What is a small business phone system, exactly?
A small business phone system is a telephone solution that allows your company to make and receive outbound and inbound business calls. It uses your internet connection for phone calls, you can pay as you go without much (or any) upfront investment, and it’s easy to set up.
Typically, a small business phone system will include voicemail, call forwarding, conference calling and caller ID.
These systems usually come with ‘softphone’ apps that you can use on Android or iOS mobile phones.
They also provide many features and capabilities that are important for small businesses, such as connecting to the internet, managing voicemail and more.
Why should you consider using a business phone system?
When shopping for a business phone system, there are a few features that small businesses should keep in mind. First, traditional phone service providers might be lackluster compared to more innovative solutions like business VoIP.
Cloud-based business phone systems companies are excellent alternative solutions with many benefits, such as lower costs, more effortless scalability, and enhanced features.
Additionally, businesses should consider the needs of their employees and decide which features they would find most useful. For example, voicemail transcription or conference calling might be valuable to some workers, while others might prefer an auto attendant or the ability to transfer calls.
A VoIP phone system can offer many benefits, such as the ability to be monitored and managed from a single location, increased security for your business data and calls, and compatibility with a wide range of software applications.
Here are some reasons why you should consider using a business phone system:
Call recording
Call recording is a feature that some small businesses find helpful. It allows business owners to capture and review calls for training or quality assurance purposes.
Keep your existing business phone number
One of the most important decisions you’ll make when setting up your VoIP service is whether or not you want to keep your existing business phone number. This is usually possible, but it depends on your provider and the type of service you choose. Make sure to ask about this before signing up for a plan.
Cloud-based systems
Cloud-based systems are becoming more and more popular because they are easy to use and have various benefits, such as the ability to add new users or employees without IT help. Cloud-based phone systems are also compatible with mobile devices and handsets, making it easy for you to stay connected while on the go. If you’re looking for a flexible and functional system, then a cloud-based phone system is the ideal choice for your business.
SMS messages
Texting is a great way to keep in touch with coworkers, employees, and clients. It’s quick, efficient, and everyone has it on their phone. In addition, some business phone services offer plans with unlimited SMS and MMS messaging each month as part of their UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) offerings.
Easy call transfer and routing
Easy call transfer and routing can save time by routing calls to appropriate staff. This is done through customizable call flows that make managing calls in a busy office easy.
Visual voicemail
Visual voicemail is a feature that many people love because it transcribes voicemails to text. This means that you can read your voicemails at any time, which is helpful if you’re in a meeting and don’t want to be interrupted by a phone call.
Security
It is vital to have a provider that offers enterprise-grade security when making calls. This will ensure that your conversations are kept confidential and are not accessible by unauthorized individuals. Be sure to ask your provider about their security features and make sure they meet your needs.
Call forwarding to your mobile phone
Call forwarding to your mobile phone allows you to quickly transfer calls from your office line or cell phone to another number without having to take any extra steps. This can be helpful if you are busy and don’t have time to answer your cell phone or if you need to take a call while on vacation. You can also set up an auto-attendant so that when a call comes in, your voicemail will automatically play instead of letting the caller leave a voicemail.
Customizable caller ID
You can customize the caller ID on a per-call basis to show different information about the caller to the person receiving the call. This is done by inputting specific details into the phone before making the call.
The best business phone services for 2022
The best business phone service providers are the providers that provide a variety of features, including international calling and data. Although we may not know the future, it is safe to say that businesses will be more successful with the help of a business phone service provider.
Here are our top picks for best business phone services for small businesses in 2022:
Phone.com
Phone.com is a VoIP provider that offers simple and affordable business phone plans. They have more than 50 features that come standard, including fax to email and SMS messaging capabilities.
Additionally, they are HIPAA and HITECH compliant, which means their services can be used safely by companies in the medical field.
You can mix and match plans to get the pricing you need without overspending. Phone.com also offers plans for voice and text service starting at $10.39 a month with no long-term contracts or hidden fees. Plus, their customer service is available 24/7 to help you get started with your new phone plan or answer any questions you may have about using their services.
