Are VoIP Phone Systems Good For Small Businesses?
The way in which small businesses communicate is changing. Traditional methods of telephone communications are becoming obsolete.
Many companies are now investing in VOIP phone systems. VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol, and these are phone systems that are connected through an internet connection, to avoid having to pay for expensive telecommunications lines.
There are also many providers offering VoIP services to choose from, and there is a big market for VoIP services in business, but is it good for business or not? I am going to answer this question in this post.
Is VoIP Worth It For Small Business?
VoIP can seem like a very tempting alternative for small businesses. You can save a ton of money on your telecoms bills (20-40%), which means more money for other expenses like rent, food, and salaries.
However, is it really worth it?
We often hear about businesses switching to VoIP over the Internet. However, when a small business decides to switch to VoIP, we seldom hear about their experience.
This is why I decided to write this blog. I was an early adopter of VoIP and will share with you what I have learned:
As a small business owner…I remember when I first switched to VoIP for my phones, it was like the whole world opened up.
Suddenly I could answer my business calls from anywhere (office, home, mobile). I could also get new phone numbers easily and set them up for dedicated needs (like our sales line).
Not being tied to a specific location or device is very freeing and takes the concept of office phones to a new level.
Read on to discover everything a small business owner needs to know about VoIP for small business.
What Is VoIP For Business?
VoIP phone systems for your business are a new way to connect your phone calls with a local carrier and to make international calls from anywhere. If you want a cheap alternative to traditional business phone lines, VoIP is a good way to go.
If you aren’t familiar with these phone systems, you may be afraid of using them if you don’t know the basics, so here they are:
Basics: How does VoIP work?
Many companies have begun using VoIP systems, which are often cheaper and easier to use than traditional phone lines. They also tend to offer more features and greater flexibility.
VoIP phone systems connect your calls to a local carrier through the Internet. The phone services provider connects you with your local carrier through a VoIP gateway.
VoIP uses your regular phone number and converts it to an internet-based connection. VoIP works much like a traditional phone connection, but with a few differences.
For example, you can use VoIP to call someone over the internet from anywhere you are at the moment, and the call quality is good because the call is not traveling over a network of phone lines.
The internet is a great place to connect with people around the world. It is also a place to do business, and VoIP helps you connect to other businesses around the world. You don’t need to be physically connected to the internet to use VoIP.
Why would a business want to use VoIP?
VoIP has changed how businesses communicate with each other for years, but for many small business owners, the concept of VoIP is still a mystery.
VoIP systems are great for businesses that want to lower costs and streamline the way that they communicate, and they’re becoming increasingly common in homes and businesses.
Many individuals and businesses have used VoIP cloud-based phones for years, but more businesses and individuals are switching to VoIP phones because they offer many benefits.
However, they’re not for everyone. Here are some of the pros and cons to keep in mind when it comes to VoIP for small businesses:
What Are The Benefits of VoIP?
As a VoIP provider at Juern Technology, you could say we know our way around VoIP. Here’s a detailed dive into its pros and cons, starting with some benefits of VoIP phones for business:
- Lower cost
- More flexibility
- Better security
- Call clarity
- Easy to install and implement
- You can integrate with other systems
- More features
Lower Cost.
VoIP phones have become a lot more popular in the past few years for their ability to reduce costs for businesses that need phone systems.
One of the biggest benefits of VoIP systems is that they are cheaper than traditional phone systems and allows you to save money. In addition, there’s no need to upgrade your network to use VoIP.
Because VoIP is an integrated service, you don’t have to buy a new phone line or invest in new equipment when you need to scale your services.
Instead, you can simply purchase a VoIP phone system and use it to connect to a variety of services, including phone calls, voicemail, voicemail to email, conferencing, and more.
Since VoIP phone calls are made via the internet, there is less traffic between you and your caller. That means that your callers can call your business for a lot less than if they called you on your normal phone line.
More Flexibility – You Can Use It in a Different Way.
VoIP phone systems offer the flexibility to integrate with your company’s other networks, such as your email system, the internal phone system, and more.
With a VoIP phone system, you have complete portability and don’t need a physical connection to make and receive calls. You can also access your VoIP phone from any internet-enabled device, such as your mobile phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer.
Scaling your business phone services is easy with VoIP when you can add or remove extensions instantly so you can keep up with your growing business.
