The Complete Guide to Buying a Phone System for Your Business

Many households have abandoned landlines completely. People rely on smartphones and tablets instead of using old-fashioned phones.

However, classic phone systems still have a place in the business world. The types of phones companies need may vary, depending on their work. Many businesses use a mixture of different phones when they install a phone system.

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As a business owner, you may struggle with buying a phone system. What should it include? What phone system features does your company need?

Answering these questions doesn't have to be complicated. Check out our guide to choose the best phone system for your company.

Choosing Between the Options for Phone Systems

Choosing a business phone system generally starts by identifying what features your business needs. Then, you can search for a model that fits your phone system budget.

For example, one virtual phone system provider may offer features that connect with your sales and customer service software. This connection allows you to link your phone to some customers and clients for easy access.

Other phone systems may include tools for remote workers. Some of their tools may include video conferencing and internal messaging assets.

However, you can't just consider the features these phone systems provide. Instead, this process also includes finding the best provider installation services.

Some providers may set up your new phone by installing apps on your desktop or phone apps. Others may follow a simplified model that works best with new phones or outfit old phones with adaptors.

Other providers allow you to complete this transaction online. All you have to do is enter the number of employees using this phone system. This information informs them how many phones to set up and send.

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Other providers may encourage you to work with a salesperson to oversee the transaction. This process can help you smooth out any problems you encounter along the way.

How Much Does a Business Phone System Cost

Once you've considered what phone system features you need, you can move on to comparing costs. Many phones range from $10-$90 per user monthly. This cost range stems from the different features and services these providers offer.

What standard features can you expect from your plan? Some of these standards include the following:

unlimited domestic calls
call hold
voicemail
call transfer

Higher tier plans generally offer more features than these. These plans expand on features by offering communication features like chat and instant messaging.

You can also purchase additional features such as international calls. These factors can affect how much your phone system will cost.

Another factor that will affect how much you spend is your business's size. The majority of these plans charge per user in their phone plans. So, consider how many employees will need access to these plans.

Some considerations include questions like these:

How many employees do you have?
Do all of your employees need access to the phones?
Will your remote workers need these phones?

These considerations can help you determine how much your company will need to spend. From there, you can compare the rates that these businesses offer.

Legacy vs. VoIP-Based Business Phone Systems

The next step is to consider is whether to choose legacy vs. VoIP-based business phone systems. Legacy business phone systems include those with a traditional landline network. Usually, these include on-premises devices that route calls within your company.

In contrast, VoIP systems route calls over the Internet. These plans generally use specialized phones with many additional features. They can also use traditional phones with adaptors.

There are various other differences between these phone systems. For example, landlines generally have higher voice quality than VoIP systems.

However, other VoIP systems improve their call quality by boosting it with an Internet connection. These systems may make the difference between these two systems less noticeable. VoIP systems can also offer cheaper rates and find increased flexibility for their phones.

There are other types of phone systems that fall into these broader categories. Some of these types include:

Private Branch Exchange (PBX)
IP PBX and IP-enabled PBX
Cloud-hosted IP PBX
Cloud VoIP or Cloud-Based Telephone Service

Each of these phones possesses different features. PBX systems are legacy systems that connect to phone lines within a business and route calls between extensions and outside lines within a business.

Next, there are IP PBX systems. However, instead of traditional phone lines, these route calls using the Internet. They usually run with software.

Next, there is the Cloud-hosted IP PBX system model for businesses to use. These systems host IP PBX on servers owned by the communications provider instead of your business's site.

Finally, Cloud VoIP systems use servers hosted by business phone providers and route calls through the Internet. This factor differs from traditional PBX models.

Check Out Online Reviews When Buying a Phone System

Another way to find the best phone system is to check online reviews. People will review anything online, including corporate phone systems.

So, browse and compare the reviews for different phone systems and providers. In particular, look for reviewers with businesses comparable to your company's size.

What do these companies say about these phone services? Do they benefit from the services? Do they feel that the rates are reasonable?

Or do people feel they pay too much for these phones? Once you understand how people feel about these companies, you can decide if you want to pay for these services.

Consider Buying a Phone System With Us

These considerations can make buying a phone system much more manageable. However, you may need help finding the best features and providers. That's where we come in.

We help businesses find significant discounts on B2B products. Here's how our process works. First, describe your business needs.

Then, we'll provide several suppliers that match your requirements. You can compare their features, prices, and deals. Finally, you can decide on the best product.

If you'd like to get started, go ahead! Contact us today to start this process.