5 Critical Steps When Switching to VoIP - DON'T MESS UP!

Are you considering switching to a VoIP business phone system? We can understand why - with all the potential benefits for your business. It's a decision that could save money and make communication infinitely more efficient. However, due to the complexity of transitioning from an old-fashioned landline business phone system to VoIP, if done incorrectly, it can have disastrous results. 

That's why we've put together this post on five critical steps when switching to a VoIP business phone system to help ensure that everything runs smoothly and without any serious hiccups along the way. So read on for some essential tips when deciding to switch to VoIP.

Related: You Deserve Full-Service from Your VoIP Provider

VoIP: What Is It?

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a modern communication technology that allows people to make calls over the internet. In contrast to traditional telephone systems, they are cloud-based, which means they are more reliable, easier to set up, and less expensive to implement and maintain. The system won't shut down in the event of a power outage. You don't have a system on your property that could malfunction (taking you out of business). In addition, you can connect phones and devices from any location and you can make system changes more quickly.

With VoIP, users can also access various features such as CRM integrations, unique call forwarding and call routing options, multiple location connections, voicemail to email and voicemail to text, that are not available or as user friendly with traditional systems. Additionally, many VoIP providers offer emergency services for customers in specific locations. As more companies switch over to a VoIP business phone system for their business operations and communication needs, this technology is here to stay in the future.

How To Switch to VoIP in Five Easy Steps

Now that you know more about VoIP, you need to know the steps to help you transition smoothly. Read these five steps below before starting anything with your business phone system.

Related: Discover how Snom VoIP can help your business

1. Understand the Migration Process

When switching to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), it is critical to understand the migration process. You may have existing infrastructure or systems that must be transitioned over, like your phone numbers, fax numbers, or equipment like paging systems and remote access equipment. 

Additionally, you may need to evaluate if your current bandwidth,network topology and equipment such as cabling are suitable for VoIP technology. By understanding your needs and those of the VoIP technology, you can ensure a successful transition with minimal risk and disruption. 

Your VoIP vendor should be well-versed in this area and can provide valuable insight when preparing for such a move. Overall, understanding the migration process will help foster trust between yourself and your VoIP vendor by demonstrating that you know what's happening as part of the transition process.

2. Take Time To Evaluate the Startup Cost and Monthly Billing

When choosing the right VoIP system for your business, there are many details to consider. Before making the switch, you need to take some time to evaluate the startup cost and monthly billing associated with the service. 

Depending on how you plan to use VoIP and what features you require, these costs can vary significantly between providers. Therefore, make sure you compare all available options in-depth, so your selection best fits your technical requirements and budget. Doing your research upfront will help ensure a smoother overall transition once you decide to switch.

3. Decide Between Hosted or Onsite VoIP

When switching to a VoIP business phone system, a critical decision for businesses is choosing hosted or onsite VoIP. Choosing the right one requires understanding each option's advantages and disadvantages. For example, onsite business phone systems provide greater control over user accounts and on premise business phone systems, allow for more customized add-ons and support, and are responsible for all their own data in-house. 

On the other hand, cloud hosted business phone services have more considerable scalability, lower costs to get set up and running, and often come with added  redundancy and reliability because the system isn’t running on onsite servers. Understanding the differences between each option allows businesses to choose the right VoIP business phone solution that most effectively meets their individual business needs.

4. Make Sure To Get IP Phones for Compatibility

Switching to a VoIP business phone system can be a challenging task if you have a variety of devices in use. You will need to replace old phones with VoIP business phones and equipment. 

Not only will this help your system work smarter, but it can also save time that would be wasted while troubleshooting any other type of phone on the VoIP line. In addition,VoIP business phones are configurable, so you can easily customize your settings or add additional services as needed. Finally, dedicated VoIP business phones guarantee reliability and quality, allowing VoIP users to stay connected without interruption, call quality issues or dropped calls. 

VoIP business phones offer several benefits, such as simplified and faster programming changes. Unlike traditional phone systems, VoIP allows for easy implementation of new phone models without requiring a complete system overhaul. This gives businesses the flexibility to choose from different phone manufacturers and models for their users, rather than being restricted to a single manufacturer.

Best of all, upgrades are easier with IP phones - meaning users won't have to replace their existing system every few years to keep up with technological advances. So while making a move to VoIP can seem intimidating at first glance, with some research and preparation, you can easily ensure you're ready for success by utilizing IP phones.

Related: Learn more about Our Phones Here. 

5. Figure Out the Special Features You Would Like To Use

Switching to a VoIP phone system for your business can be a great way to stay competitive, improve customer service and streamline communication costs. However, it's essential to take some time beforehand to figure out the unique features and options you would like your system to have when switching. 

VoIP systems offer features such as voicemail-to-text message conversion, web conferencing, automated attendant, and call forwarding that can make life easier for you and your customers. Careful consideration of the features offered in VoIP packages will help ensure you get the most out of your new system while meeting your current business needs.

New systems of any type can have hundreds of new features, if they aren't implemented correctly you will never realize their full value to your business. 

Our Callifi team has many years of experience designing, installing and maintaining systems for many different types of businesses so we can help guide you to designing a system that best improves your business phone system.

Keep These Steps in Mind When Switching to VoIP

VoIP is an essential tool for businesses today. If you are not using it, you are at a competitive disadvantage. The question then becomes: how do you switch to VoIP without disrupting your business? Unfortunately, this is where many companies make a critical mistake - they try to do it themselves, or work with a company that cannot design and program a system around their needs. 

As we've seen, there are many moving parts, and unless you have experience in IT andTelecommunications infrastructure and design, chances are you're going to mess something up. That's why we recommend working with an expert who can help you through the process and ensure a smooth transition to VoIP.