3. Is your current analog system meeting your needs?
And finally, the last important question. After all, it's possible that an analog system is still working fine and not causing any issue—in which case you may not need to switch to VoIP yet. But even if that's the case, you should still think ahead and plan for the near future. If you plan to expand the business or hire in other areas in the next few years, a VoIP phone system is probably going to be a more flexible (and cost-effective) option.
Just something to think about.
6 tips for choosing the best VoIP provider or UCaaS platform for your business
Okay, you've decided that you want to move to a VoIP or UCaaS solution (or even just switch VoIP providers). Here are some things to keep in mind as you're shopping.
1. Will you need professional services?
Many small and even mid-sized businesses may not need this, but if you have a very complicated telephone system right now, or if you're a large enterprise, then you might want to check if your potential service provider offers affordable professional services.
Dialpad customers, for example, have access to a professional services team to help throughout the implementation with everything including tailored plans, network evaluations, customized training, design and configuration guidance, and go-live support.
2. Total cost of ownership
This is a big one. Not all VoIP plans are good value for money. There are many cheap and even "free" plans—and we put free in quotation marks because when a plan is free, it almost always charges you for every little thing as an add-on. Bottom line: Make sure to check the fine print and that there are no hidden costs before choosing a VoIP provider.
(Again, Dialpad's least expensive plan includes unlimited calling in your country, the US, and Canada and unlimited SMS/MMS messaging in the US and Canada—in addition to all your fundamental phone system features like call forwarding, voicemail, call routing, and more. All at just $15 per user per month.)
3. Choose a plan that matches your calling patterns
Make sure the plan you pick matches your business’ calling patterns. For example, if you make a lot of long-distance or international calls, you’ll want a plan with good international calling rates. If you don't make a lot of phone calls regularly and would rather be on a pay-per-minute VoIP plan, then hey, Dialpad might actually not be the best option for you because we don't have that—our plans all feature unlimited calling.
4. What is their customer support like?
This is very important to remember—not every VoIP provider has customer support. Many only offer support for an additional fee, and many also offer US-only support.
So, again, check the fine print and make sure that your provider includes customer support for free. (In our opinion, this is how it should be.)
As an example, Dialpad offers 24/5 web and chat support worldwide on the most basic Standard plan, and if you go one level up to the Pro plan, that opens up 24/7 and phone support. And no matter which plan you're on, you'll always have access to the thorough and detailed online Help Center.
5. Proven uptime reliability
Make sure that your service provider can guarantee an acceptable amount of uptime. Remember, maintenance and service quality is their responsibility, so they should hold themselves accountable. As an example, Dialpad guarantees 100% uptime for Enterprise customers.
6. Are other businesses or organizations using them?
Look for a VoIP vendor that is tried and tested by other reputable companies in your industry. A good vendor should have case studies or customer stories online. And if you're in a regulated industry like healthcare, law, or insurance, then don't skip this step because if there aren't any other businesses in your industry using that VoIP provider successfully, then unfortunately it doesn't bode well for you either.