How To Choose The Perfect VoIP Service Provider To Boost Your Business

Did you know that 77% of remote employees are believed to be reporting more productivity? In fact, out of remote employees, 32% are said to rely on VoIP for work.

Voice Internet Over Protocol (VoIP) has come a long way in helping optimize internal and external communication for businesses. Day by day, more and more businesses have switched to a VoIP system instead of traditional phone lines. 

Setting up a VoIP system has become quite simple these days. But, how do you know which VoIP service provider is the right choice for your business?

In this article, we will examine the most important things to consider when choosing your business’ VoIP service provider. 

How To Choose The Right VoIP Service Provider For Your Business

VoIP has become the go-to solution for many businesses looking for an efficient, cost-effective yet flexible communication approach. In fact, with the increasing popularity of remote working, the usage and expectations towards VoIP systems has shifted. 

Each business wants to find the perfect VoIP system solution for them. However, this can be quite challenging. No need to worry, we’re here to help you out!

Here are some of the most important things you should consider when choosing your VoIP service provider:

1) Determine your business communication needs

Initially, you must understand that there are various types of communication and phone systems available for businesses today. When choosing a VoIP service provider, begin by seeing which type of VoIP system best suits your needs. The three main types of VoIP are on-premise, cloud-based and hybrid VoIP systems. 

You must then understand what VoIP services are needed by your key stakeholders in order to do their jobs. Carefully identify which elements are essential for your business’ telephony system. 

Ask questions like: 

• What is the scope of phone use across your organization?
• What’s the long-term plan for your company?
• Where is company ‘work’ happening?

There are so many things to consider when choosing your VoIP service provider. So, you should know exactly what you’re looking for. 

2) Calculate the costs involved and decide your budget

Costs involved are a big factor when choosing the VoIP service provider that’s right for you. Keep in mind that the lowest price does not equal the best price. You should value factors like service quality, customer support, features, etc. when making your final decision for a VoIP provider.

The main fees associated with adopting a VoIP system are price per installation, price per user and additional fees. 

As your VoIP system relies on the internet, the installation price should be minimal. With price per user, your VoIP provider should give you a choice between a monthly or annual plan. Additional fees may consist of toll-free minutes, VoIP hardware like desktops or VoIP phones, and plan upgrades.

Remember that the VoIP system you choose today will become a major part of your digital transformation as your business grows. As such, you should find the VoIP service provider that meets both your budgetary and business needs.

3) Take a look at what features are available

Since VoIP is a part of everyday communication, most VoIP providers offer various different features. Based on business needs, your next step is to check which VoIP service providers have the best features for you. 

Based on your business, you might need features like HIPAA compliance (if you’re in healthcare) and voice analytics. But, you might not need virtual assistant capabilities. 

Some features that you should consider are call forwarding, call analytics, auto attendant, softphone application and video conferencing. It’s vital that you choose a VoIP system that has all the features and capabilities you need to function. 

4) Explore customer support options for each VoIP service provider

Your VoIP system is your main platform for customer and employee communication. As such, in case something were to go wrong, it’s important that it gets fixed immediately. This is why looking into the customer support offered by VoIP service providers is absolutely vital. 

Some other factors to remember regarding customer support are availability of live representatives, self-service options and minimal on-hold time. A good way to ensure you pick the best VoIP system is by comparing the offerings of various providers.  

5) Check out third-party integrations

Perhaps one of the greatest advantages of VoIP systems is that they’re equipped with built-in third-party integrations. As VoIP is part of your daily communications, your VoIP system syncs with various frequently used tools.

Some integrations you should look out for when choosing your VoIP service provider are:

• CRM – Various VoIP systems integrate with your CRM system. This then allows you to capture and track customer data from phone calls and improves the overall customer experience. 
• Email software – With this integration in your VoIP system, you can effortlessly leverage call and email management.
• SMS + Fax – Majority of VoIP service providers offer VoIP systems with built in SMS and fax features. 
• Cloud storage integrations – Your VoIP system should be able to integrate with a cloud storage tool to effectively keep your phone recordings safe. 

Remember to look for all the above integrations when selecting your VoIP service provider.  Additionally, keep an eye out for VoIP phone systems that come with third-party API integrations for added customization.

6) Look at security offered by your VoIP service provider

As it is dependent on the internet, VoIP systems are vulnerable in certain ways. Due to this setup, your data is at risk of being stolen or tampered with. For this exact reason, look for a VoIP service provider with strong security measures to protect your customers’ data. 

One of the most effective ways to keep calls secure is with the help of high-level encryption. 

Another way to make sure your VoIP provider has strong security is by checking if they have many data centers in various locations. If your VoIP provider has multiple data centers in different locations, another can take over if the first fails. 

Some other key areas to keep in mind are data center audits, advanced account management and multi-factor authentication. Select a VoIP plan with enough security for the level of sensitive information and data you will be working with.

7) Evaluate expected VoIP Uptime 

Uptime means the amount of time your VoIP service is functioning and online. It is just a simple fact that no VoIP providers can guarantee 100% uptime. As VoIP functions over the internet, it’s prone to unexpected outages.

Generally, most VoIP providers claim to provide an uptime of around 99.9%. If your uptime doesn’t include maintenance and time for upgrades, you might be looking at greater downtime.  This is in addition to the percentage shown. 

Ask your VoIP provider what time their service is generally down and if this is during weekends or off-hours. This simple detail could make a world of difference to customers. 

Also read: Top 5 VoIP Service Providers

Conclusion 

Voice Internet Over Protocol (VoIP) has become a great way to modernize business communications. However, to get the most out of it it is vital you choose the best VoIP service provider.

Remember to keep in mind business news, costs involved, features, integrations, security and uptime. All these 7 factors play a huge role in how you can best serve your customers.

If you carefully consider all these factors, you’re sure to pick the VoIP provider that’s perfect for your business!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)