From making calls and sending messages to using an extension to make and receive phone calls, there are a myriad of ways VoIP phones can benefit your business.
Better Security.
Businesses choose to make the switch to a VoIP phone system because often, VoIP phone systems are more secure than traditional phone systems.
A common way for hackers looking to gain access to your network is to trick your employees through a phone call using urgency or fear, to reveal sensitive company information that the hacker can then exploit. This is known as social engineering!
VoIP can help with these threats with advanced IP technology including encryption and improved identity management.
Call Clarity.
VoIP phone calls are clear, crisp, and free from any background noise or interference. Since your call doesn’t have to travel through miles of phone lines, the calls are clearer.
As long as your internet connection is fast and stable enough, your calls will be free of lag and dropped calls. It’s important to check your bandwidth BEFORE purchasing a phone service.
Easy To Set Up And Install
Installing VoIP phone systems can be a simple process for most business owners. It is easy to change phone numbers, and VoIP phones work just like regular phone numbers.
You Can Integrate with Other Systems.
Traditional phone systems require a dedicated piece of equipment, such as a phone line or PBX.
A VoIP system is an integrated service, meaning you can use your VoIP phone system in a way that’s compatible with other networks. For example, you can set up your VoIP phone system to allow your employees to send email, have conference calls, and more.
More Features.
The features of VoIP are endless, here are just a few that could help your business become more flexible, efficient, and secure.
- Voice mail
- call recording
- custom caller ID
- voice mail to text features
- call monitoring
- call routing
- calendar integration
VoIP is a communications technology, that has a lot of positive aspects as well as a few disadvantages. The advantages are obvious: it’s easy to use, it’s inexpensive, and it’s convenient. On the other hand, VoIP can be complicated, expensive, and it’s not as easy as it seems. Let’s take a look at some of the disadvantages of VoIP, and find out which ones we can avoid!
What Are The Disadvantages of VoIP?
Many small businesses are hesitant to switch to VoIP phone systems because it has some disadvantages. It’s important that businesses carefully consider their VoIP technology needs before purchasing them. Here are some of the reasons it may not be a good fit for you.
- Some VoIP phone system providers are not very reliable
- VoIP can be complicated
- The qualify of VoIP service can be inconsistent
- Calls are reliant on internet connection
- Can be easily hacked if not using high-level encryption
- Need an E911 address connected to the VoIP line so emergency responders can get to you.
Some VoIP Phone System Providers Are Not Very Reliable.
One of the biggest disadvantages of using VoIP is that some VoIP providers are not very reliable, which means the quality of service may vary.
You should always keep your phone number and contact information, such as the address, contact, and contact information, on file in case your VoIP providers go out of business.
It’s a good idea to ask your IT services provider if they offer VoIP phone services so that you know who you are dealing with and you can have the convenience of consolidating that cost with your other IT costs. That way when you need help with your phones, you can call your IT support provider to help you resolve your issue.
VoIP Can Be Complicated.
VoIP can be complicated. While VoIP is a relatively new technology, it’s been around since the early 2000s. The problem is, you’re not going to find many experts out there. You will need to do some basic research, and then get your hands dirty!
VoIP is also more complicated to manage because you have to do a little extra work to keep things running smoothly. There are also a lot of options that can be overwhelming
Calls Rely On Internet Connection.
If you don’t have a robust internet connection to support your VoIP phones, it can be a nightmare. To be clear, your VoIP service is only as good as your internet connection. If you do not have sufficient bandwidth and your voice data/calls are not given priority, the service may be unreliable.
If you lose internet, you need to have a backup internet connection that takes over when the default internet goes down so you don’t miss important calls.
The Quality Of VoIP Service Can Be Inconsistent.
There are many factors that affect the call quality of a VoIP call, starting with your internet connection. Other common VoIP call quality issues can be caused by electromagnetic interference from other devices, loose connections, and malfunctioning phone accessories.
Data loss can also occur when packets of call information are sent over the internet intermixed with other data and reassembled at their destination. Some packets are dropped along the way due to network congestion and devices such as routers or switches, this is called packet loss.
We’ve all been on a frustrating conference call where part of the call was lost.
Can be easily hacked if not using high-level encryption.
