Over half of all employees have confirmed that a digital telephone network can strengthen any remote work done. As we have seen over the past year, working from home may well be here to stay in the long term, so you need to ensure your system can handle it.
When looking for a new system, GoDaddy Smartline is just one of the many options out there. So, what is it you need to know before jumping in with a well-known brand identity such as this? Let us help spell it out for you.
Table of Contents
1. What is GoDaddy Smartline and How It Works?
2. The Pros of GoDaddy Smartline
3. The Drawbacks of GoDaddy Smartline
4. GoDaddy Smartline Alternatives for Small Businesses
5. GoDaddy Smartline Alternatives for Startups
6. Examples of GoDaddy Smartline Alternatives
7. Best GoDaddy Smartline Alternative: iPlum
8. How to Transfer and Port Your Number From GoDaddy Smartline
What is GoDaddy Smartline and How It Works?
Smartline is a Godaddy acquisition. GoDaddy launched Smartline back in 2017 as a smartphone app that mimics your phone’s abilities. While your device connects to the Internet you can use it to make calls, send text messages, or transfer calls.
You can even perform several other functions. This includes setting yourself as "Do Not Disturb" or engaging number blocking if necessary.
Smartline started as a project by FreedomVoice, which GoDaddy acquired in 2016. They did this to further their plans to enter the communications business and Smartline has proven a useful asset.
Prior to the acquisition, GoDaddy had focused on domain name hosting and email services. Due to the incorporation of Smartline into their portfolio, they are able to offer a larger package of services to business owners.
Due to owning both services, GoDaddy often cross-advertises web hosting to Smartline, or vice-versa. This allows them to target customers who have more of a need for both.
The Pros of GoDaddy Smartline
GoDaddy Smartline has several unique flares allowing you to personalize your experience. These include setting business hours, adding a customizable voicemail greeting, or setting up Caller ID. Also, a higher tier of subscription allows you to grab a toll-free number to give yourself the perception of professionalism.
You can do this via a mobile smartphone or the GoDaddy Smartline website. Many functions are available on the phone alone, but the site lets you customize the experience to a greater degree of freedom.
The Drawbacks of GoDaddy Smartline
GoDaddy Smartline has numerous benefits. Despite this, it has several significant drawbacks which may dissuade you from using their services.
True Caller ID
For business users it is critical for their clients to be able to call back the caller's number. Without true caller-ID the call recipients have reported problems in reaching back the caller number.
Call Recording
Criticisms exist for the system not offering enough features in its feature set. For example, GoDaddy Smartline does not have call recording at all. Therefore, you are unable to ensure the automated creation of records for referral later.
If your company wishes to perform an audit of its communications, they may find this lack of transparency a burden.
Call Routing
Call routing is also an unavailable feature with GoDaddy Smartline. You cannot combine multiple Smartline accounts into a larger business system. Ergo you are unable to pass clients between one another.
When setting up a business with Smartline, this can lead to complexity. Each person must have their own business number. They will not appear to be part of a larger organization.
Auto Reply
Another feature that GoDaddy Smartline is missing is the ability to auto-reply to texts. If someone texts you outside of business hours, it may confuse them when they do not receive a response. The silence means clients may decide to search elsewhere due to a lack of communication from you.
Dropped Calls
All services have their ups and downs, but presently it seems as though Smartline has its downs. At the time of writing, reviews for Smartline seem to mention incoming calls not showing up in the app. In addition, it seems as though text messages have a habit of not sending when they should.
For a business app, this is a death knell that could cause customers to jump ship. You do not want to find you are missing calls from clients and customers due to a poorly-connected app.
Poor Support
While the support system for GoDaddy Smartline is a 24-hour service, reviews online mention an inability to help with all issues. GoDaddy has pushed customers to contact phone providers instead of taking responsibility. This has led to numerous complaints online.
This seems to be an issue with the parent company GoDaddy. Their internal process prevents connecting customers directly with technical support, exacerbating the issue. This has led to customers' phone numbers remaining with GoDaddy even long after closing their account.
GoDaddy Smartline Alternatives for Small Businesses
GoDaddy Smartline offers a good introduction to business phone services. GoDaddy built this system for small businesses or sole traders, not organizations. The creation of a single telephone number that clients may only call during specific hours is a boon to anyone looking to avoid landlines.
A lack of web app or VoIP, however, means that any growing business will soon come across limitations. They may wish to look elsewhere when this happens.
GoDaddy Smartline Alternatives for Startups
Startups are often a fast-expanding set of individuals who wish to have a robust communications network. For that reason, creating a linked cell of phone numbers is important in these situations. Forwarding calls to the correct person can mean the difference between a won or lost client.
GoDaddy Smartline does not offer these features, meaning it may not be the best for those intending to grow their business sturdily.
