Based on how many communication lines you need and the VoIP phone providers systems you implement, the cost of partnering with a VoIP provider and using their services can vary. Partnering with a scalable and reliable VoIP provider is the best way to ensure smooth and uninterrupted communication and keep your business running without any communication-related issues.
Each VoIP provider, regardless of its business size, offers different service packages, feature sets, and prices.
Before looking for a VoIP phone providers, you must know at least three things:
- The number of lines you need for communication
- The list of VoIP services features your business needs and can benefit from
- The amount of anticipated usage
- The features you don’t need
- The amount of budget you have
Apart from this, take the following steps to choose the best business VoIP provider.
Step 1: Speak to your internet provider to learn about your internet connection and bandwidth. Consequently, this will help you ensure that you have sufficient internet speed. For VoIP phones, both upload and download speeds are crucial, as speaking in real-time requires sending and receiving packets of audio data.
Step 2: Determine your budget and the specific service features that you need, and then narrow down VoIP providers that offer services in your area. Furthermore, knowing your budget and talking to different providers will help you figure out who can offer you the best VoIP service package within your budget.
Step 3: Now, decide which VoIP devices are best for your business’s current and future needs. The most popular VoIP phones are Cisco IP Phones. They are available in different series such as Cisco 7800 IP Phones, Cisco 8800 IP Phones, Cisco 8900 IP Phones, and more. The cost of Cisco IP Phones ranges between $40 and $1000. Depending on the features and design, you may also find Cisco IP Phones at a lower or higher price than this range.
Step 4: Once you’ve decided which VoIP Phones are best for your business needs, compare companies based on their service packages, features, customer support, reliability, price, and reviews.
As soon as you find a good VoIP provider, you can ask the following questions before signing the service agreement.
- What is the upfront cost?
- What are recurring costs?
- Is there a money-back guarantee if we don’t feel satisfied with your services?
- Can you also port phone numbers? If yes, what is the cost of porting phone numbers?
- Is there a contract and what is included in it?
- What is the cancellation fee? What is the cancellation process?
- Are there any hidden costs of your VoIP service package or other services?
- What kind of support do you provide?
- How soon will you respond if we have any issues?
- What features are included? Which features cost extra?
- Do you offer personalized VoIP solutions?
- Can you make the collaboration of remote and in-house teams easy?
- If I remove some features, will I need to pay the same package price?
- How does it all work? What’s your process to keep our IP phones running?
If you have any other questions in your mind, don’t hesitate to ask them as well.