed, or specifically during business hours. Messaging can be tailored to direct callers appropriately during business hours or route them to voicemail and provide alternative instructions outside of business hours. You can provide messaging back to a caller that will let them know when to reach you (like when you’re available) or which choices to make with an auto-attendant.

Inbound messaging is often crafted to benefit an organization by offloading common responses or answers in phone calls, like location details, directions, or hours of operation so that the staff doesn’t have time to manage those calls.

Giving callers the choice to access this type of information through a prerecorded message can also reduce the number of callbacks, contributing to less call volume overall and a more positive client experience.

#3: Voicemail Delivery 

Voicemail is typically a standard feature of a phone system, but how it’s delivered can differ greatly when using a virtual phone system. If somebody leaves a message, you want to get it to the intended recipient as soon as possible, especially if they’re not in the office all the time. Efficient delivery will affect how quickly someone can respond to the message, and that response time is often critical in maintaining positive communication within and outside the business.

With a virtual business phone system, the voicemail system manages the message as it would data. It can present the message as an audio file attached to an email, it can notify the recipient that they have voicemail, or the system can allow a user to go through them like a list with caller ID (complete with all the caller info). Many modern systems also offer voicemail to email, which automatically sends voicemail audio files and transcriptions directly to the recipient’s email inbox, making messages more accessible and improving communication efficiency.

Again, this is a feature that really serves to improve the experience of clients trying to reach your business and the experience of your employees when communicating internally.  

#4: Auto-attendants

By treating direct auto-attendant choices as a feature of a phone system you can begin to manage inbound phone calls in a very different way. A direct-to-auto-attendant feature can really define where calls go, and how quickly they can be managed, and provide backup information in terms of call detail records that tell you where you’re spending your time on the phone and how clients are reaching you. 

Direct auto-attendant choices are customizable depending on the time of day or time of year and give you incredible flexibility in directing calls for multiple locations or answering different phone numbers that signify different departments in an organization. Businesses can use a virtual phone number, a business phone number, a local phone number, a toll-free number, or even international business phone numbers to route calls for specific purposes, such as marketing campaigns or customer service. Using virtual, toll-free, or business phone numbers helps you avoid using your personal phone number for business, maintaining privacy and professionalism.

Auto-attendants can help manage both outgoing calls and incoming calls for different departments or numbers, ensuring efficient communication and call handling. In this way, auto-attendants streamline communications and offload call management that would be incredibly time-consuming, if not impossible, without them.

#5: Mobile or Hybrid Capability

The way businesses operate has shifted dramatically in recent years, with many organizations moving toward mobile or hybrid office models. A virtual phone system makes this transition seamless by supporting communication across multiple devices and locations.

With mobile or hybrid capability, employees can:

• Make and receive calls from any device (desktop, laptop, or mobile).
• Stay connected whether they’re in the office, on the road, or working from home.
• Maintain call history and customer records across devices.
• Benefit from unlimited calling, which reduces costs and improves efficiency.

For business owners, this feature ensures that every team member, whether remote or on-site, remains part of the communication system, increasing availability and improving customer service.

Is Mobile or Hybrid Work Right for My Business?

While mobile and hybrid features are valuable, they aren’t always necessary for every organization. Here are a few questions to help you decide whether your business should adopt them:

• Do you have remote or traveling employees? If so, mobile capability ensures they stay connected to your system and customers.
• Are most of your calls already handled via cell phones or apps? If yes, hybrid features can unify communication under one system.
• Do your clients expect immediate access to your team? Mobile tools improve responsiveness by ensuring calls don’t get missed.
• Is scalability important to your growth? Hybrid systems make it easier to add new users or locations as your business expands.
• Do you want flexibility in how and where your team works? A virtual system with mobile features enables modern, adaptable workflows.

If your organization relies heavily on in-office operations with minimal remote work, you may not need every mobile or hybrid feature. However, for most growing businesses, the flexibility and scalability these systems provide make them a smart investment.

Choosing the Right Virtual Phone System Provider

When choosing a virtual phone system provider, businesses should consider the following factors:

• Cost: Evaluate the cost of the virtual phone system, including any monthly fees or per-user charges, to ensure it fits within your budget.
• Features: Assess the features offered by the virtual phone system, such as call forwarding, call routing, and call recording, to ensure they meet your business needs.
• Scalability: Ensure the virtual phone system can scale with your business, allowing you to easily add or remove users as needed.
• Compatibility: Check the compatibility of the virtual phone system with mobile devices and other business tools to ensure seamless integration.
• Customer support: Consider the level of customer support offered by the virtual phone system provider, including any available training or technical support, to ensure you have the assistance you need when issues arise.

By carefully evaluating these factors, businesses can choose a virtual phone system provider that best meets their communication needs and supports their growth.

A virtual phone system is more than just a replacement for outdated office hardware. It’s a flexible, scalable communication solution that improves customer interactions, streamlines operations, and supports modern work environments. Whether your team is in the office, remote, or somewhere in between, the right system ensures everyone stays connected and clients always feel supported.

If you’re still relying on a traditional business phone system, now is the time to explore how features like call routing, voicemail delivery, auto-attendants, and mobile capability can transform your business communications. Reach out to Ohio.net today. We’ll help you identify the right features, configure them for your needs, and set your organization up for success.