Reviewing the Best Business Phone Systems on the Market
The number of business phone systems on the market has dramatically increased over the last few years. This can make choosing new business phone systems complex since almost all claim to be the best. You can simplify this process by taking a strategic approach to looking at different business phone systems. This article will review business phone systems and help you identify the best one for your business.
First, you need to understand what features are essential to your business phone system. Do you need a system that can handle a large number of calls? Are you looking for something easy to use and set up? Do you need a lot of features or just a few basics?
Once you know what's important to you, you can start narrowing down your options. To help you choose the best business phone system for your needs, we've compiled a list of the top systems on the market.
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Top business phone systems
1. RingCentral Office: RingCentral business phone systems offer many features, including auto-attendants, call forwarding, caller ID, and voicemail. It's easy to use and scalable so that it can grow with your business.
2. 8x8 Virtual Office: 8x8 business phone systems include many features, such as call waiting, caller ID, call forwarding, and voicemail. It's easy to use and comes with a mobile app to take your business calls on the go.
3. Ooma Office: Ooma business phone systems offer many features, including call forwarding, caller ID, voicemail, and internet faxing. It's easy to use and set up, and it's one of the market's most affordable business phone systems.
4. Vonage Business: Vonage business phone systems offer many features, including call waiting, caller ID, call forwarding, and voicemail. It's easy to use and set up and integrates with many popular business applications.
5. Dropbox Business Phone System: Dropbox, a business phone system, includes many features, such as call forwarding, caller ID, voicemail, and internet faxing. It's easy to use and integrates with Dropbox to manage your business calls and files in one place.
To choose the best business phone systems for your business, consider your needs and budget, and compare the features of different systems. With some research, you can find the perfect business phone system for your business.
Determine the Basic Business Phone Business Phone System Needs of the Company
You should ask yourself:
- How many phone extensions do you require?
- Do you need voice mail for your employees?
- Are you going to want a mobile option?
- Will there be a live operator to direct calls?
- How much phone traffic do you expect?
The next step of the business phone systems review is to seek out different manufacturers and see what they have available. You can accomplish this through a standard internet search with basic terms like ‘business phone systems and ‘business phone vendors.’ The information you’re looking for can generally be found on the product feature page of the company’s website.
You will want to compare business phone systems from at least three vendors. Below are a few essential features to look for when conducting your business phone system review.
Comparing business phone system vendors
For businesses that are expanding, it is essential to choose a scalable business phone system. Business phone systems can be developed as your business grows.
The cost of the business phone systems is essential. You will see competing prices for different products, along with potential upgrades. The lowest price isn’t necessarily the best deal here – it can sometimes be worth spending a little extra and getting a higher quality phone. If a phone is outside your price range, you should probably move on to the next.
- Auto-Attendant: An auto-attendant is a feature that allows calls to be automatically routed to the correct extension. This can be a valuable time-saver for businesses with high call volume.
- Call Forwarding: Call forwarding is a feature that allows calls to be forwarded to another number. This can be useful for business owners who need to be available by phone even when they are not in the office.
- Caller ID: Caller ID is a feature allowing business owners to see the names and numbers of incoming callers. This can be useful for screening calls and identifying sales leads.
- Voicemail: Voicemail is a feature that allows business owners to record messages for employees who are not available to take calls. This can be useful for business owners who need to leave messages for employees out of the office.
- Call Capacity and Scalability: Call capacity is the most critical factor in choosing a business phone. You will want to ensure that the business phone system can handle the volume of calls you expect. If you have a business with heavy call volume, you may want to consider a business phone system with unlimited calling.
You may also want to see if their phone systems have unique features that can benefit your company. This can include conference calls, call recording, virtual phone numbers, call forwarding, and route-to-fax capabilities. Many modern business phone systems can also provide videoconferencing between remote locations and automated outbound dialing for sales and marketing campaigns.
Another factor is whether the business phone system allows the opportunity for growth. You might only need a small number of phone lines now, but that can quickly change if your business expands. Many companies will therefore want to be able to add new users to the business phone system and switch phone numbers around as people leave or move to different departments.
Dependability of Business Phone Systems
Your phone system review should also look at the manufacturer’s dependability if the company has been around for at least three years. If they require a mandatory service contract to use their product, it’s generally not. You should also see if they are willing to provide references and point you to past or current customers.
Once you’ve narrowed the business phone systems to a few choices, you should call the vendors and ask for a product demonstration. This may take some time, but it will also provide some of the most objective data from the business phone systems review since you can compare how the different models work and decide which is right for your business.