Choosing The Best Business Phone System
Do you know that 82% of businesses that switch to cloud-based calling systems are saving money compared with traditional calling options? So, how do you go about choosing the best business phone system?
Choosing the best business phone system for your enterprise is crucial to maximize communication efficiency and productivity. There are many business phone system options available. Hence, selecting the one that aligns seamlessly with your business goals is difficult.
In this guide, we will explore seven ways that will help you choose the ideal business phone system for your business. With these insights, you can select the right business phone system while evaluating its key factors and call quality.
What Is A Business Phone System?
A business phone system combines interconnected telecommunication devices and software to facilitate organizational communication. Business telephone systems, or enterprise phone systems, are crucial in maintaining effective communication within and with external stakeholders, resulting in better customer service and productivity.
These systems can be physical (on-premises) or cloud-based VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). Business size, budget, and level of control are all factors that determine whether a company should choose on-premises or cloud-based software solutions.
5 Features Of Business Phone Systems For Your Business
It is essential to have a reliable phone system packed with features to stay connected with your customers and team. These are some of the vital features included in a business phone system:
1. Call Forwarding
Call forwarding transfers incoming calls received on one phone number/device to another number/device. It ensures that your calls are not missed while away from your primary phone.
You can also arrange to forward calls from specific callers or at particular times. With this feature, you can automatically forward calls to a sequence of numbers until an agent answers the call.
2. Number-Sharing
The number-sharing feature allows businesses to share one phone number with other team members. Sharing means many team members can use the same phone number to make and receive calls.
This feature benefits collaborative work environments where several team members may need access to the same phone line. It allows your team to experience a unified business presence. This feature also helps to improve call distribution, enhance team communications, and help make it easier for customers to reach the right person.
3. Call Transfer
The call transfer feature is one of the fundamental functions of most business phone systems. It redirects an active call to another phone number, extension, or voicemail. Imagine having seamless transfer calls between team members without interrupting the conversation.
Using these features, you can route your calls to the most appropriate agents, where customer inquiries are always overseen effectively, regardless of the availability of the initial call recipient. Efficient call transfer minimizes the call handling time and improves efficiency in the organization.
4. Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
IVR is an automated telephony system communicating with callers through voice or keypad commands. IVR allows callers to get answers to their questions by selecting menu options via keypad or speech without speaking with human agents. Also, if callers do not find an appropriate answer, it facilitates the routing of calls.
5. Global Calling
With global calling features, you can make international calls through your devices regardless of the receiver’s location. This feature is beneficial if your company branches across the border or has international clients and partners. So, look for a provider that provides a global calling feature.
But how about the business phone bill? If you are making an international call to Australia via a local phone number, it will cost you a lot.
On the contrary, if you make international calls to Australia using an Australian Virtual phone number, you can save money on long-distance call charges. Additionally, you can make and receive phone calls using a virtual number over the internet.
7 Innovative Ways To Choose The Best Business Phone System For Your Business
If you are looking for the best business phone system for your company, then you can consider the following strategies:
1. Move From A Landline To A VoIP System
VoIP, or voice-over IP systems, are an excellent alternative to old-fashioned landlines. They send out voice calls over the internet, surpassing landlines in many ways.
With VoIP, you can easily place a call from anywhere online! Using internet access promotes work from home and more agility. Additionally, VoIP eliminates expensive phone lines and adjusts to your expanding business, saving you money.
2. Choose The VoIP Phone System Types
While choosing a VoIP phone system, you can choose a cloud-based VoIP (softphone), VoIP-based desk phone (hard phone), or a PBX system. All these phones work on the internet and do not need telephony hardware like a traditional phone system. Due to its flexibility and mobility, it is perfect for new businesses, one-person operations, and teams working from various places.
Moreover, a VoIP phone system has various enhanced features and functionalities like call monitoring, Interactive Voice Response (IVR), screen sharing, live chat, video calls, call forwarding, and more. You can quickly improve accessibility and grow your business efficiently with these features.
3. Select Key Factors To Consider When Choosing A Business Phone Service
Pick a system known for less downtime; it needs good backup options, too. Check if the phone service provider complies with essential rules and uses secure data encryption. Furthermore, ensuring that the controls and management tools are easy to use is crucial.
In addition to these factors, you should also consider to:
- Assess Your Existing Phone System
Examine your existing phone system’s strengths and weaknesses to identify areas for improvement of your current phone system.
