Google Voice For Your Business

Google Voice is a telephone service offered by Google that lets users connect a U.S. phone number to their Google account. This service is provided to those in the U.S, Canada, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the U.K.

It is primarily used for call forwarding, voicemail, and voice and text messaging. With Google Voice, users can make calls not only from a mobile device, but also from their web browser.

Pricing

Google Voice offers three different pricing plans ranging from $10 to $30 dollars. We describe them in further detail below:

• Starter Plan – $10 per user per month
  • Up to 10 users
  • Up to 10 domestic locations
  • No international locations
• Standard Plan – $20 per user per month
  • Unlimited users
  • Unlimited domestic locations
  • No international locations
• Premier Plan – $30 per user per month
  • Unlimited users
  • Unlimited domestic locations
  • Unlimited international locations

How to Set Up Google Voice For Your Business

There are several steps needed to be taken when setting up Google Voice for your business. Some steps may be more relevant to your business than others. The steps to consider when setting up Google Voice includes:

• Add a paid Google Voice add-on subscription to your Google Workspace
• Set the location your business is located in, if there are multiple locations, set up the headquarters first
• Assign Voice licenses to users
• Assign Voice numbers to users
• Transfer your existing phone numbers with another service provider to Google Voice
• Set up desk phones
• Set up ring groups that let multiple users answer calls from the same number
• Set up a menu that directs callers to the correct people or department

Google Voice for Business Advantages

There are several advantages to using smart cloud telephony systems as opposed to traditional phone service platforms such as connectivity speed and call management efficiency. Some of Google Voice’s advantages include:

• Syncs communication across multiple devices 
• Users can connect their calendar to their Google Voice number, which allows callers to use calendar status as an indicator of how to route calls correctly
  • For example, if someone tries to call outside of your calendar mandated working hours, you can automatically send the caller to voicemail
• Calling from within multiple communication channels like live chat, email, and videoconferencing 
• Minimizes the possibility of spam calls
• Voicemail transcriptions 

Google Voice for Business Disadvantages

While there are many advantages to using Google Voice for your business, there are also disadvantages such as privacy issues. Some of the disadvantages of using Google Voice include:

• Confidential information is stored in the Google databases
• Toll free or vanity numbers are not supported
• Calls rely on wifi, so the quality may suffer if the area’s coverage is spotty
• Not the best choice if your business relies on international communication

Google Voice & Google Workspace

An advantage of Google Voice is that you can connect it to your business’s Google Workspace and thus have access to applications like Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, and Google Meet.

As mentioned above, integrating Google Voice and Google Calendar can help ensure you are not receiving work calls outside of work hours. Integrating Google Voice with Google Meet lets users join a meeting by using their Google Voice number. Integrating Google Voice with Google Drive lets users write documents using their voice. Finally, integrating Google Voice and Gmail means you can use your Google Voice number to call.

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