voip | The Blog Pros

March 26, 2024

8 Best Video Conferencing Software (Free and Paid)

Recently, our users have asked our thoughts on the best video conferencing software for small businesses.

With many teams working remotely, having a video conferencing solution is essential for firms. It allows you to communicate with team members and clients over video from all around the world.

In this article, we will show you the best video conferencing software so you can pick the right solution for your website.

How to Choose the Best Video Conferencing Software

Video conferencing software helps improve business communication by allowing participants to connect via video. Whether you have a fully remote team or have client dealings from around the world, a video chatting solution is essential for meetings in today’s world.

When choosing a video chat solution for your business or WordPress site, there are multiple things to look for. Plus, the size of your team and your budget also play a key role in picking the right software for your business.

Here are some key factors to look for when choosing a video conferencing solution:

Video and Audio Quality – One of the most important things to look for is the reliability and quality of video and audio during meetings.
Ease of Use – Another important factor to consider is how easy it is to connect to meetings, schedule meetings, integrate it with a calendar, share call links, and more. The right software should be beginner-friendly and should not have a huge learning curve.
Number of Participants Allowed – Many platforms have a limit on how many members can join a video conference. You should look for a solution that allows a maximum number of participants.
Video Recording & Additional Features – The right video conference solution should go beyond offering basic features of video calling. For instance, look for video recording options, collaborative features like whiteboards, screen sharing, mobile apps, and more.

That said, let’s look at some of the best video conferencing software you can pick for your business.

1. RingCentral

RingCentral is the best video conferencing software in the market. The VoIP phone service offers powerful features that let you connect teams and clients via video without any interruption.

You get features like video call scheduling, secure meeting hosting, screen sharing, whiteboard, breakout rooms, meeting recordings, and more. RingCentral supports up to 200 participants in a single meeting and lets you expand the capacity even further with addons.

Other than that, the video conferencing software offers advanced meeting insights, live transcription, AI-powered noise reduction, presentation mode, webinars, and more.

One of the standout features of RingCentral is that it easily integrates with third-party tools like Slack, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace (G Suite), and more. You even get apps for iOS and Android, so your team can attend video calls on the go.

Pros:

Powerful video conferencing features
Up to 200 meeting participants
Seamless integrations
Apps for desktop, mobile, and tablet
Powerful real-time analytics
AI-powered noise reduction
Join calls without installing software or creating an account

Cons:

Lacks social media integration

Why We Recommend RingCentral: If you’re a small to medium sized business that’s looking for a video conferencing solution, then we highly recommend RingCentral. It is packed with features and makes it very easy to set up video conferencing for your business.

Pricing: RingCentral prices start from $20 per month per user, and you can invite up to 100 participants.

2. Nextiva

Nextiva is a popular business phone service that offers a video conferencing feature. It is a cloud-based platform that helps businesses of all sizes solve their phone needs.

With Nextiva, you get desktop and mobile apps, so your team members can connect remotely from anywhere. It also provides high-quality video and audio during meetings.

Other features offered by Nextiva include screen sharing, file sharing, whiteboard, live streaming, and webinar support.

Besides that, Nextiva also provides a toll-free number, dedicated apps for different devices, call forwarding, live chat, CRM, call analytics, advanced interactive voice response (IVR), internet FAX, and more.

Note: We use Nextiva at WPBeginner for our business phone service. In our experience, Nextiva is the best small business phone system in the market from both features and pricing points of view.

Pros:

Powerful VoIP phone features
Unlimited video conferencing
Mobile and desktop apps
Seamless integration with CRMs
Unlimited call and video conference recording
Voicemail transcription

Cons:

Limits on video calling and video meetings

Why We Recommend Nextiva: We highly recommend Nextiva to small businesses that need an enterprise-level business phone service with a video conferencing feature at affordable prices.

Pricing: Nextiva prices start from $14.95 per user per month.

3. Google Meet

Google Meet is part of the Google Workspace platform that was previously known as G Suite.

It is an excellent solution for small businesses and teams that need a video conferencing solution. You can use a Google account to create a free video conference and invite up to 100 participants for up to 60 minutes at no cost.

The best part about using Google Meet is that you get to use it with other Google products. For instance, it easily integrates with Google Calendar, Sheets, Docs, and more. You can also use a professional business email address and cloud storage.

Google Meet offers high-quality video calls, noise cancellation features, live captions, presentation mode, whiteboard, and secure encrypted calls.

Pros:

Invite up to 100 participants for free
Simple and easy to use
Seamless Google Workspace integration
Professional email address
Encrypted video calling

Cons:

Lacks VoIP business phone features
No transcription feature
Difficult to integrate with third-party tools outside of Google

Why We Recommend Google Meet: We believe Google Meet is the perfect video conferencing solution for new startups and small teams. It offers a free version that lets you invite up to 100 participants and works smoothly with other Google Workspace apps.

Pricing: Google Meet is a free solution. However, it also offers premium plans starting from $6 per user per month.

4. Zoom

Zoom is one of the most popular video conferencing software in the world. You can easily set up an online conference call or meetings, as the software is beginner-friendly to use.

The best part about Zoom is that it supports up to 100 participants and unlimited 1 on 1 meetings in the free plan. However, you’re restricted to only 40 minutes of video conferencing time in the free version.

Besides that, Zoom offers apps for different operating systems and devices. This allows cross platform compatibility and gives flexibility to team members and clients to easily join meetings from any device.

Zoom also offers other features like 2-factor authenticated meetings, screen sharing, whiteboards, live polls, video annotations, and more.

Pros:

Easy to use and set up
End-to-end call encryption
Easily integrates with CRMs and third-party tools
Supports up to 100 participants in the free version

Cons:

Free plan limited to 40 minutes meeting duration
Premium plans can be expensive for small businesses

Why We Recommend Zoom: If you’re a small business or a remote team that’s looking for a cost-effective video conferencing solution, then we highly recommend Zoom. Its free version has all the basic features for video conferencing and supports 100 attendees.

Pricing: Zoom is a free video conferencing software. However, its premium plans start from $149.90 per year per user.

5. Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is another popular video conferencing software and is a great alternative to Google Meet.

It is perfect for enterprises, small businesses, educational institutes, and personal users who are already in the Microsoft ecosystem.

You get all the standard video conferencing software features with Microsoft Teams. For instance, it offers screen sharing, call recording, group chat during video calls, and more.

Other than that, it integrates with Office 365 apps and offers a custom-branded email address with Outlook.

Pros:

Supports up to 10,000 members
Highly customizable
Easily integrates with Microsoft 365 apps
Good video conferencing features

Cons:

Works best in the Microsoft ecosystem

Why We Recommend Microsoft Teams: If you’re already using Office 365 and other Microsoft products, then we highly recommend Microsoft Teams. It supports up to 10,000 members in a single meeting and offers great features.

Pricing: Microsoft Teams prices start from $4 per month per user and supports up to 300 participants per meeting.

6. GoToMeeting

GoToMeeting is the next video conferencing software on our list. It offers great features and is versatile software for businesses of all sizes.

For starters, you get mobile apps for iOS and Android devices. They are very easy to use and allow clients and team members to take video calls from anywhere.