- Evaluate Your Remote Workers’ Phone Needs
Consider the telephone requirements of your remote workers. Nonetheless, you should ensure their needs are met by the device you select.
Consider The Future Growth Of The Company
Assess whether your system is scalable enough to grow with your business so that you can opt for flexible plans and add-ons according to it. Moreover, you will need a phone system to manage future communication requirements.
4. Compare Different Business Phone Service Providers
Before selecting a business phone service provider, you should investigate and compare the different providers. When choosing, consider factors such as reliability, customer reviews, and service offerings. Also, here are some of the factors you should evaluate:
Personalized, Ongoing Support
Opt for a provider offering personalized and reliable customer support to address issues promptly and ensure smooth operation.
- Plans and Pricing:
Examine different service plans and pricing models to find a solution that aligns with your budget while providing the necessary features.
- Data Center Power
Consider the reliability and redundancy of the service provider’s data centers to guarantee continuous service despite technical challenges.
5. Get Serious About Call Quality
Having communication without any disruptions plays a vital role. Hence, go for a provider that offers excellent call quality. Call quality ensures minimal disruptions during calls and ensures crystal-clear communication.
6. Have Business-Grade Internet
The quality of your VoIP system depends on the quality of your internet connection. So, invest in a reliable business-grade internet service provider (ISP) with sufficient bandwidth to manage your call volume. Sufficient bandwidth helps to avoid interrupted calls or dropped connections.
7. Embrace Continuous Improvement
It is unbelievable how fast technology is changing. So, to ensure continuous communication, you should consider a provider that keeps its phone system updated with emerging communication technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Also, opt for a provider that offers regular updates and feature enhancements to ensure your system stays ahead of the curve.
Conclusion
To sum up, following these ways of choosing the best business phone system will transform your phone system into a communication hub that will improve teamwork, satisfy customers, and help your business grow. It will also help you to move beyond traditional methods and enter the exciting world of connected communication.
But remember, choosing the right business phone system means investing in your communication infrastructure, not just picking a device. With the right business phone system and provider, you can confidently communicate, knowing your system is designed to empower, optimize, and ensure your success.
At K2 Enterprises, our commitment lies in providing unwavering support and expert instruction to CPAs. Explore the wealth of resources on our website, where you’ll find valuable insights on selecting the most suitable accounting software, equipping your firm with the right tools for the journey ahead. If you work in accounting or finance, K2 Enterprises provides continuing education programs to enhance your skills and credentials. Need help learning how to solve your business’s accounting technology needs and selecting the right software for accounting or CPA Firms? Visit us at k2e.com, where we make sophisticated technology understandable to anyone through our conferences, seminars, or on-demand courses.
FAQS
1. How Do I Choose A Good Phone Number?
There are phone numbers that you can choose while calling:
- Local Phone Number:
Obtaining a local phone number is a wise choice for businesses targeting a specific local market or community. It helps establish a local presence, builds trust with local customers, and is recognizable.
- Mobile Phone Number:
It is suitable for businesses with a mobile workforce or those prioritizing accessibility. These are easily accessible, and many prefer contacting businesses through mobile channels.
- Toll-Free Phone Number:
It is excellent for businesses that want to provide a free and easy-to-remember option for customers to contact them. It also encourages customer calls, portrays a professional image, and is memorable.
- Shortcode:
A shortcode is commonly used for marketing campaigns, promotions, or services requiring a short and easy-to-remember number. Moreover, it enables quick and easy customer engagement, particularly in advertising and promotions.
- Vanity Phone Number:
Customized numbers that spell out a word relevant to the business (e.g., 1-800-FLOWERS). It enhances brand recall, is easy to remember, and can be a powerful marketing tool.
2. Why Should An Organization Have A Cloud Phone For Business Communication?
An organization should have a cloud phone for business communication for several reasons. With scalability and flexibility, you can quickly scale your phone system based on business growth without needing physical infrastructure changes. Also, it is cost-effective to make long-distance calls. It has several call management features like auto attendant, call recording, call forwarding, Mobile app integrations, IVR, and more.
3. Which VoIP Phone System Is Best For Small Businesses?
A VoIP phone system such as KrispCall, Netiva, RingCentral, ZoomPhone, and others will be best for small businesses due to its rich features, ease of use, and budget-friendly, which would be perfect for startups and solopreneurs as well.
