There are so many options when it comes to telephone solutions for your small business—it can be overwhelming. This guide will help you make sense of the various solutions available, so you can choose the best option for your local business.
4 Tips for Finding a Small Business Phone Solution
Not sure where to start in your quest for the best small business phone system? Start by looking at the following factors.
1. Consider Your Current Setup
The first thing to think about is your current phone system—and don’t just consider what features and hardware your current system has. You also need to consider what’s working well and what’s not working; why are you looking for a new system in the first place? This will help you pinpoint things to change and give you clarity on what features to look for.
2. Identify Your Must-Haves
Considering your current setup will pinpoint some features you need in your new system. Add to your list of must-haves by thinking about your goals and the customer experience. How can you make it easier for your team to help your customers? Do you need the ability to move from a phone call to a text message if a customer prefers? What information do you need the phone system to pull up when someone calls?
3. Test Your Internet Connection
While a VoIP solution tends to be the best choice for many businesses, you will need a secure, fast internet connection for it to work. Without sufficient Internet speeds, your calls will suffer in terms of quality. This can cause additional stress for your team and hurt the customer experience.
4. Look at Your Options
You have two main categories when it comes to phone systems—a virtual phone system for small businesses (VoIP) or a landline.
Landlines are the traditional choice and they stand out for their reliability and the fact that they work well even if your internet connection isn’t great. They also won’t be affected by power outages.
But VoIP systems have numerous advantages that make them the ideal choice for most businesses, including the following:
- They are much more affordable.
- They require less maintenance.
- They are easier to install and set up.
- They are highly scalable.
- You can set them up to detect spam.
- They include extra features.
- You can answer your business phone from anywhere with an internet connection.
What to Look for in a Small Business Phone Solution
You already made a list of your must-haves for your phone system, but you may have missed a few things. Be sure to pay attention to the following in addition to the items on your list.
Ease of Use
The solution you choose should be easy to use and work with you, not against you. The bottom line is that ease of use helps your customers and team. Everyone will be less frustrated. When considering ease of use, think about the learning curve, the ease of setting it up, the ease of scaling it up, and whether it has useful features.
Flexibility
The biggest concern when it comes to flexibility is whether your chosen phone solution will scale up with your business. You want it to easily grow as your business grows. And if you currently have multiple locations, you want a system that can easily integrate across them to save you time.
