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Communication is constantly evolving. The days of only making voice calls at work are forever gone. A modern business communicates through emails, text messages, instant message, media messaging, video conferences, and social media sites.
Companies now use business phone services that offer these communication features all on 1 platform. These services are actually Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) business phone services, which are usually subscription-based.
VoIP is a technology that lets anyone place phone calls over an internet connection. VoIP technology is the definitive choice for business phone services because VoIP technology is cost-effective, available on mobile, and able to increase both communication and productivity within teams.
What are the Benefits of Using a Business Phone Service?
Communication is critical when it comes to whether your business will make it or not. Choosing the right phone system to suit your specific needs requires patience, time, and money, but its overall benefits are worth the effort. Here are the 3 most significant benefits of using a business phone service:
Low Cost per Call
Business phone services use a VoIP telephone system that uses internet protocol to make calls instead of landlines. Using the internet to relay call data makes domestic and long-distance calls cheaper overall.
Better Communication
Business phone services can help your employees easily connect and collaborate. This helps with increased productivity, teamwork, and customer service.
Highly Mobile
With the world working remotely, businesses now need to be highly mobile, and business phone services make this happen seamlessly. Since the world shut down in March 2020, your company is likely operating from various home offices, outdoor coffee shops, and even cars! This new lifestyle demands that you be reachable at any time, anywhere.
What to Look for in the Best Business Phone Services
The best business phone service for one company may not be the right fit for another. Before signing up for a particular service, look closely at the needs of your business.
You should consider the following factors when assessing your needs:
No. 1: Mobility Features
With so many Americans now working virtually, you need a business phone service that lets your cell phone double as a business phone line and personal device.
No. 2: Unified Messaging
Choose a business phone service that offers unified messaging. This refers to the integration and management of email, video, voice, instant messaging, and SMS communication channels on a single communications suite.
No. 3: Administrator Portal
You don’t want an admin portal that is impossible to use. Admin portals should require minimal technical skills and include step-by-step guides to make setting up your business phone service as easy as possible.
No. 4: Integrated Instant Messaging and Presence (IM&P)
It’s essential to look for a service that includes integrated Instant messaging and presence (IM&P) for its users to allow for faster collaboration and increased productivity.
No. 5: Integrated with CRM and Business Applications
Find a solution that integrates well with 3rd-party business applications. This can help a company improve productivity and the customer experience.
The Best Business Phone Services
This article will outline 5 of the best business phone services. We will outline how much they cost, why we think they are the best, what makes them great and what makes them not so great.
Nextiva is regularly at the top of the list of the best business phone services. It offers reliable phone systems at a great price.
What puts Nextiva at the top of the list is the tools it offers to connect your office, no matter where your team is located. You can use the same phone numbers you use at your office desk at your home. The same office extensions are also available for your home office.
Nextiva also has an award-winning, in-house customer service team. You will talk to an actual human and get real answers every time you have an issue.
Some users wish Nextiva had better Integration with 3rd-party services. Some other VOIP vendors top Nextiva when it comes to integration.
Nextiva is best for all types of businesses of any size. It is helpful for companies with 1 to 4 users all the way up to more than 100 users.
Nextiva offers 3 simple plans. The price depends on the number of users and the length of your contract. If you operate a business with 1 to 4 people, the cost is $23.95 per user per month. If your company has more than 100 employees, the price is $17.95 per user per month.
Ooma Inc. is also one of the best business phone services on the market. It’s an ideal solution for small businesses with traditional offices that need desk phones.
Some of the many pros of Ooma are that there are no contracts, and you can cancel your services at any time. Unlimited calling is included in each plan as well as a virtual receptionist. It’s also effortless to check the call logs and to block unwanted robocalls.
One of the most significant drawbacks with Ooma is that the desktop app and call-recording features are only available with a higher-priced plan.
Ooma is best for small businesses that require desk phones, but it also offers plans for remote teams.
Ooma offers affordable pricing with unlimited calling in the U.S. and Canada. It has a simple flat-rate price per user, starting at $19.95 per month.
RingCentral is a top business phone service as it offers an all-in-one phone service solution at a competitive price.
RingCentral is a great overall choice when choosing a business phone service, but the unlimited business SMS and MMS across all of its plans set it apart from the rest. If your team uses text messaging for your day-to-day business or if you send automated text message alerts to your team members, RingCentral is an ideal choice.
One minor complaint is that you currently cannot customize the conference call greeting message. However, RingCentral is constantly working to improve the phone system and make it more robust and effective.
RingCentral is best for small businesses that rely on texting to conduct business.
The company’s 4 pricing plans range from $19.99 per month to $49.99 per month. The plan you choose will be based on the number of toll-free minutes you plan to use and the number of users.
The name is simple, and so is the service. Phone.com offers some of the most straightforward business phone plans out there, with some of the lowest-priced plans for small businesses out there.
Phone.com is a trustworthy communications platform that can support physical phones as well as mobile devices and softphones. Phone.com also offers free software upgrades and new features so your unified communications are always state-of-the-art.
As with most business phone services, there are some cons. For example, video conferencing is only available for an added monthly fee, and caller analytics are extra. Also, minute bundles and extensions can get expensive if you are a larger business.
Phone.com is best for small businesses with limited budgets that still want modern business phone services.
The company’s 3 affordable plans range from $12.99 per user per month to $29.99 per user per month. A 20% off discount is available if billed annually.
1-VoIP is a solid solution for small to medium-sized businesses. It is perfect for companies that know they need a phone plan but don’t have the call volume of a telemarketing service or IT support organization.
1-VoIP’s best feature is its metered pricing structure. You only pay for the time you use the phone. Also, its high-definition system works with most headsets, so your team will always maintain excellent audio quality.
1-VoIP lacks many features in competing platforms, so customers with more demanding business phone needs may want to look at the other choices. The biggest drawback is that it lacks video conferencing.
1-VoIP is best for small to medium-sized businesses that need a system with solid basics and a few advanced features.
Most people choose 1-VoIP for its metered plans, but it also has package plans starting at $14.97 per user per month.
It’s not an Easy Call
Sophisticated businesses worldwide embrace business phone services and realize the serious competitive advantages they provide. Remember, choosing a business phone service is more complex than just selecting a new phone.
The service needs to be reliable, provide high-quality communications and connect your employees and customers in a way that’s effective for your particular company.