Besides that, the software offers screen sharing, meeting drawing tools, customizable backgrounds, and presenter controls. You also get cloud storage to save recordings and meeting transcription. GoToMeeting easily integrates with other tools like Slack, Outlook, and Salesforce.

Pros:

Easy and versatile software
Screen sharing and video recording feature
Meeting transcription
Cloud storage
Integrates with other tools

Cons:

No free version to try the software

Why We Recommend GoToMeeting: GoToMeeting is great for companies looking for a video conferencing solution that is mobile-friendly. It offers dedicated apps that are beginner-friendly to use.

Pricing: GoToMeeting prices start from $12 per user per month and supports up to 150 participants.

7. Ooma Meetings

Ooma Meetings is a popular cloud phone service that offers a video conferencing solution.

It offers HD video calling, call scheduling, a desktop app, conference calls, call analytics and queuing, call recording, and more.

One of the benefits of using Ooma Meetings is that it easily integrates with Google and Microsoft Office 365, Salesforce, and other tools. Another unique feature of Ooma Meetings is that 2 or more people can share their screen at the same time.

Pros:

High-quality video conferencing
Simultaneous screen sharing
Video call recording
Voicemail transcription
Seamless CRM integration
Toll-free number

Cons:

Lacks video conferencing collaborative features

Why We Recommend Ooma Meetings: If you require multiple people to present at the same time and share their screens, then Ooma Meetings is the perfect solution.

Pricing: Ooma Meetings is available in the Ooma Office Pro plan, which will cost you $24.95 per month.

8. Skype

Skype is one of the most popular video chatting software in the industry. The best part is that it is completely free to use.

With dedicated apps for mobile and desktops, Skype is extremely versatile and easy to use. In the free version, you can invite up to 50 participants for a video call.

Skype also offers basic features like call recording and live subtitles, smart messaging, screen sharing, and more. However, it doesn’t offer more collaborative features like other video conferencing software.

Pros:

HD video calling
Call recording and live subtitles
Screen sharing feature
Private conversations
Dedicated apps for all devices

Cons:

Lacks a lot of collaborative features

Why We Recommend Skype: If you are looking for a free solution to connect your team and clients via video, then Skype is an excellent solution.

Pricing: Skype is a free video conferencing software. It also offers premium plans that start from $5 per month.

Which is the Best Video Conferencing Software?

After reviewing and testing multiple video conferencing software, we believe that RingCentral is the best solution for all types of businesses.

It offers powerful features and supports up to 200 participants in a single video call. Plus, it is very easy to use and set up. You get dedicated apps for all devices and other features like AI-powered noise reduction, analytics, and integrations.

As an honorable mention, you can also check out Nextiva. It is a popular business phone service that also offers a video conferencing feature.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a free option, then Google Meet is perfect. You can invite up to 100 people in the free version for a video call.

We hope this article helped you learn about the best video conferencing software. You may also want to see our list of the best auto dialer software for small business and how to create a free business email address.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 8 Best Video Conferencing Software (Free and Paid) first appeared on WPBeginner.

March 22, 2023

Nextiva vs RingCentral vs Ooma: Which is Better? (Compared)

Are you comparing Nextiva vs RingCentral vs Ooma to find out the best VoIP provider for your business?

Many small businesses rely on phone services to communicate with customers and Nextiva, RingCentral, and Ooma are among the top business VOIP providers on the market.

In this article, we’ll compare Nextiva vs RingCentral vs Ooma to help you decide which one is the best small business VoIP provider.

Comparing Nextiva vs RingCentral vs Ooma

Comparing Nextiva vs RingCentral and Ooma VOIP Services

Many small businesses use VoIP phone services for sales, customer support, and team collaboration.

Nextiva, RingCentral, and Ooma are considered among the top VoIP providers for small businesses.

They offer toll-free numbers, virtual numbers, cheaper local and international call rates, easier team collaboration, and more.

Business phone services is a highly competitive industry and all of our top three contenders offer similar features and pricing. This makes it difficult for small business owners to choose one of them for their business.

To make this easier, we’ll do a side-by-side comparison of Nextiva, RingCentral, and Ooma for the best business VoIP service providers.

We’ll look into the following criteria.

Pricing Comparison
Feature Comparison
Available Integrations
Customer Support Options
Mobile App Comparison
Conclusion: Nextiva vs RingCentral vs Ooma – Which is The Best Small Business VoIP Provider?

That being said, let’s take a look at Nextiva vs RingCentral vs Ooma to find out which one is the best small business VOIP provider.

Pricing Comparison

Pricing is one of the top deciding factors for small businesses looking for a VoIP service provider.

All three of our contenders offer very competitive pricing for similar features. However, they use a variable pricing model based on the number of users, plan duration, and features.

This makes it difficult to decide which VoIP service provider is cheaper for small businesses.

Nextiva Pricing

Nextiva has a variable pricing model where your pricing changes based on the number of users, payment duration, and feature plans.

For instance, you can get started for $18.95 per user each month (paid annually) if you have more than 20 users.

If you have fewer than 4 users, then you can get started for $23.95 per user each month (paid annually).

This means that your costs will go down as your team size grows and you need to add more users to your account.

RingCentral Pricing

RingCentral pricing plans use a slightly different pricing model.

Their Essential plan starts at $19.95 per user each month (paid annually) for up to 20 users.

This means that if you have a smaller team of fewer than 20 users, then you can save some money and have room for growth too.

Ooma Pricing

Ooma offers pretty straightforward fees. Their rates differ based on which plan you choose regardless of the number of users.

This means that if you choose the Essential plan, then you will pay at the same rate when your team grows.

Ooma only offers month-to-month payment plans which means you pay as you go and can easily cancel at any time.

Winner: Tie – All three of our contenders offer similar pricing that is very close to each other.

Feature Comparison

Perhaps the most important thing when choosing a VoIP provider is the features they offer.

Nextiva, RingCentral, and Ooma all offer a ton of features with each of their business phone service plans.

However, you’ll need to choose one based on your own requirements. For instance, video conferencing may not be important for some small businesses, while it could be a deal breaker for others.

Another important thing to consider is which pricing plan includes the features you need. As all of them offer different sets of features for each VoIP plan.

Nextiva Features

As one of the best business VoIP providers on the market, Nextiva offers a unified communications platform with the most value-to-money features.

Unlimited domestic calls in US and Canada
HD voice quality
Free local and toll-free number plus number porting allows you to bring your existing number as well.
Voicemail, voicemail to email notifications, voicemail to SMS, voicemail transcription
Support for desk phones, conference phones, and other telephone devices you may want to use.
Apps for browsers, iPhone, Android, and desktop computers
Video meetings and conferencing
Call logs, call recording, call routing, auto attendant, IVR, and more.

Plus, you can share the same number with different team members.

Contact management features make it super easy to follow up on calls and don’t let the leads slip away.

You can also integrate your own CRM software or use Nextiva CRM for better lead management.

Basically, you can run your own small cloud-based call center at the fraction of the cost with highly advanced features to save you time and resources.

RingCentral Features

When it comes to features RingCentral gives tough competition to Nextiva.

They offer all the business phone features that a small business would need and then some more.

