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The best VoIP phone services create exceptional customer experiences. And exceptional customer experiences do wonders for your bottom line.
Imagine this: a potential customer calls the sales number listed on your website. A private cell phone rings six states away. Your salesperson takes it, answers a few questions, and closes the sale.
In seconds, that prospect becomes a paying customer instead of being passed from agent to agent, wasting your time and testing your patience.
With the right VoIP service, you can streamline and automate the customer journey, resulting in more money with less work. Plus, these services are easy to set up and use, and most of the legwork takes place behind the scenes.
But choosing the right service seems like a daunting task. With so many options, how do you decide which one is right for you?
If you're not sure how to answer this question, you've come to the right place. In this article, I cover how to choose the right service for your needs, the different types of VoIP services, and my top recommendations.
Let's dive!
Top 6 VoIP phone service options:
- Ter– best for small businesses
- Next- best for remote teams
- RingCentral– best for fast growth
- locust– best for mobile teams
- Verizon– best for big companies
- 8×8– cheapest VoIP service
How to Choose the Best VoIP Phone Services for You
With countless VoIP service providers to choose from, finding the perfect solution for your business isn't always easy. To make it easier for you, I want to share the criteria I took into account when compiling this list and some must-haves no matter which company you choose.
You can use these to narrow things down as you go through the process.
deployment options
Some VoIP phone services work with hardware you already have, while others require proper installation. In some cases, you may need to buy an adapter or something else to activate the system.
But others are as simple as a mobile app that you download to your phone.
So think hard about how much time and support you have when making a decision. The simpler the system, the easier it is and the less support you will need to get things up and running.
The size of your company
Most VoIP phone service providers charge per user per month.
And while some offer discounts if you have a large team, these prices can add up quickly and get expensive.
So it's important to understand how many users you have and how to get the best deal with the features you need at a reasonable price.
phone call features
It's important to consider the phone call features you need, as each provider offers different features at different prices.
Do you need automatic call rejection, call forwarding or caller ID? What about voicemail, voicemail transcription, and music on hold?
You may also want to consider other features such as:
- Call forwarding and routing
- automatic companions
- types of phone numbers
- extensions
- Blocking and automatic rejections
- voicemail to text
- phone call recording
- call history
- instant reply
- individual greetings
Make a list of everything you need so you can choose the right provider and plan.
Other forms of communication
Most VoIP providers also offer other forms of communication, such as text messaging, document sharing, online faxing, and video conferencing.
However, they may not all be available on basic plans.
That said, you might not need all of them either. So think hard about the additional forms of communication your team needs to have.
reliability
Your Internet, your VoIP provider's uptime, and your power source all affect the quality of your phone calls.
With reliable high-speed internet, you probably won't have any problems. But what happens if the power goes out?
If you're using your mobile device, that's probably fine.
But desk phones are not. However, some come with battery backups that can last up to a few hours. So make sure this is an option when renting or buying hardware from your VoIP service provider.
Additionally, some VoIP providers offer network monitoring, allowing them to switch to wireless backups if wired data connections fail. And you shouldn't expect less than 99.99% uptime either.
The Different Types of VoIP Phone Services
device based
This type of service requires you to purchase an adapter from your service provider and plug it into an existing phone (or a phone provided by your service provider).
software based
These services are desktop programs. Skype and Google Talk are two good examples. You need to install the program and connect to the internet to use them.
However, most providers offer cloud-hosted and software-based systems.
cloud hosted
Cloud-hosted VoIP or "Virtual Private Branch Exchange" (PBX) services are also available. The only hardware needed is a router or network switch, and the provider will take care of the rest.
This also includes mobile VoIP services. These mobile apps run on Android and Apple devices over the cellular network or a local Wi-Fi network.
All of the options on this list are a combination of cloud and software-based hosting, with most offering both types of systems.
#1 - Ooma Review - Best VoIP Phone Service for Small Businesses
If you're a small business looking for reliable, no-contract VoIP telephony service,Teris a good choice. They provide everything you need (i.e. hardware, software and know-how) so you can start using their services in just 15 minutes.
Everything is ready to use. And you can keep your existing phone number or change it to a new one – free of charge.
Ooma offers 35 powerful features including:
- a mobile app
- virtual receptionist
- sms messages
- call restriction
- Voicemail and Caller ID
- Unlimited Calling in North America
- a toll free number
- One extension number per user
Plus, Ooma has an excellent customer service team ready to help you get up and running, removing roadblocks and creating a seamless experience for your customers.
However, the service lacks advanced features. But it's incredibly affordable for small businesses on a tight budget.
Also, you don't have to worry about complicated contracts. Ooma's pricing is simple and straightforward with two business plans including:
- Ooma Office - $19.95 per user per month
- Ooma Office Pro – $24.95 per user per month
Ooma Office is suitable for most users. However, you can upgrade to the Pro plan if you need a desktop app, call recording or higher usage limits.
#2 - Nextiva Review - The Best VoIP Telephony Service for Remote Teams
Remote teams face unique challenges. And they need a VoIP provider equipped with the tools and resources to meet these challenges.
Nextit's “made for business people, not IT professionals” and built for remote teams of all sizes. They provide solutions for small, medium and large corporations.
Plus, our in-house customer service team is ready to help you every step of the way.
Nextiva includes a variety of VoIP features including:
- Android and iOS apps
- unlimited text messages
- Customizable hold music
- multilevel auto attendant
- Unlimited Calling in US and Canada
- Local OR toll free number
- Video and audio meetings
- Internet-Fax
Plus, you can make and receive business calls directly from your desktop, laptop or mobile device. This service completely replaces an in-house phone system and allows your remote team to stay connected.
