How to Choose a Business Cloud Phone System: What You Need to Know

Corporate Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems recently reached nearly $205 billion as a market. This shows how effective these systems are and why more companies are starting to use them. If you’d like to learn more about the benefits and how to choose the right system, we’re happy to help you. Here are the tips to help you get the most from a cloud phone system for your business.  

What Are the Benefits of a Cloud Phone System?

The business of phone systems is thriving, so you will have plenty of options to choose between. Start by learning about the benefits of a cloud phone system first. 

These benefits make cloud-based phone systems worthwhile:

These Systems Are Mobile

First, you can take cloud phone systems with you. You’re not tied to a set location like landlines. This is fitting for today’s world and people’s communication preferences. 

About 85% of people today own a smartphone. People access the web more often than not through mobile devices, so it’s only fitting that your business phone system reflects that. 

The flexibility of these systems means that you don’t need to be tied to your desk or even your office to take a phone call. You will get crystal clear call reception on the go and multiple devices. 

For example, you can answer your phone calls on a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or any other device you see fit. 

They’re Easy to Install

You will also like that VoIP systems are easy to install. Phone professionals can get you up and running in no time and with less mess and headache. 

Many companies are moving to the cloud because of how convenient it is. These systems are easy to install and are nowhere near as cumbersome as landlines. 

They can be set up anywhere that you have an internet connection, and you won’t have to worry about taking your phone line with you anywhere you decide to set up your new office. 

You Can Scale Your Phone Systems

When you scale a business, you need to have a plan that will help you do it effectively. Internet-based phone systems will allow you to add new employees with their own phone lines with less effort. 

With VoIP phone systems, you can add literally as many lines as you need to. You can scale your systems easily and without having to call in technicians to drill and do any heavy lifting. 

Because it’s so easy to scale, you can do it on your own time as your company grows. 

Cloud Phone Systems Are Cost-Effective

You always need to have your eye on your budget when you’re thinking about adding a phone system to your company. VoIP and other cloud-based business systems are cost-effective and will let you manage your budget. 

These systems are inexpensive from the initial installation to your daily use. Landline phones have long-distance calls and other issues that can drive up costs. With cloud-based phone systems, your calls are essentially free since you are accessing them with your internet connection. 

This evens the playing field for small businesses. You will be able to communicate every bit as effectively as the big companies without having to pay a lot of money in the process. Make sure to shop around for different price quotes to make sure you can install a phone system that can serve you without draining your operating costs. 

It Offers Excellent Performance 

Perhaps the most important benefit is that these phone systems is performance. They operate much better than traditional phone systems, with clearer calls and less of a chance of them dropping. 

We are quickly moving to internet speeds like 5G becoming commonplace. This is reflected in the call quality and clarity that you get from cloud-based systems.

You Can Serve Your Customers Effectively 

When your calls are clear and effective, you’ll also serve your customers better. People will hear you loud and clear, making your calls shorter and more productive. 

You will be less likely to play phone tag calling people back and forth because of calls dropping or being difficult to hear. This makes your callers more engaged and will help you increase your brand reputation.  

Choosing the Right Phone System

Since you know the benefits, you can now begin to look for the right phone system for your needs. There are a few key areas that you’ll need to look into to make sure that you’re making the right decision for your company. 

Start with these tips as you begin looking for the right installation:

Know Your Options

Consider the different types of business phone systems available to make sure that you get your money’s worth. VoIP is the standard, but there are different models that you can look for that will serve you. 

An in-house VoIP system involves your company hosting the system and housing the infrastructure. This requires more investment and higher operating costs. 

However, when something goes wrong with your system, you will be able to fix it more quickly and will have more control over making upgrades. This will also give you a better chance to manage the security of the phone system, and you can improve the quality by upgrading your infrastructure. 

Hosted VoIP systems are more common. With these systems, the hosting is done by another company. These are more cost-effective and tend to be facilitated easier. 

You can also choose a variety of subscription plans that work for you when you go with a hosted plan. 