Unlimited calling for the US and Canada.
Free local and toll-free phone numbers.
SMS and voicemail support
Team messaging
Voicemail to text alerts
Video meetings and conferencing
Desk phone support
You can receive calls on the go using your phone or laptop
Real-time call analytics

RingCentral offers all common VoIP phone features like call forwarding, number sharing, call waiting, call management, and more.

It also has integrations for popular CRM software like Salesforce, Zendesk, and more.

Ooma Features

Ooma Office offers a bunch of features in their VoIP plans that will help you grow your small business.

However, some features are available in their more expensive plans. For instance, you can only get access to the Desktop app and text messaging with their PRO plan.

Following are the features you can expect to get based on the plan you choose:

Local and toll-free numbers
Unlimited local calls to the US, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico
Call features like recording, call waiting, voicemail, and more.
Microsoft Dynamics, Office 365, and Google integrations are available
Salesforce Integration (only with Pro Plus plans)

While Ooma offers the most commonly requested features for a VoIP provider, it does lack several features offered by the other top contenders.

Winner: Nextiva

Available Integrations

Integrations help you connect your VoIP phone service to other apps and platforms that you may already be using.

Many businesses need integrations with CRM software like Salesforce, Zendesk, Hubspot, and more. This helps them easily manage customer relationships and can keep track of leads without losing them.

Let’s see how our top contenders stack up when it comes to integrations.

Nextiva Integrations

Nextiva offers comprehensive integrations suitable for all types of small businesses.

It has ready-to-use integrations for all the top CRM software, productivity suites, team communication apps, and more.

This includes Salesforce, Zendesk, HubSpot, Zoho, Microsoft Outlook, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, and more.

RingCentral Integrations

RingCentral offers an extensive set of integrations as apps and add-ins that you can add to your account.

They offer several apps for Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Dynamics, and more.

Their integrations also cover the top CRM software that you may already be using including Salesforce, Zoho, HubSpot, and more.

Ooma Integrations

Ooma does not offer as many integrations as Nextiva or RingCentral. Their Pro plan offers integration with Google and Microsoft Office 365.

You’ll need to upgrade to their Pro Plus plan to unlock Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics 365 integrations.

Apart from that, you can still use it with your own CRM software but it will be less efficient to track contact history and manage leads within your phone or CRM software.

Winner: Nextiva

Customer Support Options

Unlike traditional phones, VoIP phones are a relatively new technology so many small businesses may need a little bit of help to make the most out of it.

This is why customer support is an important aspect to consider when choosing your VoIP phone service provider.

Let’s compare how our top contenders stack up in terms of customer support options.

Nextiva Customer Support

Nextiva customer support is available through 24/7 live chat, email tickets, and phone.

Plus, they have a comprehensive knowledge base that covers all the commonly asked questions by users.

Finding answers in the knowledge base is fast and easiest way to fix things on your own. However, if you need to speak with someone, then you’ll find their phone and live chat support agents friendly and helpful.

Customer support representatives know their stuff very well and wouldn’t mind going to great lengths to help you out.

RingCentral Customer Support

RingCentral offers support through 24/7 phone, live chat, and email tickets. They also have an extensive library of articles, how-to guides, manuals, and more.

Support response times are fast and representatives are well-trained and highly helpful.

Ooma Customer Support

Ooma offers the same customer support options as the other contenders on the list.

This includes 24/7 live chat support, email tickets, self-help articles, and phone support.

Winner: Tie

Mobile App Comparison

With many businesses switching to a remote or hybrid work model, it is important to consider the mobility of your VoIP service.

This allows remote teams to stay in touch and never miss a call even when away from the desk.

All three of our contenders offer mobile apps for Android and iOS devices. Let’s see how their mobile apps perform against each other.

Nextiva Mobile Apps

Apart from laptop and desk phone systems, Nextiva also offers apps for iOS and Android smartphones.

These apps come with a sleek and easy-to-use interface that allows you to easily make and receive calls, text with team members, manage contacts, and more.

RingCentral Mobile Apps

RingCentral also offers mobile apps for Android and iOS smartphones. These apps are highly intuitive and allow you to easily manage calls while on the go.

Additionally, RingCentral offers separate apps for Meeting Rooms, which is their video conferencing platform.

Ooma Mobile Apps

Ooma doesn’t offer desktop apps for its Essential plan but it does offer mobile apps for all small business plans including the Essential plan.

The app provides easier contact management, and call and text functions. However, user reviews indicate that it does not work very well for many users.

Winner: RingCentral

Conclusion: Nextiva vs RingCentral vs Ooma – Which is The Best Small Business VoIP Provider?

We believe that Nextiva is the best small business VoIP phone provider on the market.

It offers competitive pricing, a ton of features, the best call quality, lower rates for international calls, and a wide range of numbers to choose from (local, international, toll-free, vanity numbers, and more).

→ Click Here to Get Started with Nextiva ←

Note: WPBeginner users can use our Nextiva Coupon to get 20% off when they sign up.

RingCentral comes as a very close second. They offer many of the features offered by their competitors and a slightly better mobile app experience. You can use our RingCentral coupon to get a discount.

We hope this article helped you compare Nextiva vs RingCentral vs Ooma to find out which one is the best VoIP service. You may also want to see our pick of the best email marketing services for small business, or see our article on how to get a free business email address.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post Nextiva vs RingCentral vs Ooma: Which is Better? (Compared) first appeared on WPBeginner.

December 9, 2022

14 Best Team Communication Tools for Small Business (2022)

Are you looking for the best team communication tools for your small business?

As businesses move to remote work, they need tools to communicate with team members. Choosing the right tools can boost productivity, enhance morale, build community, and enhance efficiency among your team.

In this article, we have hand-picked some of the best team communication tools for small businesses.

These tools are based on our hands-on experience because we have been a remote company since we started in 2009, and now we have over 200+ team members across 45 different countries. As a remote company, our teams use several of these tools to collaborate.

Communicatiion tools for small businesses

How to Choose The Best Team Communication Tool for Your Business?

There is a growing need for better team communication tools as more and more businesses adapt remote and hybrid work culture.

For a small business website, these tools improve employee communication and enable them to work more efficiently.

However, there are just so many different communication tools available that it becomes hard to decide which one to choose without spending too much money.

First, you need to decide what kind of tools your team needs to work better.

For instance, if your sales team needs to make calls and follow up on leads, then you need a virtual business phone system like Nextiva and RingCentral.

Similarly, if you need to make sure that teams can collaborate on different projects, track progress, and get work done, then Slack + Asana may be the right tools for your business

You can save money by not opting for separate tools for the same tasks.

For instance, if you are using Google Workspace, then Google Meet is the perfect alternative to Zoom. Similarly, Office 365 with Microsoft Teams will save money on Slack + Zoom.

Tip: See our comparison of Google Workspace vs Office 365 to see how they stack up against each other.

1. Nextiva

Nextiva is the best omnichannel communication toolkit for businesses. It combines phone, chat, audio/video meetings, contact management, and more in one communication suite.

Employees can collaborate via chat, SMS, and video calls. Their business phone service offers toll-free numbers and teams can share the same phone numbers to easily manage contacts and leads.