Alternatively, you can use it in conjunction with your current phone system. So it's also great for call centers and non-remote teams.
Nextiva offers simple and affordable pricing. Your plans include:
- Essential – $19.95 per user per month
- Professional – $20.95 per user per month
- Enterprise - $27.95 per row per month
Nextiva boasts an “ultra-high 99.999% uptime” with 24/7 network monitoring and zero outages in 2019. among the best.
#3 - RingCentral Review - The Best VoIP Phone Service for Fast Growing Businesses
RingCentralIt is an excellent choice for fast-growing companies. They are the world's leading business communications platform with plans and resources for business communications and customer support.
RingCentral also offers discounts based on the size of your team. So as your team grows (no matter how fast), you can cost-effectively scale your phone service to meet your needs.
They promise 99.99% uptime and maintain numerous global data centers. That means you get great coverage and phone quality anywhere in the world.
Plus, RingCentral's step-by-step installation and intuitive admin panel make installation and configuration a breeze.
You can set up new users in the admin panel, monitor service quality and view your analytics all in one place. Plus, you can even access it from anywhere.
Its services include features such as:
- Unlimited Calling in US and Canada
- voicemail to text
- team messages
- document sharing
- unlimited text messages
- Unlimited fax and conferencing
- phone call recording
- developer platform
- custom integrations
RingCentral's cheapest plan starts at $19.99 per user per month, making them a top contender for affordability.
Its paid plans include:
- Essentials - $19.99 per user per month
- Standard – $24.99 per user per month
- Premium – $34.99 per user per month
- Ultimate – $49.99 per user per month
While its Basic plans cater to smaller teams, its Premium and Ultimate plans allow teams to build custom solutions no matter how quickly they grow.
#4 - Grasshopper Review - The Best VoIP Telephony Service for Mobile Teams
Whether your team works in the field, from home or anywhere in the world,locustit is a wise choice.
It's a mobile (or desktop) app that adds a line of business and integrated phone system to your employees' phones. So you don't need to carry two phones or be in the office to text customers and take business calls.
Plus, you can access and manage your entire phone system with mobile and desktop apps from anywhere with an internet connection.
Best of all, Grasshopper integrates seamlessly with the phones you already own.
There's no need to buy fancy equipment or go through messy, time-consuming installations. Just select a number and plan, download the app and configure your settings.
Plus, with Grasshopper, you get access to intuitive and powerful features like:
- business text messages
- call forwarding
- voice mail transcript
- phone extensions
- Fax on-line
- individual greetings
- instant answers
- ruby receptionist
And while Grasshopper doesn't automatically enable VoIP calling, the mobile app lets you quickly enable it for free if you're on poor cell service or prefer Internet calling.
Its paid plans include:
- Solo - $26/month for one number and three extensions
- Partner - $44/month for three numbers and six extensions
- Small Business - $80/month for five numbers and unlimited extensions
Extensions can forward to any number they want. So you can work with three people on Grasshopper's Solo plan.
This is a breath of fresh air versus per-user pricing with the other services on this list.
#5 - Verizon Review - The Best VoIP Phone Service for Large Businesses
Known for the stability of its network,Verizonoffers VoIP business functions for medium and large companies. However, it's overkill for most small businesses and too expensive compared to other options on this list.
Also, it is best suited for businesses that need to be available for customer calls, route calls to the right teams/people, or quickly respond to customer queries.
Verizon's VoIP phone service includes 45 features, including:
- Customized hold message/music
- a virtual receptionist
- full call log
- administration web portal
- Make and receive calls on your phone
- Visual voicemail features
- call forwarding
- do not disturb mode
- Incoming Caller ID
- Selective call rejection
- instant messages
You can buy or rent desk phones through Verizon or buy a converter box to continue using your current equipment.
Plus, you get free access to mobile and desktop apps to access or manage your phone system from anywhere in the world. However, Verizon services are not available everywhere, so you may not be able to use their services.
Verizon Business phone plans start at $35 per user per month plus any additional fees, taxes or device fees. However, their pricing is confusing once you start reading the fine print. And you also have to commit to a two-year contract.
So keep that in mind when making your final decisions.
#6 – 8×8 Review – Cheapest VoIP Phone Service
If you're looking for a simple and affordable VoIP phone service,8×8it is a wise choice.
Their 8×8 Express Business Phone System plan starts at $12 per user per month (with a free trial). This low price makes it the cheapest option on this list.
However, with that low price comes limited features. The Express plan includes:
- Unlimited Calling in US and Canada
- Global and direct toll free numbers
- simple automatic attendant
- the ringing group
- call forwarding
- business SMS
And to access advanced features, you must pay between $25 and $45 per user per month. Which… is more expensive than some of the other options listed here.
So I don't recommend it unless you opt for the Express plan.
summary
My #1 recommendation for most small businesses isTer. It's affordable, reliable, and easy to set up in about 15 minutes. However, if you are looking for a full-scale solution,Verizonis your best bet.
Apart from that,Nextis perfect for remote teams andlocustis a simple yet powerful mobile app for small teams that are often away from home.
If you are on a tight budget,8×8it's the cheapest VoIP phone service, starting at $12 per user per month. However, the functions are limited.
Whichever route you choose, be sure to consider your needs, budget, and the criteria we talked about when going through the process of choosing the best VoIP phone service for your business.
Have you used a VoIP service provider in the past? How was your experience?
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