Send an internet fax using the right medium

One of the basic things to consider when you’re looking to send an internet fax is the medium or channel you want your fax message to pass through. Communication theorist Marshall McLuhan coined a famous phrase, “the medium is the message,” to highlight how the form of a medium embeds itself into a message. Most people would argue that the message is always more important than the medium, but in the context of electronic faxing, the medium is as indispensable as the message and can inevitably make or break your enterprise.

The Means
Obviously, you can’t send an internet fax if you don’t have the means. The first thing you have to do is to choose the right internet fax service for you. If you look around, there are hundreds of fax providers online that offer most of the basic things you’ll need in a fax service. Plus, most of them have their features detailed on fine print so you can’t miss out on anything. Another option is to ask your virtual phone service provider if they offer faxing services (they most likely do). If you’re still not at ease, you can always ask around. Read reviews, and pit different fax services against each other, using their capabilities and limitations to make a pros and cons list.

The Method
Once you’re subscribed to the fax service of your choice, you’re almost ready to send an internet fax. But before that, you need to consider the limitations of your recipient. You have to make sure it reaches them, and that it reaches them correctly. Most fax services provide you with the ability to send fax depending on who you're sending your messages to, for instance:

1. You can send an internet fax to a recipient who relies on a traditional fax machine. This option is ideal if you’re dealing with clients or suppliers who still use the old-fashioned way of sending and receiving fax messages. They will be able to receive your messages in their conventional fax machines even if you don’t send them through the same equipment as theirs.
2. You can send an internet fax to a recipient who uses a dedicated fax number similar to yours. Like you, some business people employ paperless faxing in their respective workflows and have retired their bulky fax machines entirely. Transmitting faxes over the internet to someone who will receive them in the same fashion makes transactions easier and hassle-free.

The Manner
The importance of the medium over the message extends beyond choosing which channel through which you send an internet fax. Usable messages must also be clear, timely, and appropriate for the intended recipient. On the surface, it may seem that the medium greatly influences and shapes how messages are sent and received, but form is just as important to relay the message properly. As a small business owner who needs to send an internet fax, it is your duty to embrace the medium and the form upon which your message takes shape in order to communicate with your clients better.