Nextiva offers easy-to-use automated reminders for teams and customers around forgotten tasks, follow-ups, or check-ins to increase workplace productivity.

Plus, it integrates with popular calendars, email, Google Workspace, Microsoft teams, and many more.

We use Nextiva in our own business because it helps us get a virtual business phone number that can be shared across our team members, so we can help our customers. The auto-attendant feature helps guide the call to the right person.

Pricing: $18.95 per user per month

2. Slack

Slack is the most popular small business team communication tool on the market right now.

It is used by many Fortune 500 companies like IBM, T-Mobile, NASA, Target, and more.

Slack offers a digital HQ for businesses and teams. You can organize your virtual workspace in channels. These are chatrooms where your teams can collaborate and post updates. Team members can also do 1:1 chats.

Slack also comes with audio calls, video updates, and integration with almost all top productivity tools, CRM software, virtual phone services, and more.

We use Slack in our management company, Awesome Motive, because it allows for asynchronous communication across teams. Slack has notification features that respect timezones considering we have team members in 45 different countries.

Pricing: Paid plans start from $7.25 per user per month.

3. Google Workspace

Google Workspace is Google’s business productivity suite of applications. It includes Google Drive, Gmail, Calendar, Google Meet, Chat, Forms, Sites, and more.

You can use your own domain name for your Google Workspace account and create a professional business email address for yourself, your teams, and your employees.

Your team space will be hosted on Google’s cloud infrastructure which makes it very fast, reliable, and an extremely secure internal communication tool.

We have been using Google Workspace for over a decade for our business email address. It gives you the familiar Gmail and Google calendar interface which your team will love. We use the Shared Drive feature for cloud storage which is really good for access control on documents & files.

This year the quality of Google Meet calls have improved drastically, so we have cancelled our Zoom subscription and are using Google Meet for our group meetings.

Pricing: Starting at $6 per user per month

4. HubSpot

HubSpot is a business communication suite that offers a Sales platform, marketing tools, CRM software, and more.

It allows your teams to easily manage leads and customers using a robust dashboard. Improving communications between team members and customers to ensure that nothing slips through the cracks.

Unlike other communication tools on the list, HubSpot doesn’t offer team chat, audio, or video calls. However, as sales software it allows sales and marketing teams to communicate and work together more efficiently.

We use HubSpot to organize our partnership contacts, and it acts as a single source for our various teams.

Pricing: Limited free account, paid plans for marketing, sales, and customer services software with different pricing for each.

5. Asana

Asana is the best project management software for remote teams on the market.

For remote teams, keeping up with their projects and goals is where most communication takes place. Asana makes it super easy for teams of all shapes, sizes, and industries to collaborate and communicate.

Asana doesn’t have chat, SMS, or video conferencing features. All team communication takes place in comments, tasks, projects, and forms. Each task can have its own thread and nothing slips through the cracks.

You can organize work among teams and projects, set long-term goals, add tasks, and then view them in lists, timeline, or card views.

It comes with brilliant tools like templates, rules, forms, and approvals to automate the workflow.

Plus, it integrates beautifully with other popular productivity tools your organization may already be using.

In our business, Asana is an absolute must have. We have tried many other project management solutions like Basecamp, Trello, etc and nothing comes close to Asana. It has provided us with a great way to streamline our internal workflows while giving greater visibility on the progress of each project.

Pricing: Free and paid plans start at $10.99 per user per month.

6. RingCentral

RingCentral is one of the top business team communication toolkits available that offers virtual phone numbers, phone calls, and SMS for teams.

Their business communication suite includes phone, SMS, Fax, Messaging for internal team communications, and video meetings.

For sales and marketing teams they offer rich insights, quality of service reports, comprehensive alerts, and customizable dashboards.

Integrations are also available for Google Workspace, Office 365, popular CRM software, and marketing platformss.

Pricing: Starts at $19.99 per user per month.

7. Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is the Slack alternative created by Microsoft. It supportss multiple teams, channels, one on one chats, private channels, audio/video calls, and video conferencing features.

It works well with Office 365 and you can get it with Office 365 subscription as well. Team members can open, edit, and view files within teams and projects.

Microsoft Teams have superior video conferencing features baked in. Each team member can view that a video conference is happening with an icon on the top and can join in if they are invited.

Teams also have shift management feature which allows managers to create shift, manage time-offs, assign members to shifts, and more.

Pricing: Free and paid plans start $4 per user per month or $6 per user per month with Office 365.

8. Zoom

Zoom is one of the most popular video conferencing software on the market. It allows you to run video meetings with chat feature.

It is widely used in business, education, government, and finance sector. Zoom also offers business phone services, mail, and calendar to connect your teams under one platform.

We were big users of Zoom, but as the quality of Google Meet has improved, we have switched away from Zoom to reduce costs in our business.

The cost of Zoom really adds up once you go above 10 users in your organization, and then again when your organization grows to 100+ users.

What Zoom is really good for is large 100+ people meeting especially if you want to do random breakout rooms. It’s also really good for customer webinars because Zoom calls are very reliable and quality is top-notch.

Pricing: Limited Free plan, paid plans start at $149 per user per year but the per user pricing increases after 10 users.

9. Chanty

Chanty is another excellent employee communication platform with video conferencing, chat, and project management features.

You can create chatrooms or channels for your teams and view all things happening across your organization under the teambook.

For task management you can create tasks on the fly, view them in lists or kanban view, assign them to team members, and more.

Pricing: Limited free forever plan, paid plans start at $3 per user per month.

10. Ryver

Ryver is another business communication platform that combines various functionalities into one app.

It comes with messaging, task management, and audio/video calls under one roof. It comes with SSO Single Sign-on which allows team members to sign in with the single account used by your organization.

Integrations are also available for many popular productivity and CRM software.

Pricing: Starting at $69 per month for up to 12 users.

11. Flock

Flock is another good alternative to Slack. It offers voice / video conferencing, chat, to-dos, file-sharing, and more.

Teams can be organized into groups with their own to-dos, video conference, and in-line file sharing.

It has integrations available for all top producivity suites so you can collaborate in real-time in channels.

Pricing: Limited free plan, and paid plans start at $4.50 per user per month.

12. Zoho Cliq

Zoho Cliq is the Slack interactive created by the folks behind Zoho software suite. The company offers Zoho CRM, Notes, Calendar, Email, and several other tools for businesses.

Zoho Cliq offers team chat for real-time collaboration. It includes chats, group chats, project management, video conferencing, voice calls, and more.

It integrates well with other Zoho applications as well as many other third-party software.

Pricing: Limited free plan, paid plans start from $2.7 per user per month.

13. Dialpad

Dialpad offers a collaboration platform for teams and customer support. It includes VoIP service for calls, messaging, group chat, and video conferencing.

It offers omni-channel customer engagement platform as well. Which comes in handy for sales teams to follow up with leads.

It supports Google Workspace and Office 365 integrations. If you operate in multiple countries then Dialpad offerss local number for upto 70 countries.

Pricing: Starting from $15 per user per month.

14. GoTo Meeting

GoTo Meeting is a popular webinar software and video conferencing platform. It makes it super easy to conduct video meetings with teams, clients, and customers.

