7 Tips for Choosing the Right Wholesale VoIP Provider
Whether for a home or business, VoIP is an ideal telecom solution because it provides cloud-based calling that is more cost-effective, flexible and scalable for the end user. The fact is that VoIP technology has seen an increasing demand today, with the market expected to grow from $30 billion in 2020 at a 15% CAGR between 2021 to 2027. However, it can be a challenge to locate the right VoIP provider based on your needs, particularly with so many choices available out there.
If you’re not sure how to choose the best wholesale VoIP provider, here are some steps you can take to help make the right decision.
What Are Wholesale VoIP Providers?
Companies often depend on phone calls to maintain good communication with clients and partners. To facilitate this communication, many resellers rely on wholesale VoIP carriers to make selling VoIP solutions to end-users easier than ever.
Wholesale VoIP providers sell bulk VoIP solutions to resellers who can then sell them to their customers under their own brand. In turn, resellers have the chance to increase awareness of their brand, meet the demands of more customers, and add or grow a recurring revenue stream.
One of the benefits of working with wholesale VoIP providers is the ability to save more time, energy, and money on developing and supporting your own product. A wholesale provider will provide you with a vetted product for you so you don’t have to develop one on your own.
At the same time, end-users benefit from clear, secure, and reliable communication. For companies with a remote and hybrid workforce, VoIP is essential to keep people connected and productive. As a reseller of VoIP, you can help your clients modernize their communications to support a more diverse workforce with top-quality communications tools.
How Wholesale VoIP Works
A VoIP solution allows for point-to-point communication using the public internet. In turn, wholesale VoIP providers tend to implement state-of-the-art solutions that allow for unhindered communication. Using this technology, wholesale providers can provide a large number of clients with consistently reliable VoIP solutions.
In an effort to easily connect wholesale providers with managed service providers (MSPs) and value-added resellers (VARs), these providers often team up with wholesale resellers to connect with end-users.
Resellers subsequently benefit from increased revenue and improved branding as they take advantage of the expanding market. This connection mutually benefits everyone from the wholesale provider to the reseller and ultimately the clients who actually use the technology.
Due to the popularity of wholesale VoIP, there are many providers out there to choose from with all types of services available. With the market so full of potential carriers, selecting the right one can be a difficult task unless you take the right approach. By knowing what to look for and carefully making your selection, you can find the best match for your business.
Related: 6 Keys for Finding a VoIP Business Partner
7 Tips for Choosing the Best Wholesale VoIP Providers
Now that we’ve covered the what and the how of wholesale VoIP, let’s get back to the tips for choosing the ideal provider. Here’s what to consider as you conduct your search.
1. Determine the Type of VoIP Service You Need
Consider the different features you want with your VoIP solution. Additionally, consider the overall cost. You can find out what different wholesale VoIP providers charge and compare the costs of each. There are many potential features to choose from in your VoIP solution, including:
- Call center solutions
- Toll-free numbers
- Call waiting
- Data backup services
- Voicemail
- Caller ID
- Virtual attendants
- Text messaging or short message service (SMS)
- Termination and origination
- Long-distance and local calling
Some wholesale VoIP carriers may also offer more advanced features. For instance, a provider may offer enhanced voicemail that allows users to check messages via emails and web browsers in addition to on their phones.
Remember that you can start off selling specific phone features to a customer and then add on capabilities as they need.
2. Find a Provider with a Good Reputation
To make sure you find the right wholesale VoIP provider, look for one with a solid reputation. VoIP providers work almost exclusively online and don’t own brick-and-mortar facilities, making it important for you to look online at reviews and the provider’s website.
You can learn more about the company through details on their website while checking out what people have had to say about the provider’s services. Without doing your research in this regard, you might wind up working with a rogue or fraudulent provider. If the company appears reputable and has plenty of experience clearly backing it, then it’s more likely to be a carrier worth considering.
3. Overall Reliability and Voice Quality
The best VoIP providers will be able to provide top-quality communication through their services. They should advertise undistorted communication and clear audio quality. The provider’s technology and reviews from others should help support the company’s claims when it comes to call quality. Additionally, there should never be any delay or jitters in transmission.
In short, find out whether the carrier truly offers reliable quality before turning to it for your VoIP solution. Your carrier should be able to assess how various factors will influence call quality, including your internet connection, and help guide you toward the most appropriate solution to maximize quality.
4. Training and Tech Support
Like with any other type of technology, even the most reliable VoIP providers could experience certain issues at some point. This makes it important for your wholesale VoIP carrier to offer technical support that’s consistently accessible.
If you don’t have a member of your team who’s tech-savvy enough to serve as internal support, your carrier should be there to help you in any situation. In addition to technical support, you may also want to seek a provider that can train your team to resolve certain issues that may arise.
5. Consider Pricing
Although many resellers may want to make pricing their main criterion when choosing a wholesale VoIP provider, it’s important to keep in mind that you get what you pay for, just as with any other service or product. Even if a provider appears to offer the best deal available and seems reliable on the surface, there could be certain setbacks with the cheapest service.
For instance, you might find a provider that offers the most enticing price point but at the cost of certain critical features that could benefit your business and end-users. Instead of making price the main selling point for providers, consider what you truly need and locate the best package for the best price. Don’t simply go for the lowest price point.
Also, keep an eye out for carriers that appear to offer reasonable package prices, only for them to charge additional fees for the services you thought they would include in the original package deal. The best way to avoid this is to carefully scrutinize each provider and determine precisely what you’re getting when you work with them.
6. Compare Multiple Providers
The best way to identify the ideal wholesale VoIP provider is to compare and contrast them. You might find one from the start of your search that appears to be the perfect match, but you might be surprised to find that another carrier is even more appealing down the road.
Many providers offer the same or similar types of technology and packages, which is why you should more closely examine each provider’s unique support options, platforms, and cost. You may also discover that a provider does more of the heavy lifting for you when it comes to quoting and billing clients, which would make things even more convenient on your end. Be sure to shop around before you settle at any point.
7. Review the Provider’s Terms and Conditions
If you’re at first happy with the price, features, plan, and overall reputation of the VoIP carrier you’re considering, one final step to take before committing to it is to check the provider’s terms and conditions. You can typically find this on the company’s website. Reviewing these will help you understand the company’s privacy policy and other aspects to consider before making your final decision.
Related: How to Discover the Best VoIP Reseller Opportunities
Make the Right Choice When Selecting Wholesale VoIP Providers
Taking the right steps can help you locate the ideal wholesale VoIP provider to work with for a dependable VoIP solution. There’s a suitable provider available to connect with you regardless of the features and pricing you want. By partnering with a dependable provider, you’ll be able to get into the market and see the benefits of reselling VoIP.
If you’re searching for the perfect provider to help you get started, consider SkySwitch. You can use SkySwitch’s comprehensive UCaaS reseller platform to resell telecom solutions, with all of the necessary technology and support you need to help grow your brand and generate consistent revenue. If you would like to learn more about the benefits that SkySwitch offers, contact us today to schedule a demo. We’ll connect you with one of our representatives to get you started.