Congratulations! You and your friends finally took the plunge and set up your own small business! However, there are still many things that you need to figure out along the way. One of those things is deciding on a business communications solution that caters to all your business needs and requirements and still fits in your tight budget.
By those standards, signing up for a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service provider is your best bet. Because not only is VoIP a cheaper communication network but it also helps your business succeed with its unique and innovative features.
But the main predicament here is that there are so many VoIP service providers in the market that it can be overwhelming for a small business to choose one.
That’s why we’ve built a comprehensive guide for you so you can assess your options better! So, without further ado, let’s jump right in!
Consider the Plans and Pricing
The most important consideration for any business, big or small, is the cost. However, for small businesses it’s a difference that can make or break your success. That’s why it’s crucial to choose a VoIP service provider that offers services that aren’t just cheap but also best accommodate your business needs. Signing up for a VoIP service that’s considered the best on the market isn’t necessarily the best option for you. There are many undoubtedly great VoIP services that offer high-quality services and unique features but what good is a high-quality service if it’s out of your budget?
It’s important that you evaluate the plans and pricing of your potential VoIP service provider in detail and find a price model that only provides you with services and features that’ll be of use to you. Because often times, plans include services that you don’t need and end up overpricing you.
Therefore, you’ll be better suited with VoIP service providers, like Grasshopper that offers standard VoIP services at affordable packages, specially designed for startups and small businesses.
Consider Mobile Apps
Most small businesses start out of someone’s garage. So, it isn’t out of the ordinary to assume that you probably don’t have a proper workspace established for your business. But the absence of an office building shouldn’t prevent you from carrying out your business operations. Therefore, you need a VoIP service provider that can offer you a comprehensive and customizable mobile app that’ll enable you and your employees to work on-the-go. This will not only eliminate the need for building an office space but will also encourage your workers to work after-hours. As a result, their productivity levels will increase, helping you generate more profit.
Voxox CloudPhone’s mobile app is one of the best on the market because it doesn’t require any new hardware and is available on both, iOS and Android platforms, allowing your business to work remotely at all times!
Consider Call Management Options
You’re signing up for a VoIP service provider because you need efficient communication solutions, so it would make sense if you looked into the call management options available with your potential VoIP service provider. However, since call management is such an all-compassing, umbrella term, you might end up signing up for a service that promises call management but doesn’t include the particular call management that you need.
For instance, if yours is a seasonal business, like a travel agency, you’re probably expected to have more call traffic during holidays than other times of the year. As a result, you’ll need your VoIP service provider to offer services like call queuing to help you manage the increasing number of incoming calls.
Similarly, if your business is divided into several departments, you might want to consider a VoIP service provider that offers seamless call transfers to make the job of your receptionist easier.
In fact, the ideal situation will be if your VoIP provider offers a virtual receptionist as one of its call management options because it’s very likely that as a startup you can’t afford a receptionist!
Consider 3rd Party Integration
What really sells VoIP as a communications provider for small businesses is its ability to integrate with 3rd party extensions like Dropbox, Microsoft and Google. This is vital for small businesses because it gives them a collaborative platform to kick-off their startup. The integration with powerful third parties allows your business to flourish as they provide for features that you can’t afford to build on your own, such as application forms for clients.
Most of the top VoIP service providers, such as RingCentral and Vonage allow 3rd party integrations.
Consider the Customer Support Program
Yours is a small business. There’s probably no more than a handful of people that are working day and night to make your startup work. Therefore, it’s highly possible that you don’t have an efficient tech team to look after your technical issues. And considering VoIP is a relatively new communications technology, you might need help installing and running the system network. That’s why, you need a VoIP service provider that offer 24/7 comprehensive customer care solutions. So you can consult them at any time of the day to resolve your communication dilemmas.
Moreover, it also helps if the VoIP service provider offers customer care in the way you want. For instance, it’s possible that you’re more comfortable asking for help via live chat rather than on call. Thus, if a VoIP service provider doesn’t support the option of live chat, there might be a problem.
In Conclusion
Choosing the best VoIP service provider for your small business is an overwhelming experience but assessing your options carefully and evaluating them against what you absolutely and what you can do without will help you shortlist the best of the best. Beyond that, Top 5 Business VoIP can help you. We provide comprehensive reviews and comparisons for the top VoIP service providers on the market so you can find your one true match!
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