VoIP has become very common, which makes it easy for someone to tap into the signal and take it from you. You should never share your VoIP phone number and password with anyone. You should also be careful about giving out your voicemail password.
We recommend working with trusted VoIP providers who conducts regular 3rd party security audits of their systems, practices excellent cybersecurity hygiene, had healthy password habits, monitors their activity around the clock to identify and mitigate threats.
Need an E911 address connected to the VoIP line so emergency responders can get to you.
Calling regular 911 on a traditional phone line is different from calling E911 from a VoIP phone because 911 systems were originally made for landlines. The problem is, 911 systems and VoIP technologies were not made to work together.
When using VoIP cloud-based phones, it is necessary to set up an E911 address or area connection to your VoIP phone line to be able to call and get assistance from emergency responders.
Is VoIP Reliable For Business?
If you’re wondering whether to make the move to VoIP or not, you should consider whether the phone line you have in place is sufficient for your business needs.
It may be hard to tell what your VoIP phone line’s capacity is, especially if you’re not sure how it is connected to your business’s network. VoIP phone lines aren’t necessarily reliable, and even though the internet speeds in your area may seem fast enough for your VoIP phone line, you should have a phone system provider check that.
How To Verify Your VoIP Connection Is Reliable
If you want to make sure your VoIP connection is reliable, you should make sure your current bandwidth is adequate, or that you plan ahead and upgrade your internet service if you are running a large business or plan to increase your number of employees.
If you’re planning to make the move to VoIP, you may have to do a bit of research to make sure your current VoIP phone line is enough.
However, the technology is now mature enough that most VoIP phone systems will have enough reliability that most calls are as good as a traditional phone call.
How To Set Up VoIP For Small Business
In conclusion, are Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone systems good for small businesses? If your business is just starting out, you’ll probably need to pay more than $400 for a business VoIP phone system. However, if you’re thinking about setting it up, make sure you’re doing your homework.
Steps to setting up VoIP for small business:
Assess your business requirements.
Determine your specific needs and goals for implementing a VoIP phone system. Consider all the factors such as the number of users, desired features, scalability, budget, and existing infrastructure or equipment that can be used.
Choose a VoIP Service Provider.
Find a provider that aligns with your business needs. Consider features, pricing plans, call quality, hardware, customer support, and compatibility with your existing hardware.
Make sure you have a reliable internet connection.
You’ll need a stable internet connection – and a redundant connection – so ensure your connection is reliable and has enough bandwidth to handle voice traffic.
Select your VoIP hardware.
Decide on the type of phones or devices you want. You can pick from physical phones, phones that run on your computer or mobile devices, or a combination of both.
Set up your network infrastructure.
Configure your network to support VoIP traffic. You may have to set up a virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) to give your voice traffic priority and configure Quality of Service (QoS) settings on your network equipment.
Configure your VoIP service.
Sign up with your choice of VoIP Service Provider and follow their instructions for setup. Typically, this includes setting up users, numbers, call routing, voicemail, and other features.
Configure your VoIP phones.
Connect your VoIP phones to your network with the help of your VoIP Service Provider. If you’re using softphones you may have to download and install the appropriate software.
Test your VoIP phones.
After setting everything up, test your VoIP phones to make sure they work properly. Make test calls, check call quality, test different features, and troubleshoot any issues that arise. Contact your service provider for help.
Train your employees how to use VoIP phones.
Provide employees with training on how to use the VoIP system effectively. Let them get familiar with using the basic features and consider creating a user guide or asking your provider for training.
What Is The Best VoIP Phone For Small Business?
VoIP has been a popular option for years. Today, there are many VoIP phone system providers available to choose from, with varying voice quality and call features. When choosing a VoIP service provider, it is important to understand what it can offer and what it can’t do. Remember to choose a service provider based on what you need, and what you want to do with the service. Consider your budget, features, compatibility, scalability, and customer service.
Furthermore, it’s important to note that technology and VoIP product offerings can change rapidly. That’s why it’s a good idea to research and compare the latest options available at the time of your purchase.
Find Out If VoIP Is Right For You
If you’re looking for the right phone provider to support you in a better way to communicate, look no further. “With over 10 years of experience, Juern Technology is committed to delivering the highest level of business communication available.”
Ready to upgrade your phone? Book a FREE 15-Minute Consult or give us a call at (210) 245-6900 to learn how we can help you upgrade your business!
