Business VoIP Buyer's Guide: Top 10 Solutions of 2016

What is Business VoIP?

Business VoIP is the commercial-class modern version of Voice over IP telephony services. By sending your voice, video, and data communications through your internet connection, your business can achieve a high quality VoIP phone system for a fraction of traditional legacy setups. Business VoIP services differ from landline services as feature rich alternatives for small to medium sized businesses.

Packed with advanced features necessary to operate a small to medium businesses, such as PBX capabilities, desk-to-desk calling, automated attendant systems, call routing and even music-on-hold, Business phone services powered by VoIP technology make it easy for any company to operate with the same level of professionalism customers expect from large scale enterprise systems. Business VoIP systems also include overall Unified Communication solutions to empower the mobility and flexibility needed for any size businesses. With an inexpensive, feature filled phone solutions, your business can operate at a high level on par with large scale systems, without having to worry about the cost.

How to Choose the Best Business VoIP Provider:

Depending on the amount of lines/extensions needed, your monthly fees can start as low as $20 per line from an award-winning small business VoIP service like Vonage Business. Knowing exactly what you need will make the transition fast, easy, and cost-effective.

From small business VoIP providers to enterprise VoIP phone systems, every business phone service has a different list of feature sets, and prices. Depending on the size of your company, you must take in to account system features needed, and the amount of unanticipated usage.

• Step 1 – check your internet connection/bandwidth to make sure you have sufficient Internet speed (your phone provider or Internet provider can you help determine this).
• Step 2 – with your budget, calling needs, and phone system features in mind, narrow down particular small business VoIP offerings to see who can offer you the best service package for your budget.
• Step 3 – decide which equipment is best for your company’s current and foreseeable needs. You may purchase a phone from $50 up to $500 with all the bells and whistles. Consider phones made by leading manufactures such as Polycom, Cisco, Panasonic, and Toshiba.
• Finally – compare companies, available features, and their reliability by reading reviews from small business VoIP users.

Here are some questions to ask a potential Business VoIP Provider:

– What are the startup & recurring costs?
– Is there a money back guarantee?
– Can you port phone numbers? Costs involved?
– Is there a contract? Are there cancelation fees? Know what the cancelation process is like.
– Are there any hidden fees?
– Which calling features are included, and which features cost extra?
– Is there international calling?
– What kind of support is available?
– Do you offer E911? Costs involved?
– Do you have a mobile app?

Here are some Key Benefits of VoIP for Business Use:

• Work When & Where You Want – One very popular and common feature of business VoIP systems is called “find me/follow me.” Instead of having separate numbers for your office, cell phone, and home office, you have one “virtual extension.” You can program the virtual business phone service to ring all of your extensions simultaneously, or in a specific order, and you decide how to handle a missed call. You decide if a call should go to your voicemail, or to another extension. When you make a call using your cloud phone system, the receiving caller ID will show your business phone number, regardless of which device you are calling from.
• Flexible Messaging Options – There are a number of options available that make retrieving and maintaining your business messages very simple. With Voicemail Transcription, you can read the message in your inbox, or receive it as a text instead of listening to it. Let’s say a client calls you about a fax he needs, and leaves a fax number on the message. With a few clicks you can virtually send the fax as a PDF to that number.
• Multiple Numbers on Demand – Building a multifaceted business with any kind of localized number or vanity number. Whether it’s business VoIP solutions for small business, enterprise, or contact center, communications is only as strong as it is dynamic, with multiple numbers, all having specific assignments to fulfill. Some business Voice Over IP phone providers will offer these additional numbers for free, or an additional small monthly fee. Explore options to find out if a provider supplies key components beyond a local number such as toll-free numbers, virtual faxing, and virtual extensions.
• Auto Attendant (Virtual Receptionist) –  This feature works as an automated receptionist able to greet your callers with customizable recordings, and direct them to departments, individuals, extensions, etc. through unique menus.
• Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) – This feature is essentially a more advanced version of the call hunting feature; however, instead of routing to one set number of phones, this system is smart enough to connect the right individual for each individual call.
• Business SMS – Keep your personal and business phone number separate. Send business related text messages to clients, colleagues, and departments professionalism through your business phone number from your smartphone, tablet, or computer.

Any way you slice it, an educated business is an empowered business – know what is available and take advantage of it.