Choose the Best Phone System Provider

The right business phone system provider will improve your company’s communication so that your company is more effective. Take the time to find out what the market offers and which companies have the highest quality service. 

Look for phone service reviews to see what people are saying about the company and their experience with using their systems. You can reach out to your peers to see who they use for their phone needs. Doing this will make it easier for you to feel comfortable with who you’re hiring. 

Prioritize Phone System Security

You can never be too careful about cybersecurity today. Companies are getting hacked left and right and are having their information compromised. This is of the utmost importance for cloud-based phone systems since they are entirely internet-based. 

If people hack your cloud system, they can also get access to other sensitive information that you relay during your calls. Any company that you do business with should have cybersecurity measures in place to help prevent this. 

At the same time, your IT team needs to also take protective measures and ensure that you are constantly improving your security the more you use these systems. 

Compare Your Costs

Be sure that you also take the time to shop around for the right phone package. Start comparing phone system costs to make sure that it’s worth your budget. 

Find out what kind of system you’d like to use for your company, and then talk to a few pros to see how much it’ll cost for installation and the subscription. In most cases, these packages are distributed based on the number of lines you have installed. The price will go up the more that you scale. 

You will also pay more depending on what add-ons and services you get with your subscription. When you speak to different phone service providers, you will get a clearer idea of what they offer and how they can serve you. 

Look Into Phone System Features

Anytime you decide to buy a cloud-based system, there are some features that you need to consider. In addition to pure phone communication, you can also add a fax line, e-mail, voicemail, and more. 

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is a feature that many people are starting to look into. This is a feature that will let you manage your call volumes. You will want to look into IVR if you’re a company that manages several incoming and outgoing calls or if you intend to in the future. 

This is especially important if you have a sales team or otherwise field plenty of calls throughout your work week. 

Call recording is another service you will want to look into, depending on your business model. For example, if you are a company that handles lots of customer service calls, it makes sense to keep archives and logs of each call. 

Recording your calls will give you the chance to help people that you’re training. You’ll be better able to correct mistakes and record pertinent information. Recorded calls allow for better troubleshooting, and you will have the right information available to you whenever you need to follow up with callers. 

Call queuing is another incredible feature to add if you receive high volumes of calls. It will let you keep people in a line as they wait to be served. You can choose callers out of the queue in order to respond to them as needed. 

These systems also have features like video chat that will help with the way that you manage meetings and communicate with people all over the world. 

Factor in Your Needs

The best thing that you can do for your company is considering your needs before opting for a phone service of any kind. Think about the number of lines that you need, your call volume, and the devices that you’ll be using to field your calls. 

Consider the size of your company and how your business is growing in the approaching years. When you are grounded in who you are as a company and how you communicate, it makes it easier to choose a company that will provide you with the right combination of equipment and service. 

Look for a Deal

When you’re shopping for a cloud-based phone system, make sure that you catch some promotions whenever possible. Many companies that offer these services will also bundle them with others. 

For example, the company that offers phone service might also help you with web hosting, meeting technology, and other features. When you combine these services, you can get them all at a less expensive price overall. You may also be able to look into seasonal discounts or other promotions that will reduce your cost. 

In many cases, companies will offer you discounts intended to sweeten the deal for new customers. You might get a lower promotional rate for a certain period of time before the new price sets in. 

You would also do well to try out the phone system before committing. If the company offers a trial of any kind, take advantage of it so that you know you will get your money’s worth from it. The options for phone service are plentiful, so definitely figure out what works best for your company before locking yourself into a contract.  

Find a Quality Cloud Phone System

These tips are useful anytime you need to buy a cloud phone system. Businesses of all kinds today rely on cloud-based services. Small businesses particularly can benefit from this service, so make sure that you do everything you can to find the right arrangement. 

Now that you have a better idea about what you can do to find a phone system, start speaking to some professionals that can give you the best deal.  

Cherry Networks can assist you with finding the right phone system. If you’re ready to chat, shoot us a message or call (800)880-2510.