Tips for Choosing a Business VoIP Service for Your SMB
Small firms and startups frequently use business-grade voice-over-IP (VoIP) service providers, particularly now that the COVID-19 epidemic has sped up the shift in culture toward hybrid work. With per-user monthly billing in the majority of circumstances. However, it's also a fantastic choice for remote employees who want the same communications tools as they had in the office. Additionally, since your phone calls are now data, you have access to a whole new world of flexibility. VoIP telecommunications becomes even more crucial for businesses when the different file-sharing, chat, and even video-conferencing functions are included.
Due to its adaptability, VoIP solutions can be combined with other systems, such as your help desk or customer relationship management (CRM) system. These connections might assist you in searching your call records for fresh information about the attitudes of your clients and the demographics of your target market. VoIP services are quite flexible and provide a plethora of capabilities for business customers to take into account, but what ratio of features and cost should you be looking for?
The simple answer is: Move cautiously, do your research, and don't base your decision just on price if you've decided to switch to a VoIP service but aren't sure where to start. There are many incredible corporate VoIP systems available, but picking one can be challenging because they all have distinct features and price models.
- Know Your Rates
Despite the fact that we just advised against obsessing over price, let's face it: It matters. If you can't afford it, what use is selecting a corporate VoIP service with all the bells and whistles? The Enterprise version of Intermedia Unite, another Editors' Choice winner, costs $32.99 per user per month, but its Basic tier, which costs $19.99 per user per month, might be more appealing. A similar basic price is available from RingCentral starting at $19.99, but it only supports 20 users and doesn't have connectors. For $34.99 per user each month, you may upgrade to the Premium tier, which adds new features including multi-level auto-attendant, incoming caller ID name, call recording, and some identity management capabilities. The Ultimate tier follows, with a price that starts at $44.99.
However, alternatives to our Editors' Choices are less expensive. Line2, for instance, starts at $14.99 per user per month, but you'll give up functionality to save money. For instance, as of this writing, Line2 doesn't offer any integrations, collaboration, or video conferencing. These entry-level services are still excellent for businesses that operate entirely from laptops or tablets, but they fall short of RingCentral or AT&T Collaborate for businesses that make and receive a lot of calls.
- Look for Versatile Dialing Options
One of the best things about VoIP systems is the variety of call-making options they provide. Their most fundamental purpose is to simulate a conventional PBX, where employees make and receive calls using the most basic handsets and headsets. While some VoIP systems allow you to connect your current phones, others sell elegant VoIP phones with additional functionality.
Another dialing choice that is specific to VoIP systems is softphones. A softphone is exactly what it sounds like: software that runs on your computer and imitates phone functionality using the headset, microphone and speakers that are attached to it. Numerous of these apps include a plethora of functions that are not available through standard phone systems, like calendar integration, team messaging and collaboration, and the capacity to transmit and receive files while on the phone.
Mobile softphones go one step farther in this. Field workers frequently require a mobile device with a complete complement of communications features. Sadly, not all VoIP service providers have mobile apps for softphones that offer the same features and benefits as their desktop counterparts. The majority of the systems we evaluated support both Apple iOS and Google Android mobile apps, but their features and quality vary.
- Don't Ignore Collaboration Features
Full-featured VoIP services extend their speech capabilities with a range of online collaboration features that your staff can utilize to connect, communicate, and collaborate. Users have the option of accessing these features through a unified communications client (see below), individual apps made available by the VoIP provider, or third-party integration (also below). SMS texting, video conferencing, and online group meetings are examples of basic choices.
However, as the industry develops, you'll find services with either more features or sophisticated interpretations of the fundamentals. One common feature of online meeting collaboration and video conferencing is the ability to share the screen during presentations or software demonstrations. While keeping track of participants and versions, more recent interpretations might allow each call participant to annotate a shared document. Integrations for scheduling and calendars are also widespread, frequently employing a central directory service. Advanced services provide customization options that enable you to mix and match particular VoIP platform features with features acquired through third-party integrations (more on this in a bit).
- Understand Call Management
As VoIP platforms develop, their feature sets frequently adapt to target markets. As a result, even items that directly compete with one another may not have the same features. If your company is investing in VoIP because of the "brains" in the software, be cautious to make sure the solution has the intelligence your company requires. One area that needs special attention is call management because it encompasses practically everything the system can perform with a regular phone call.
- Plan for Third-Party Integration
One of the main attractions of VoIP, especially for the high-end systems known as UCaaS, is its ability to link to various corporate systems (see below). These systems frequently feature a list of pre-built connectors with whatever apps the manufacturer thinks their clients will appreciate because they are software. For instance, RingCentral provides a good number of extensions, such as Desk.com, Dropbox, and Google Drive.
Thevoipguru.com is a well-known VOIP telecommunication platform advisor. We offer the best VOIP consulting services for businesses in the USA. Our VoIP company deals with a diverse range of companies. If you require any additional information, please get in touch with us.
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