How To Choose An Online Fax Service For Your Small Business

It’s not uncommon to see fax machines in many offices, especially as they deal with sensitive information and the sharing of documents. However, like many other aspects of business, people are starting to update this process and move online — not with email, but with online faxing. You can easily send a fax from computer, saving yourself the costs of a fax machine.

If your organization deals with a lot of contracts that require a signature, sending via fax can be your best bet. While there is some software that provides signatures via email, it is often less secure than fax. By using online fax, you can quickly use your computer to send a fax to a client or customer who can sign it and return it to you faster than traditional fax, or via courier.

There are lots of different online fax services, but when making decisions for your small business you should carefully weigh the pros and cons of each. Here are some tips for choosing the right service for your company.

Do You Need to Archive Your Documents?

Since your faxes are now digitized instead of paper, filing them away is easier and takes up less physical space. You are less likely to lose a secure document saved to your computer’s hard drive than you would if it were on someone’s desk! 

Many online fax services offer a feature that archives your documents, saving them on their server. This means that you have a storage solution at the ready, and it can double as a backup in worst-case scenarios, like your files being erased from your computer. This is especially important for small businesses who might be relying on one or two laptops to contain all your work.

Similarly, some online fax services also offer cloud integration.

What Kind of Page Limit Do You Need?

How many faxes do you actually plan on sending each month? Some services have caps on how many pages you can send, and may hit you with hefty overage fees if you use more. Make sure to choose the right plan for your business needs, both practically and financially. If your company is growing and may need more in the future, look into a service with an unlimited tier so you won’t outgrow your service.

Do You Need to Use Multiple Platforms?

Let’s face it, our work is rarely done on one device these days. You might have a desktop or laptop for work, one for home, plus a smartphone and tablet. If you want to be able to access your files from multiple devices, you should make sure to choose a service that has a mobile app for iOS or Android, as well as desktop support.

What About Fax Phone Numbers?

While you may be using the internet, you’re still sending faxes and not emails. This means that you need a fax phone number to receive faxes back. When choosing your fax service, you may have the option of choosing a fax number. 

If you want to use a vanity number with your company name, make sure your service provider can do that. You may also want a toll-free number or even an international one, if the majority of your business is done in a country other than your own. If you already have a fax number, make sure you are able to port it to your online fax service.

There are lots of reasons to use online fax machines in today’s business world, and lots of different providers that offer that service. If you do your research and due diligence, you will find the right one for your growing company.