If you’re considering ditching your traditional landline telephone service for an Internet-based VoIP (Voice over IP) system, you’ve come to the right place.

There’s a lot to learn and many things to consider before you make a decision on your small business VoIP system. Our aim is to help you save time and money by collecting the most useful information available on business phone services all in one place.

What is VoIP?

A VoIP phone system leverages high-speed broadband or cable connection to route calls as digital data over the Internet. Aside from your Internet connection, all you need in your small business to get set up with an offsite-hosted service are compatible handsets.

Recommended VoIP providers

These are some of the most recommended VoIP providers on the market:

• RingCentral
• bOnline
• eReceptionist

What are the advantages of a VoIP office phone system?

It’s no wonder that VoIP and PBX (private branch exchange) systems have become the first choice for businesses of all types and sizes. There are lots of good reasons to choose a VoIP phone system for your business, including the fact that hosted VoIP and cloud VoIP systems are often cheap.

Value

Whichever type of VoIP system you choose for your business phone services, be it a cloud-based hosted VoIP service, cloud VoIP, or an on-site self-managed system, one thing is certain: VoIP is cheap. You will pay less for all the features you get than you would if you stuck with a traditional office phone system, as opposed to hosted VoIP or cloud VoIP. The most obvious saving is on long distance calls, which can add up quickly with a regular phone service if your business has clients, offices, or team members located around the globe. Setup costs are generally cheap for VoIP too, such as with RingCentral. A SIP-enabled handset is inexpensive and standardized, meaning your business phone service hardware won’t tie you down to a specific provider, giving your small business VoIP more flexibility.

Flexibility

Whatever the nature, size, or particular needs of your business, you’ll find a VoIP provider or package to suit. Want to integrate it into a traditional office phone system? No problem. Want to route calls to mobile phones or remote team members? Again, easily achieved. Since much of the functionality of VoIP systems is software-based, you’ll be able to utilize many advanced features that would carry an extra cost in traditional business phone services. Generally, cloud VoIP or hosted VoIP providers, like Vonage, won’t require you to sign up to a long-term contract so you’ll be free to move on to a different company whenever you like.

Scalability

One of the great advantages of a VoIP business phone service is how easily it can grow (or contract) with the needs of your small business VoIP system. Since there’s no need for the physical installation of new lines, all you need to do is add a new handset and configure the new user’s connection using the provided software. This can be especially useful if your business’s call volume is seasonal. eReceptionist is just one of the VoIP providers that make it simple to add new users when necessary.

Which VoIP provider is best for my business?

There is no absolute best provider for small business VoIP, as no two businesses are exactly alike. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a best VoIP system for you. The most important part of choosing a VoIP phone service is to do your homework. Assess your current office phone system, your Internet connection, your current and projected call volume and patterns, and whether you would prefer to manage the system in-house or have the provider manage it offsite. All of these considerations will have a significant impact on the upfront and ongoing costs, the features you have at your disposal and the ease of set-up. But, when all is said and done you will end up with a flexible, scalable telephone system that has the potential to boost your team’s productivity saving you thousands of dollars.

Excited to bring your company’s telecommunications into the 21st century? Before purchasing, take your time to read our in-depth reviews of the leading VoIP providers, check out our articles, and compare VoIP systems using our handy comparison tool. You will then be well-equipped to make an informed purchasing decision!