5 Reasons Why I Love Google Voice
I have enjoyed playing with my Google Voice account during the last few weeks. My new VINTOM.com phone number is 503.308.VINT (8468). I have started to list it as my primary contact in my emails, business cards, and my website.
Here’s how Google describes Google Voice:
Google Voice is a service that gives you one number for all your phones, voicemail that is easy as email, and many enhanced calling features like call blocking and screening, voicemail transcripts, call conferencing, international calls, and more.
At first I wasn’t sure what the advantage of a Google Voice account would be over my current cell phone number. But I soon realized some of the many wonderful benefits of using Google Voice.
1. Separates Business and Personal
Up until now I have been using my mobile phone number as my primary contact number. This allows my clients to get ahold of me at any time while saving me the cost of secondary line for business. Google Voice allows me that “second line” for business, but saves me the cost of another mobile phone.
Within Google Voice you have the option to have your Google Voice number displayed when you receive an incoming call. The benefit of this is that you will know that it is a business call when you see it is coming in from your Google Voice number. So instead of answering “What’s up home skills?” you can answer “Thanks for calling VINTOM Custom Designs. How may I help you?”.
2. Never Have To Change My Number
Have you ever had to change your phone number? I have moved all over Canada and the USA in the last 10 years, so this is something I have grown accustomed to. It is always a pain to send out the email letting people know my number has changed. This all goes away with Google Voice. If you are giving out your Google Voice number out as your primary number, if you change your phone number you just have to set it to forward to your new number. Nobody needs to know your number has changed, since all they dial is your Google Voice number.
3. Cheap International Calls
I have family in Canada and clients all over the world, so this is a huge benefit for me. I can call Canada for only $.01 per minute. I can call Australia for $.03 per minute. You simply dial your Google Voice number from your phone (which will be a local call), then Google Voice allows you to route any call from within the system. This can save you tons of expense from the bloated rates of many of the mobile carriers.
4. Listen In On Voicemail
Remember the old school answering machines that allowed you to listen in while someone was leaving a message? If you wanted to pickup mid-message you could. Same goes for Google Voice. When you answer a call from Google Voice it gives you the option to listen in while someone leaves a message. If you want to enable this option, just choose “On” from the “Call Presentation” option within Google Voice.
5. Multiple Phone Call Forwarding
When you set up your Google Voice account it will ask you for a forwarding number. This is the number that your Google Voice number will ring when you get a call. But you can add more numbers after that. Say for example that you have a home phone, cell phone, and office phone. You can set up Google Voice to ring each phone according to a pre-defined schedule. Or if you’d like, you can have it ring ALL THREE numbers and connect to the first phone that picks up.
The are plenty of great options with Google Voice. They have recently launched a couple mobile apps. And I am sure they will be adding more features as they grow. Overall I am very pleased with my Google Voice account. I think it will add a touch of professionalism to my freelance business and give me a few nice options that I didn’t have without it.
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