Your business's office technology strategies and services are essential to reaching its goals, especially when communicating with current or future customers. How do you find the best business VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) provider near you?
If you do, what are you doing regarding your phone systems to ensure that you’re taking advantage of the latest digital phone technology and continually placing high-quality phone calls?
Have you ever heard of business VoIP or companies that specialize in managing your communications through phone systems? VoIP might sound like an unfamiliar or complicated term, but it’s a great technology to implement within your business structure and if done right, can even make you more profitable.
The challenge many small businesses face when searching for a great phone systems provider is weeding out the good from the bad ones in your area. How can you be so sure that a company does what they say? How do you know what specifications to search for within a provider?
Before deciding on the best phone solutions, it’s critical to have a healthy understanding of business VoIP and what it can do for your business while also providing great customer service.
Business VoIP is a cloud-based phone system that delivers calls over an IP data network. VoIP calling differs from traditional phone calls because, with VoIP, phone calls can now be made over the same IP data network that your computer or mobile device leverages information from, such as web browsing and email. In simpler terms, VoIP is a phone service delivered over an internet connection.
It’s important to understand that when a company utilizes VoIP services, it combines enterprise phone system features with productivity-boosting apps and integrations.
Many phone system providers advertise their VoIP services as the best in town, but unfortunately, they lack the basic tools or services you need to achieve business growth through office technology.
Follow along as we dive into the best ways to find a business phone services provider near you and some helpful questions to ask potential candidates. The more you research upfront, the more informed purchasing decisions you’ll make and the more satisfied you’ll be with your telecom services.
If you’re unsure of how your business can utilize a service such as VoIP, read our article, "What is Business VoIP and Is It Right For You?"
Choosing The Best Business VoIP Phone System Provider
Once you’ve established that your business should consider partnering with a phone services team, it’s time to search for credible partners in your area.
Business VoIP Means Options
One of the most significant pieces of advice we can give you when choosing the best business VoIP provider is to look for companies that don’t limit you. A company that can give you options can provide more value to your business.
In the telecom industry, there are so many add-ons and features to choose from, and you deserve to have choices on what works best for your business. A great telecom services provider won’t pigeonhole you into selecting just one brand of services. Utilizing multiple brands to match your company's different phone needs is helpful.
It’s also essential to look for a company that has direct contact with multiple phone system vendors. You’ll depend heavily on your VoIP partner, and it’s their job to have reliable and sustainable relationships with the vendors your business is using. This way, you can get a solution customized to meet your needs using the best manufacturers' products and services.
For instance, if your telecom partner is implementing a new system that must work with multiple programs or software, such as SalesForce, Microsoft Office, and Zoom, make sure they have working relationships or integrations with these tools so that when and if a problem occurs, you won’t have to wait long for resolutions.
The last thing you want is downtime because your telecom team isn’t capable or have the technical experience with implementations like yours.
Unified Communications and Your Phone Systems
Fewer and fewer phone calls are made over landlines because of the significant benefits of VoIP and cellular communications.
Because of the high demand for communicative tools, your business needs reliable and high-call-quality tools. Reaching your customers and co-workers is the core of business success, and if you’re not equipped with the resources to do so, your competition will.
It’s critical to find a phone services provider who offers flexibility for all your telephone solutions instead of a generic “one-size-fits-all” solution. Make sure to look for a provider who offers cloud-based, on-premise (on-site), or hybrid solutions.
If you’re still uncertain if business VoIP is right for you, try asking yourself some of these questions:
- What efforts are you taking to update your legacy phone system?
- Have you recently or are you planning on expanding or adding a new office or location?
- Has your business grown in the last 5 years?
- If you had to rate the user-friendliness of your current phone system, how would you rate it?
- What phone issues are constantly slowing down your productivity or that of your employees?
- What office technology strategies do you have in place that support long-term success, especially regarding your phone systems?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you should consider a business VoIP solution and provider.
VoIP Collaboration is Key
It would be extremely problematic if your phone systems could not integrate with the other technologies your employees are currently using. A great way to tell if a phone services provider is best for your business is to see how they plan to integrate your phone system with your existing infrastructure.
A great telecom services team can quickly and accurately calibrate your new phone system with your current technology by utilizing Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). APIs are toolsets that programmers can use to help them create software.
Utilizing APIs is a great way to promptly deliver quick and robust business VoIP solutions. As you meet with different phone providers, ask them about their APIs. Let them explain how they’ve successfully integrated new phone systems within a company that is already using other technology. An API is a great way to provide transparency to your customers while providing flexibility to your staff.
It’s even helpful to ask a potential provider for real examples of their integration process. This gives you a better idea of how they could help your business. Plus, the more details they provide, the more credible they are.
Also, did you know a great business VoIP provider can improve collaboration by going beyond voice? With a single solution, there’s no longer a need to manage, support, or integrate multiple applications.
When searching for a provider near you, pay close attention to the ones who can extend communication capabilities in the following ways:
- Instant Messaging: This allows you to get quick answers without the need for meetings or email.
- Video and Audio Conferencing: Some of the best ways to collaborate is by video or audio conferencing. More businesses are integrating these tools internally or when speaking with customers. These types of conferences go beyond a standard conference call.
- Screen Sharing: Getting everyone on the same page and looking at the same screen makes presentations easier to view and participate in.
- Mobility: Remote workers can easily join a meeting from their laptop, tablet, or smartphone with just one click. You need to make sure you provide this access to your staff.
Final Thoughts: Finding The Best Business VoIP Provider
As you can tell, a lot goes into business VoIP phone systems and the questions you should ask when searching for the best partner near your business. We barely scratched the surface here, but technology advancements can be challenging to understand.
Make sure you start by making a list of the pain points you’re currently experiencing with your phone systems and how frequently you encounter these issues. Understanding the issues your business is facing is the first step in finding the best telecom provider near you.
Once you’ve identified your problems, you’ll have an easier time identifying the VoIP provider who can assist your business, employees, and customers.
At AIS, we continue to invest in resources and tools your business needs for growth. We strive to give you knowledge and expertise on all things related to office technology devices and services so that you have options when you’re looking for new solutions. If you’re interested in learning more about business VoIP phone systems or any other products and services we offer, contact one of our business technology consultants here.