Their GoTo Connect suite provides phone, text, and meetings. It allows teams to follow up with leads, offer customer support, and stay in touch with chat and text.

The company offers several addon solutions for businesses particularly those providing remote IT support to customers.

Pricing: Free trial for some products, for paid plans you’ll have to contact sales.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Unlike most other businesses in the world, we have been remote since we started in 2009. This means we have 13+ years of experience running a distributed team and managing team communication. Over this period, we have helped thousands of users choose the best team communication tools.

Below are the answer to some of the most frequently asked questions.

What communication tools are most effective in working closely with the team?

Whether you’re working closely with a remote-team or an in-house team, here are the best team communication tools.

Google Workspace – Email is essential for working closely with a team. Google gives you gmail, calendar, and Google Drive for file sharing.
Nextiva – Essential for phone calls and SMS.
Slack – Best for group chat. Although for smaller groups, you can get away with just a simple WhatsApp group.
Asana – Great for project management.

What is the most effective communication method for remote teams?

For remote teams, the most effective communication method is a combination of written communication along with verbal face-to-face communication over video calls.

For remote team check-ins, the most effective method is virtual check-in software like Standuply that integrates seamlessly with Slack, and it’s completely asynchronous.

What is the best team communication tool for online collaboration?

For online collaboration, the best team communication tools are Google Workspace and Zoom. With Google Suite, you get Google Doc, Spreadsheet, and Slides all of which allow for collaborative work, and their built-in comment feature is really good.

You can also use Zoom whiteboard which is an excellent virtual communication tool for collaboration.

What is the best team communication tool for asynchronous communication?

The best asynchronous communication tool are:

Slack – great for instant messages and group messages. It gives users full control over their time zones and notification preferences. You can also schedule messages to send at certain time in different team member’s timezone.
Email – great for asynchronous communication.
Loom – allows you to easily record videos and screencasts that can be watched by your team members.
Droplr – allows you to create screenshots or quick screen recording to communicate with team members.

Which is the best team communication tool for small business?

In our opinion, the best team communication tool for small business are Nextiva, Google Workspace, Asana, and Slack.

We hope this article helped you find the best team communication tools for your business. You may also want to see our guide on must have tools to manage and grow your business and follow our guide on how to grow a small business on a shoe-string budget.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 14 Best Team Communication Tools for Small Business (2022) first appeared on WPBeginner.

November 4, 2022

10 Best VoIP WordPress Themes in 2022 (Compared)

Are you looking for the best VoIP WordPress themes?

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is a modern technology to connect with your users on voice calls. You can offer VoIP software, call forwarding services, networking services, and calling products on your business website with a suitable WordPress theme.

In this article, we will share some of the best VoIP WordPress themes for your business website.

How to Make a VoIP Website With WordPress?

WordPress is the most popular website builder on the market used by over 43% of all websites on the internet. You can use it to create any type of website without any technical skills or coding knowledge.

There are two kinds of WordPress websites. WordPress.org, which is a self-hosted platform, and WordPress.com, which is a hosting solution.

We have a complete guide on the difference between WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org for your assistance.

You’ll need the self-hosted WordPress.org to make your VoIP business website. And you’ll also need a domain name and web hosting.

For this, we recommend Bluehost. It’s one of the most popular web hosting companies and an official WordPress hosting partner.

The best part is that Bluehost offers WPBeginner users an exclusive 73% off on web hosting, plus a free domain name and a free SSL certificate.

Bluehost WordPress Hosting offer for WPBeginner Users

Bluehost reduces your initial cost to $2.75 per month.

So you can start your VoIP calling services website without worrying about the budget.

→ Click Here to Claim This Exclusive Bluehost Offer ←

After purchasing the web hosting, you next need to make a WordPress website and set up your VoIP WordPress theme.

If you need assistance, check out our complete guide on how to install a WordPress theme.

Now, look at some of the best VoIP WordPress themes.

1. Astra

Astra is the most popular WordPress theme on the market. It has a multipurpose approach and lets you create any type of website.

It comes with dozens of starter sites that are fully functional with ready-made pages and content. All you need to do is replace the text and images to launch your website.

Astra fully supports page builders, so you can add your VoIP calling services to get new customers. You can also integrate WooCommerce to make sales pages and collect online payments.

2. SeedProd

SeedProd is the best WordPress website and theme builder. It isn’t your regular theme but a one-stop solution for you to make your website layout from scratch.

It’s beginner friendly and easy to use. You get a drag-and-drop builder to add sections on the homepage of your VoIP software website.

SeedProd also lets you create dedicated VoIP landing pages where you can display features like business call forwarding, auto attendant, and more.

SeedProd site kits make it even faster to set up everything in just a few clicks. And the best part is that you don’t need to hire a professional developer or write any code.

3. Divi

Divi is a powerful WordPress theme for beginners to visually design a website of any kind, including a VoIP business phone service website. You’ll get the Divi Builder alongside their website templates, so the native drag and drop builder makes it even easier to customize your site.

The Divi website templates are ready-made and come with page layouts, design elements, and more. You need to replace the dummy content with your text and images to start.

It comes with eCommerce modules and elements to sell your VoIP calling services. The theme integrates with popular plugins like WPForms to create an order form for your business.

Also, the Divi Builder has modern tools to edit and customize your content. You can quickly make changes, and Divi Builder will keep a revision history to revert or compare your updates.

4. Ultra

Ultra is a highly flexible WordPress multipurpose theme. It comes with a few ready-made templates designed specifically for VoIP software, VoIP app, and VoIP calling services.

It comes with the native Themify Builder to easily customize your VoIP networking website. Ultra theme also includes built-in addons to add more features and options using the drag and drop builder.

The theme offers multiple custom designs for the header, footer, pages, posts, and background. Moreover, you get fonts and color schemes to further optimize the look of your website.

Ultra has many other features, including parallax scrolling, beautiful navigation menus, image filters, and more. It also fully supports WooCommerce to sell your products and services online.

5. OceanWP

OceanWP is an excellent WordPress theme built for all kinds of websites. It comes with hundreds of free and premium website layouts for different business niches.

The theme supports page builders like Beaver Builder or Elementor out of the box. This allows you to set up your VoIP website with OceanWP easily and fast.

When it comes to features, OceanWP includes multiple header styles, a header social menu, a top bar, responsive navigation menus, and more. It also comes with color and typography settings to make your content stand out.

OceanWP has seamless WooCommerce integration that lets you create an online store. You can customize the shop page, product page, checkout page, and other pages using a drag and drop builder.

6. Neve

Neve is a super fast WordPress theme for your VoIP software website. It has a huge library of starter sites and templates that you can import into your WordPress site in 1-click.

The theme is compatible with popular WordPress page builders on the market. It also fully supports the WordPress block editor and customizer for all changes you need to make before you launch the site.

Here’s a quick difference between WordPress block editors vs page builders for your information.

Neve also includes blog layouts to make a blog page. It adds custom blog controls within the WordPress editor to manage the display of your content and articles.

Other features include custom backgrounds, additional fonts, demo content import, and more. Neve is translation-ready using third-party plugins like WPML and supports all RTL languages.

