Today’s workforce is always on the move. Your team is probably no different. That is why teams that stay in touch via conference calls must know that the service they are using not only plays nicely with various smartphones, but also excels at being mobile-friendly.

Think about it: When U.S. businesses spend $284 billion on travel and more than 405 million long-distance business trips are made per year here, you are going to need a mobile conference calling solution. There’s no way around it.

But how do you find a free conference call provider that works well with mobile phones and also does not skimp on features and quality? No worries. We have you covered. Let’s get started.

Why mobile-friendly matters

Mobility matters when you are searching for the best available free conference call service. Think about how often you and others on your team hit the road and travel for work.

Or, maybe you have a significant number of employees who work from home or remotely either part- or full-time. Your business is not alone if that’s the case. In fact, 66% of companies allow their employees to work remote, while 16% of companies are completely remote.

Odds are though that your business, in one way or another, has employees who are not always in the same building or central location. If any of these situations fit your team, then, yes, finding a mobile-friendly conferencing solution needs to be a top priority. And chances are, one of these situations likely hits pretty close to home.

The best conferencing tools even allow for call hosts to start a conference call from their own mobile device. This allows for calls to be initiated via smartphone or tablet, making calls a simple one-click step away. Verify how easy to use and how many features a providers mobile version is before choosing, though.

So, now that you are aware of just how important it is to find a mobile-friendly, free conference call tool, let’s take a look at the features that should always be included.

Avoid services that require reservations

The best free conference call services don’t require reservations ahead of a call. This is useful for remote or teams that are on the road because their schedules may not always match up.

That freedom to start a conference call whenever - even instantly - can be a gamechanger for those who are always going in and out of meetings in different locations or need to speak with their team right away for an unplanned conversation.

Leading free conferencing providers will even allow for instant conference calls that are a single click away. It’s a feature that’s best for quick conversations with teams, but it’s very effective and helpful for mobile workforces.

Audio quality is always a must-have

Being mobile means that those calling in to join the conference may not always be in the most ideal locations. Those on the team who work remotely often have more control over where they call from, but the same can’t be said for those who are traveling. Try as they might to find a place to call from that is as quiet as possible, that’s just not always feasible for those who are on the road.

HD conference audio allows for better clarity of speech that benefits everyone on the call. With HD, participants can hear each other much more easily - and they will be able to determine exactly who is talking when. This simply makes for a much more enjoyable, productive conference call experience.

Another must-have feature for audio conferencing is echo cancellation. This feature removes the echo that can sometimes be heard on landlines and VoIP. That echo, which is when you hear your own voice being sent back to you through your phone, can be incredibly disruptive. Make sure the conference call solution you pick has this feature built in.

Strategies for better remote conference calls

Mobile conferencing can sometimes require a little more care to be sure everything goes smoothly on the call.

No matter your team’s situation, it’s always a best practice to run through a conferencing tool before hosting a call just to make sure the technology will cooperate for everyone who plans to join.

It’s also vital that hosts are actively engaged and leading the call, as not everyone will have a useful web interface if they are calling in from their smartphone while away from another screen or device. Hosts can help keep everyone on track, prevent interruptions and avoid missing any important topic of discussion.

These are just a few of conference call best practices that we have covered before on this blog.

Mobile conference calls aren’t just for businesses

Although the most common users of audio conferencing tools are businesses, there are others who can find a lot of value in using these services, especially when they are free and great for users on mobile devices.

Some of those groups who can take advantage of this type of service could include friends, family and church groups that need to or would just like to communicate more often. Friends and family can arrange vacations or holiday plans, church groups can plan for services and other meeting types.

It also should come as no surprise that direct sales teams, which fall under a less traditional workforce structure, can also benefit from mobile-friendly, free conferencing. It’s a great way to stay in touch with downlines for training or help making a sale.

The list of uses for free conference call solutions goes on and on.

Enjoy a better conference call experience

Looking for a better experience with conference calls? Consider hosting your mobile team’s next call on ConferenceTown.com. Join nearly 143,000 happy customers (and counting!) who have started using our always free service for their conferencing needs.

All it takes to get started is a quick and easy sign up. You can even begin an instant conference right away, if you’d like. That way, you can get a sense of the excellent quality ConferenceTown.com offers.

Then, when you’re ready to take advantage of at all the other features we offer our customers, you can learn how to get started. You’ll soon see why free conference calls don’t have to compromise quality and experience.