RingCentral
RingCentral is one of the top business phone service providers because it offers a variety of features that businesses need to be productive. It provides an all-in-one phone service solution that is reliable, secure, and easy to use, delivers a high-quality voice for crystal clear calls, and is affordable, allowing for up to 20 users per account. RingCentral has a variety of plans and pricing options perfect for businesses of all sizes.
All plans come with mobile apps for iOS and Android, HD voice, team collaboration, call log reports, and 24/7 customer support. You will need to decide how many toll-free minutes you will need and the number of users you plan to onboard before choosing a plan.
Nextiva
Nextiva is an excellent choice for businesses of all sizes. They offer affordable plans that include essential features like voicemail, call routing, and an auto-attendant. Plus, they have various add-on features that you can tailor to your specific needs.
Nextiva offers affordable rates and a modern phone system. Small businesses can take advantage of their features, including unlimited calls, call queuing, automatic call forwarding, hold music, free online faxing, and free local and toll-free number porting.
Vonage
Vonage is a 50+ voice and communication features service that businesses of all sizes can use. It has everything from voice to SMS to fax to paperless fax and social media integration for teams. If you’re looking for a one-stop shop for your communication needs, Vonage is the best option out there!
Vonage offers three different plans with rates that vary depending on the number of lines you need.
Ooma
Ooma is a physical phone system that is perfect for small businesses. You can customize it to your workplace, easy to set up and integrate well into your existing technology. You can hook up any old phones or fax machines with adapters once the Ooma base station is installed.
Ooma is an excellent physical phone system for small businesses because it offers a virtual receptionist for customer support, which can take a lot of pressure from your staff. Additionally, Ooma has exceptional customer support if you have trouble setting up the hardware or managing your service. Their plan also comes with unlimited calling and a toll-free number, which can help attract customers.
Grasshopper
Grasshopper is the perfect phone service for business owners to keep their interactions streamlined and organized. With Grasshopper, you can access all of your emails, texts, business calls, and contacts in one place. This makes it easy to manage your business communications without juggling multiple different platforms.
It offers a simple phone system that makes it easy to make your first call minutes after downloading the app. You can also set up greetings and after-hours messages, voicemail, and set up basic call flows if you have more than one line with Grasshopper.
Grasshopper is an excellent choice for solopreneuers as it offers solo plans that include one phone number, three extensions, and every phone system feature the company offers. This includes VoIP calling, Wi-Fi calling and virtual faxing, and mobile/desktop apps. If you need more than one phone line, you will need to upgrade to the Partner plan. However, you never have to upgrade to get any of these features-every plan comes with every feature; you just need to pay for additional lines or extensions.
1-VoIP
1-VoIP is a great solution for businesses that need phones but don’t use them often. They offer metered pricing, which means you only pay for the time that you use the phone. You’ll still have all of the features that come with their other plans, including queues, hold music and virtual faxes. There are over 40 standard features included in their plans.
This is an ideal alternative for organizations who recognize the need for having a phone plan but do not anticipate the same volume of calls as, say, a telemarketing business or an IT support firm.
GoToConnect
GoToConnect is a business phone service that offers a variety of features, most of which would usually be paid for in other services. Their system is straightforward to use, no matter how large or small your team is.
With GoToConnect, you’ll get basic features like call recording, auto attendants, call monitoring, conferencing, virtual faxing, custom greeting and hold music, dial by name or extension, and individual call logs. It’s perfect for IT or SaaS organizations that have agents who need to easily talk to clients and see real-time analytics on a single intuitive dashboard.
It offers a variety of features to make connecting with customers easy and efficient, such as providing resources to help businesses understand and respond to customer feedback. Additionally, GoToConnect is great for companies that want to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Final thoughts
Phone service requirements differ significantly amongst businesses. However, regardless of the size of your team or your budget, you can locate a dependable phone system for your small business.
The majority of businesses choose a VoIP phone system over a landline. VoIP is simpler to set up, maintain, and cost less than conventional telephones. You no longer need to worry about securing calls or maintaining pricey on-site equipment.
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