7. Altitude Pro

Altitude Pro is a WordPress multipurpose theme. It’s suitable for online businesses, software companies, digital services providers, and others, including VoIP calling businesses.

The theme has a bold header layout with a dark background, a simple navigation menu, a custom logo, a welcome message, and call-to-action buttons. It’s fully customizable using the built-in theme options panel.

Altitude Pro also includes theme customizer settings for colors, background images, fonts, and more. You can preview the changes in real-time before you publish your site on the internet.

It has WooCommerce support to sell your products and services online. You can set up your online store and use their ready-made widgets to easily add eCommerce features.

StudioPress is now part of WP Engine, the most popular managed WordPress hosting company. You can get this theme and all 35+ other StudioPress themes when you sign up for WP Engine hosting to build your website.

Bonus: WPBeginner users also get an additional 20% OFF. Get started with WP Engine today!

8. Sydney Pro

Sydney Pro is a beautiful WordPress multipurpose theme built for online business sites. It has a fullscreen background in the default layout that you can replace with an image slider, video header, or keep the static image.

Besides the default theme design, Sydney Pro comes with dozens of ready-made starter sites to help launch your VoIP networking site quickly.

The theme has multiple header layouts for different screen sizes and devices. It lets you manage the first look of your site by adding single and dual navigation menus, a custom logo, social icons, a cart button, and more.

Sydney Pro is comfortably compatible with Elementor page builder to add your landing pages and product pages. The theme itself supports WooCommerce features out of the box.

9. Inspiro Pro

Inspiro Pro is an elegant WordPress multipurpose theme. It comes with drag and drop page builder integration to make it easy for you to set up the landing pages for your VoIP calling website.

The theme supports videos out of the box. It allows you to embed self-hosted videos and third-party videos on your site. With this feature, you can share educational videos related to your business.

Inspiro also comes with custom widgets to add multiple features on the homepage and other pages. When it comes to customization, you’ll get a theme options panel within your WordPress dashboard with all options.

10. Struct

Struct is a fantastic WordPress theme built for online businesses. It’s a perfect choice for your VoIP business site with ready-made features like services management, portfolio management, and more.

It has a fullscreen background layout where you can add a custom image. The homepage lets you add a custom logo, navigation menu, welcome text, and call-to-action buttons.

Struct is fully responsive and designed beautifully for any screen size or device. It also supports WooCommerce features and extensions to sell your services online.

We hope this article has helped you find the best VoIP WordPress themes. You may also want to check out our guides on how to add web push notification in WordPress, and the best email marketing services for small businesses.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 10 Best VoIP WordPress Themes in 2022 (Compared) first appeared on WPBeginner.

December 24, 2020

Beginner’s Guide: What is VoIP and How Does it Work? (Explained)

We are often asked by beginners: what is VoIP and how does VoIP work? If you are a non-techy user, then you may have heard that you could use VoIP to add a business phone number for your website.

VoIP is a more cost-effective way to get a business phone number for your website when compared to a traditional phone line. However before making any decision, you need to fully understand what the technology is all about.

In this beginner’s guide, we will answer what is VoIP, and how does VoIP work behind the scenes. The goal is to help you understand how VoIP can save you money and help you grow your business.

Here is an overview of what we’re going to cover in this guide. You can click on these links to jump straight to different sections.

What is VoIP?
How does VoIP work? (Behind the scenes)
What are the advantages and disadvantages of VoIP?
Which is the best VoIP phone service?
How to make a call using VoIP?
Frequently asked questions about VoIP (FAQs)

What is VoIP?

VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) is a phone technology that allows you to make and receive phone calls using the internet instead of traditional phone lines.

Unlike landline phone systems that are limited to a single desk phone in your office, VoIP lets you make and receive business phone calls from your laptop, tablet, regular smart phone (using an App), and even VoIP compatible office phone sets.

Since all calls are made over the internet, it’s extremely cost-efficient for both domestic and long distance (international) calls. Most business VoIP providers offer unlimited minutes without any extra cost.

Aside from the cost savings, you also get all the advanced phone features like call waiting, call routing, caller tones, auto-attendant, multiple phone numbers, and more.

This is why most small businesses and even enterprise companies are all switching away from traditional phone providers to a business VoIP provider.

At WPBeginner, we use Nextiva, a leading VoIP based business phone system.

How VoIP Actually Works? (Behind the Scenes Look)

To understand how VoIP actually works, we will take a look at what happens when you make or receive a phone call on VoIP phone.

When you make a phone call using VoIP, their business phone number app or VoIP adapter takes the analog audio signal and turn it into digital signal.

This digital voice data is then sent to the business phone service provider using your internet, and then finally the message is routed to your customer’s phone.

This process happens nearly instantly which is why sometimes VoIP sound quality is even better than regular phone calls.

How is VoIP different than Traditional Phone System?

VoIP works differently behind the scenes from a regular landline phone system.

Traditional telephony systems use the circuit switching method for connecting calls. When you make a call through the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), you’re connected to the person on the other end, and they’re connected to you in a circuit.

The ‘Circuit switching’ technology is used for more than a 100 years now. It is reliable and still works, but is not the most efficient or cost-effective.

VoIP uses the ‘packet switching’ method instead. This means that data is only sent when needed. A brief, instant connection is created each time you speak. The connection doesn’t need to go both ways all the time. You and the person you’re talking to will not normally be both speaking at the same time.

Plus, packets of data are sent efficiently. They can use many different paths through the internet. The packages are then put back together when they reach their destination.

The data packets can also be compressed to save space. This lets them travel even more quickly through the internet.

All of this happens very fast. Unless there’s a problem with your internet connection, you will not notice any delay during the call.

While VoIP may sound quite technical and complicated, the main thing to understand is that VoIP is a more efficient method of transferring data during phone calls.

You probably have already used VoIP before without knowing it, through an app like Skype or Google Voice.

VoIP Pros and Cons Compared

Since we’ve been using a VoIP business phone service in our company for years, it’s fair to say that we know a thing or two about the pros and cons.

Here’s our detailed analysis of the pros and cons of VoIP.

VoIP Advantages – Benefits of Using VoIP

Switching from a traditional telephone company’s service to a cloud based VoIP phone system has many benefits.

Lower Monthly Cost

One of the biggest advantage of VoIP is that you have lower monthly cost on both domestic and international calls.

Most VoIP phone providers will often include unlimited domestic calls for free. International calls are normally very cheap, too.

Aside from that, you’ll also save money on repair and maintenance service expenses that you currently pay your landline phone provider.

Take calls from anywhere – Completely Portable

With VoIP, you don’t need to be in an office, on-premise, sitting by your desk phone to take phone calls. You can take incoming calls from wherever you are using an app on your phone, tablet, or laptop computer.

This is a big advantage for teams that are working remotely or out on the field. It is also great if you’re traveling.

Advanced business phone features

VoIP solutions normally include lots of extra business phone features. For instance, you can set up conference calls easily with VoIP.

Plus, most VoIP service providers offer a virtual receptionist, hold music, call waiting, voicemail to email or text, and much more. You can even get advanced telecommunications functionality like video conferencing.

This may also get you additional cost savings because often traditional telephone service providers charge recurring fees for these add-ons.