Examples of GoDaddy Smartline Alternatives
GoDaddy does not include several important features that should come as standard. As you continue to search for an appropriate way to present yourself to your clients, you should be aware of how professional the system you use is. For this reason, GoDaddy Smartline is not your best bet.
Here is a list of features you should look for:
Data Protection
It is occasionally a truth that phone services make use of your data and that of your clients to send targeted advertisements to both of you. You should avoid this when possible.
HIPAA Compliance
Working in medicine requires you to abide by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). You want the services you use to handle this rather than needing to organize it yourself. Nobody wants to end up with a lawsuit from patients, clients, or competitors for breaching this.
Auto Text Reply
When keeping in contact with clients, you want to ensure they know when you are and are not available. Being transparent about this allows them to have a lot of trust in your ability to respond when you can. As such, automatic text replies let them know that if you cannot reach them right away, they are still important to you.
Auto Attendant (IVR) with Virtual Extensions
Auto attendants are important when dealing with multiple employees where you need to put a call through to the correct person. An auto attendant can state the different departments or individuals available. It can then put any call through to the appropriate person.
As any business grows, this is preferable to hiring someone to put calls through to others. It leaves that person to deal with other office management tasks instead.
Call Recording
Without call recording, you cannot keep track of and audit employee interactions. Trust is an absolute in business. As your business grows, however, you will need to ensure everybody is on the same page regarding customer communications.
Recording calls allows you to review customer interactions. This will improve your interactions over time, allowing you to have records just-in-case of legal issues.
Voicemail Transcriptions
Voicemail transcriptions are useful for any company who might wish to go back over their phone calls. They are imperative for both accessibility and record-keeping. Employees can also use them for quick access and searchability
Voicemail transcripts let any auditor or other worker check over what was previously said by clients and employees. Using this feature, voicemails and/or calls will be reviewable with text files. They can then be either stored for later or emailed to specific recipients.
Best GoDaddy Smartline Alternative: iPlum
You now know what you may be missing if you go with GoDaddy Smartline. As such, you are now able to search for alternative phone services with what you need instead.
You should be searching for voice services that can provide the features that startups and small businesses need. For this, we would recommend iPlum to provide the kind of service you are looking for.
Protection of Data
iPlum will never share your information or data on your clients with third parties. We also promise never to advertise based on what we know of you and those you hold close. Your privacy is imperative to maintaining trust between iPlum and your company.
Dual Voice Network Mode
As you can use your existing phone provider’s voice network for iPlum, you never need to worry about an interrupted Internet connection. Also, we provide clear voice data quality, meaning you will always understand those you call no matter where you are.
HIPAA and Legal Compliance
iPlum can provide client privacy to suit the requirements of various legal standards. This includes the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). We do this to ensure you avoid problems moving forward if you work in the healthcare industry.
Auto Attendant (IVR) with Virtual Extensions
You can create a virtual flow chart of information and extensions. This allows your customers to be both informed and put through to the correct location when they call. iPlum also incorporates text-to-speech technology, preventing the necessity for imperfect voice recording.
Auto Text Reply
When you get a text or SMS message from a client, respond to them instantly to ensure they receive timely communication. Never lose a client to badly-timed responses again.
Call Recording
Have a good repository of prior phone calls, including transcripts for voicemails. This feature also allows clients to agree or disagree with recording beforehand. This can cover your legal requirements for recording audio or text.
Works In Both Domestic and International Settings
If you leave the country, you should ensure you can continue to use any voice service. iPlum allows for that possibility. You can continue to start and respond to voice calls anywhere in the world you have a data connection.
No Need to Change Carriers
iPlum syncs with your existing phone carrier. This means you can continue to carry your existing phone around and use it for business purposes. You do not need to buy a second phone for that use.
Lowest Price
iPlum boasts all its features at less than half the price of GoDaddy Smartline. At $4.99 it is competitive with nearly all phone systems available.
How to Transfer and Port Your Number From GoDaddy Smartline
If you wish to transfer from an existing GoDaddy Smartline number to iPlum, you must follow these steps:
- Email numberunlock@GoDaddy.com from the email address listed on your GoDaddy account to inform them you wish to move the number.
- Wait for the unlock confirmation in your email address
- Log in to your iPlum account
- Click “Port Existing Number” in the bottom left of the iPlum screen
- Enter the GoDaddy Smartline number you wish to switch to iPlum.
NB: If you get a “Congratulations” screen, it means you can port the number
- Fill in the Porting Form
- Wait for confirmation that systems have ported the number, this can take up to thirty days
If you get an email denying your porting the number, you should also get an explanation as to why so you can follow its instructions to finish the process.
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Want to hear more about how we can offer more than GoDaddy Smartline? Get in touch with us today to find out more about how we can help you with your digital phone lines. You will find yourself with a better deal you can be proud of.