Improved Scalability and Flexibility

Another advantage of VoIP is higher scalability. Whether you’re hiring more staff or opening a new branch office in a new city, VoIP makes it easy to grow.

Unlike a traditional phone service that would require to spend money on expensive hardware on dedicated line, VoIP lets you add your team members with just a few clicks inside your account dashboard.

Since VoIP works on all smart phones, you can even cut additional equipment cost and free up desk space by having your team members install the app on their personal phone.

VoIP Disadvantages – Drawbacks of Using VoIP

While VoIP is an amazing technology, it may not be perfect for everyone. There are a couple of VoIP disadvantages that you should be aware of.

You need a good internet connection to make telephone calls

As we explained in the how VoIP works section, you need to have an internet connection to make phone calls.

If your internet is slow, then your call quality may be impacted.

The good thing is that VoIP technology doesn’t use as much bandwidth as you might think. A good connection with less than 70ms ping and at least 500 kbps of upload speed is good enough for VoIP calls.

However if you have a lot of team members in your office, then you may need to look at your bandwidth needs for the number of concurrent calls your business will be making at the same time.

You need to account for power outages

Regular phone service works during power outages. But you cannot make VoIP calls if you don’t have power or access to the internet.

Typically, most offices have wireless internet powered by WiFi routers. These routers need electricity, so if your building experiences power outage, then your internet can also go down which will impact your VoIP service.

The way we mitigate this in our office is by using a battery backup system for our internet router. Since our internet is provided by a different company than our electricity, we never have both outages at the same time.

Furthermore, since our team members use the VoIP app on their phone, they can always use their mobile data to make business phone calls.

You will need to retrain your staff on the new system

Switching to a new telephone system means you need to train your staff on how to use it.

Luckily, most VoIP services are designed to be as straightforward and intuitive as possible. This means it should be easy to train team members on how to use the cloud phone systems, even if your employees are working remotely.

Which is the Best VoIP Phone Service?

Here at WPBeginner, we use and recommend Nextiva as the best VoIP phone service. They offer a free local or toll-free number with all of their plans.

Nextiva comes with all the essential features you need including call routing, unlimited domestic voice calls, unlimited business SMS messaging, voicemail to email/text, number porting, caller ID, caller forwarding, custom greetings, auto attendant, hold music, online VoIP fax, phone extension for team members, and more.

They have an easy to use smart phone app for Android / iPhone (iOS), and a softphone app for your computer.

For Enterprise customers, then even let you convert your existing PBX (private branch exchange) system into a cloud phone system using SIP (session initiation protocol) trunking. This means you can easily transfer calls to different department and employees using your existing system and local area network.

Nextiva also has several useful advanced features. For instance, you can connect your VoIP phone system with real-time live chat and with your CRM system to help you create a unified communications system.

Plus, their support team is extremely helpful, making it really easy for you to get started. This is why we use Nextiva for our business.

Other great VoIP alternatives to Nextiva include:

RingCentral – a big, well-known VoIP company that costs a little more than Nextiva. They have all the features you need, and they offer screen sharing and conferencing tools too.
Ooma – an easy-to-setup option that offers toll-free numbers plus all the features you’d expect. You get 500 minutes included for free, but need to pay extra for more.
Grasshopper – another great business phone service for solpreneurs and small businesses that offers all the essential features.
Phone.com – a good IP telephone for businesses working with Canada and many EU countries, as these locations are covered as local calls.

How to Make a Call Using VoIP

To make a call using VoIP, you first need a VoIP business phone service like Nextiva. You also need an internet connection with good bandwidth. This normally means using a broadband internet connection.

Then, you can make a call using VoIP with any of the following devices:

Your existing phone handset. This can be connected to the VoIP system using an ATA (analog telephone adapter) which gives it an IP address. Essentially, you just plug your phone into the ATA instead of straight into your wall socket.
A special IP phone. This looks and works like a normal phone. It has a handset with buttons that slots into a charging cradle. However, instead of the a RJ-11 phone connector, the IP phone has an RJ-45 connector. This means it plugs into an ethernet port on your router, not into a phone connector. Depending on the season, some VoIP companies may give you a free phone handset.
Your computer. You will need an app that lets you make calls over VoIP. This is sometimes called a ‘softphone’. Of course, you will also need a sound card plus a headset, or a microphone and speakers. You will also need internet connectivity, either by ethernet or wifi. Most well-known VoIP companies have apps for both Windows and Mac.
Your mobile phone. Again, you will need the right app and a wifi connection. You can also use a mobile data plan with 4G or higher speeds. Most VoIP apps will work on all smart phone such as Android mobile devices and Apple iPhone (iOS).

Frequently Asked Questions about VoIP Phone (VoIP FAQs)

There are lots of different business VoIP providers, and it can be hard to know which one is the best for your needs.

Over the years we have helped thousands of beginners choose the best VoIP phone platform. We have heard almost every possible question about VoIP that you can think of.

Following are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about VoIP (Voice over IP).

How much do domestic vs international calls cost on VoIP?

Most VoIP services will include unlimited domestic calls for no extra charge. However, some cheaper VoIP services charge based on the number of minutes you use.

The international rates will vary depending on the VoIP provider you use, but these rates will almost always be more affordable than traditional landline rates for international calls.

Can you keep your existing phone number on VoIP?

Yes, when switching from traditional landline phone to business VoIP phone, you can ask for number porting which lets you keep your existing business phone number.

Most good VoIP services let you do this, but please check with them before signing up.

Is there a VoIP backup if your internet connection goes down?

Some VoIP services have a backup in case your broadband connection is down or your power goes out. For instance, Nextiva can automatically forward calls to a cell phone.

Does VoIP offer call routing or extensions for team members?

Yes, most good VoIP phone service providers include call routing, phone extensions, call queue, and auto attendant at no additional cost.

We hope this article helped answer the questions of what is VoIP and how does it work behind the scenes. You might also like our comparison of the best website builder platforms, and best email marketing services to grow your business.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post Beginner’s Guide: What is VoIP and How Does it Work? (Explained) appeared first on WPBeginner.

December 8, 2020

7 Best Cloud Phone Systems for Remote Teams – Compared (2020)

Are you looking for the best cloud phone system for remote teams?

Cloud-based phone systems are a great option when your team members work remotely sometimes or work from home. Choosing the best cloud phone system is a very important decision because it can impact your business and customers.

In this article, we will compare the best cloud phone systems for remote teams with their features, pros, and cons.

What is a Cloud Phone System?

A cloud phone system is a business VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) telephone system that allows you to make and receive business phone calls through your internet connection.

Because your phone calls are managed in the cloud over the internet, you and your employees can take calls from anywhere. You don’t need to be physically connected via a landline, as you would in a traditional phone system.

Cloud phone system is perfect for remote teams. Instead of employees giving out their personal cell phone number for business calls, they can receiving business phone calls using the virtual business phone number app on their cell phone.

That being said, here are the top cloud phone systems for remote teams.

1. Nextiva

Nextiva offers an excellent easy-to-use cloud phone system that’s ideal for remote teams. It comes with all the features and functionality you need for your business communications, such as unlimited free domestic calls, advanced call routing, voicemail to email and text, SMS messages, auto attendant, and online faxing.

The web-based admin panel is simple to use and manage. You get a free local or toll-free number, free number porting, and all the call management features you’d expect. These include caller ID, call forwarding, custom greetings, auto-attendant, advanced IVR (interactive voice response) system, and more.

Within the US and Canada, you have unlimited VoIP calling with Nextiva. For international calls, they have very affordable rates.

The Nextiva communication platform offers additional powerful features that integrate with your phone system. These include a fully-featured CRM and live chat, making Nextiva a Unified Communications system, also called a complete cloud platform.

Nextiva also offers online surveys and call analytics. The voice analytics software gives you real-time insights into phone activity across your organization. This lets you monitor call volumes and spot potential problems.

Larger companies, contact centers, and call centers often use Nextiva to transition their existing private branch exchange (PBX) system into a powerful cloud phone system.

You can use your existing desk phones with Nextiva, or you can buy IP phones for your remote team to use instead. Netiva also offers computer apps which work as a ‘softphone’, so your team can make voice calls through their computer.

Nextiva also have a business phone app that works on iPhones (iOS), and Android smart phones.

Most importantly, Nextiva gives you great call quality and connectivity through their incredibly reliable data centers. They have had no outages at all in the last two years.

If you ever need any help with your business phone service, their customer service team is always helpful and responsive.

Price: Nextiva starts from $19.95/user/month. The price per user varies depending on how many users you have.

Editorial Note: We use Nextiva for our team at WPBeginner and Awesome Motive. We’ve been huge fans of their platform and highly recommend them.

2. RingCentral

RingCentral is another popular cloud phone system for remote teams. Their feature-rich system includes all the standard options you’d expect, like unlimited calling, call forwarding, caller ID, call waiting, texts, online faxing, automatic call recording, and more.

You also get video conferencing with screen sharing, plus integration with Google Workspace (formerly G Suite), Dropbox, Microsoft Office365, Salesforce and other services. This can enable RingCentral to operate as the heart of your communications platform.

Like Nextiva, RingCentral will not charge you for calls in the US and Canada, no matter how many calls you make. Your team members can take calls through the RingCentral mobile or desktop app, giving them plenty of flexibility.

RingCentral also works as a cloud PBX or virtual PBX system, meaning incoming calls can easily be routed to the right department or extension. You can also add extra virtual phone lines as needed.

You can also use RingCentral to buy vanity phone numbers like 1-800-GoFedEX.

Price: RingCentral costs from $19.99/user/month, billed annually. There’s also a free 15-day trial available. This gives you a maximum of 5 users and 50 minutes of talk time per user.

3. Ooma

Ooma is a popular business VoIP provider that makes a great cloud communications solution for remote teams. It gives you lots of useful features like a virtual receptionist, extension dialing, hold music, a mobile app, a desktop app, and more.

You can add a toll-free number (1-800 number) for free. There are also toll-free calling plans, so you get more minutes of incoming toll-free calls per month.

It’s simple to get your cloud VoIP business phone system set up with Ooma. You have the option to keep your existing business phone number or get a new one from Ooma.

Ooma also operates as a cloud PBX or hosted PBX system. This means it’s easy to transfer calls and enable team collaboration between remote employees.

You can set up team members with their own phone, purchased from Ooma or from a third party. Alternatively, you can reduce the upfront costs by creating a new line that directs to the employee’s existing Android or iOS device.

Keep in mind that with any phone system, your team members will need a reasonable amount of bandwidth (upload speed) to make high-quality calls.

Price: Ooma costs from $19.95/user/month.

4. Grasshopper

Grasshopper is a great cloud phone system for small businesses. It gives you a virtual phone number that can forward calls to any phone number or mobile device.

You get all the features you’d expect, including call forwarding, routing, hold music, voicemail to email, and more. There’s a mobile app plus a desktop app, so it’s easy for your team to use while working remotely.

With Grasshopper, you are able to get a US or Canadian local or toll-free number. You can also add custom greetings and extensions. All Grasshopper’s plans include unlimited minutes, too.

A drawback with Grasshopper is that you can’t use it to make outgoing calls. You still need your regular phone number for that. Plus, Grasshopper is only available in the USA and Canada.

Price: Grasshopper costs from $26/month, billed annually. This is for one phone number, but you can add extensions.

5. Phone.com

Phone.com offers a simple web interface and mobile app to manage your cloud office phone system. Like the other phone system providers we’ve covered, they offer all the standard features you’d expect. These include call forwarding, call routing, caller ID, text messaging, voicemail to email, and more.

Phone.com includes Canada plus some European countries in their local call minutes. This makes calling out to those countries much cheaper.

With Phone.com, you can also pay for extra features including call recording and more phone numbers.

The cheapest plan limits you to 300 monthly minutes and 2,000 text messages. This may be enough for your business needs if your small company doesn’t make many calls.

There’s also 24/7 live customer support, in case you need help getting set up.

Price: Phone.com costs from $12.99/user/month.

6. Google Voice

Google Voice is a cloud phone system from Google. It offers all the features you need, like free calling to US and Canada numbers, call forwarding, voicemail transcription, text messaging, call screening, and more.

With Google Voice, you also get integration with Google Calendar, Google Fi, and Google Meet.

A Google Voice number can be used through cell phones or through the desktop app with a dial pad, letting your employees work on the go. They can set their Voice number to forward to their mobile phone or other devices.

Price: Google Voice is free for personal use. The business plans pricing is from $10/user/month.

7. eVoice

eVoice is another popular VoIP service provider. It offers unlimited calls, call routing, custom greeting, call forwarding, conference calling, text messages, voicemail to text, and more.

It’s a good option if your remote team is international or based in the UK, as eVoice offers coverage in the UK, EU, and Canada, as well as in the USA.

Note: eVoice is branded as eReceptionist in the UK.

Price: From $16.67/user/month (billed annually).

Which is the Best Cloud Phone System for Your Team?

We believe that Nextiva is the best cloud phone system for remote teams. It has lots of advanced features, and excellent support. You can easily add remote team members and set up call forwarding rules.

Nextiva’s mobile and desktop apps are easy to use. This makes it a great option for remote teams, when hands-on training is difficult.

Plus, Nextiva’s unified communication platform comes with built-in CRM and live chat features.

This is why we use Nextiva on WPBeginner and believe it’s the best cloud phone system in the market.

If you want an alternative to Nextiva, RingCentral is another excellent option. It has similar features and comes as a close second in our list.

We hope this article helped you learn about the best cloud phone systems for remote teams. You might also like our comparison of the best email marketing services and best push notification software to connect with your customers after they leave your website.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 7 Best Cloud Phone Systems for Remote Teams – Compared (2020) appeared first on WPBeginner.

May 15, 2020

Why Your Business Should Not Delay Switching Over to VoIP

Have you ever heard of VoIP? Want to safeguard your business against the unforeseen setbacks and disasters? Maybe now is the best time to consider why your business should upgrade to VoIP.

The business world is very much different from what it used to be a few years ago. Today, everyone has firsthand experience in grasping how much of a real threat a pandemic like COVID-19 is to running your company. It has threatened the very economy all the businesses thrive on and has refrained them from running their daily operations.