9 Ways To Ease the Switch to Mobile VoIP

Mobile VoIP is an increasingly popular calling option for people who are seeking to reduce their calling costs while maintaining the option of making calls while they’re on the go. Mobile VoIP allows users to make free or low-cost calls to people who use the same mobile VoIP service as well as to make inexpensive calls to many international phone numbers through the use of their mobile phone. However, people may still be hesitant to start using mobile VoIP services simply because they’re unfamiliar with how they work. If you’re one of those people, you should know that making the switch from your standard mobile phone use to mobile VoIP services is really easy.

And here are nine ways that you can make the switch even easier on yourself:

1. Learn the language

The biggest problem that people have with starting to use any type of VoIP service is that they aren’t familiar with the terminology that describes VoIP services. Whenever you’re starting to learn a new type of technology, you need to make sure that you go through a basic brush-up on the language so that you know what is being talked about as you review different service options. Our handy VoIP glossary is a good place to start if you’re not sure that you’re familiar with the language of VoIP. A brief review of what VoIP and mobile VoIP are all about can help the process make more sense and make it easier to understand the switch to the new services.

2. Find out which mobile VoIP services are being used by the people that you know

The best way to keep costs down with mobile VoIP calling is to stick primarily to in-network calling. That’s because a lot of the companies that offer free mobile VoIP services only offer free peer-to-peer calling. As a result, it pays to join a network that the people you already know are using. Send out an email or social networking site announcement telling people that you’re taking a poll about which mobile VoIP services they use. You want to be in the same network as those people that you’re calling most often. Plus this will give you great insight into which mobile VoIP services are considered best by users.

3. Make sure that you’ve got a phone that’s going to work with the mobile VoIP service that you’re selecting

Most mobile phone handsets today are equipped to handle the basics of a mobile VoIP service. However, some just don’t have the memory capacity or advanced technology necessary for full use of mobile VoIP. When you sign up for mobile VoIP, you’ll see different options for different mobile phones. Make sure that you select the appropriate option for the handset that you have so that you can make the most of your mobile VoIP. A better phone (particularly one with Wi-Fi capability) is going to be better for mobile VoIP in the long run so you might want to switch to a new handset before getting mobile VoIP services, especially if you’ve been thinking about an upgrade anyway.

4. Read the fine print

Just like with any new service, you’re going to need to read the information about your mobile VoIP service carefully so that you can make sure you know what the catches are. With mobile VoIP, extra costs often come into play when you are calling someone outside of the peer-to-peer network. Make sure that you know what the per-minute calling rate is to non-network people so that you’re not slapped with big charges that you weren’t expecting.

5. Review alternatives to mobile VoIP

Before you sign on for mobile VoIP services, you’ll want to take the time to consider the other options that are out there. This will help you select the best choice and make you more confident in choosing mobile VoIP if indeed it appears to be the best option. Think about prepaid phone cards, calling plans available with your wireless carrier and other phone calling options before you determine for sure that mobile VoIP is the answer to all of your calling questions.

6. Discuss the situation with your wireless service provider

One of the things that often gets people with mobile VoIP is that they may receive charges for the use of the phone during calls that were otherwise free because they were placed through mobile VoIP services. For example, let’s say that you call someone in another country using your mobile VoIP service and it’s free of charge because the individual is in the network. You may still get charged per minute by your wireless service carrier for the time that you were on the phone. Make sure that you understand the terms of your carrier’s plan for mobile VoIP.

7. Make sure that you choose mobile VoIP that isn’t a hassle

There are some mobile VoIP services that require downloads to both your phone and your PC and even some that require specific headsets for calls to be placed. Then there are other mobile VoIP options that require a simple account sign-up on the Internet. You want to choose those services that are low-hassle in order to reduce the headache of trying out a new service.

8. Consider whether or not to use advanced mobile VoIP services

Mobile VoIP typically comes with a lot of options that you can make use of to streamline productivity in your life if you so choose. You may be able to push calls from one phone to another, make use of IM services, use the mobile VoIP system for file transfers from your phone and even set up click-to-call services so people can hit a button on your website and ring you on your mobile phone. Determine whether these services will make your life easier or increase the stress of switching to mobile VoIP and then choose whether or not to use them accordingly.

9. Spread the word

As noted before, the best way to make use of mobile VoIP is to use it to call people in the same network that you’re using. Even if you’ve signed up with a network that a lot of your contacts are using, there will still be people in your social and professional circles that aren’t signed up with the service. Do your part to spread the word about the service if you like it so that others you know will use it. Since calls to them will be free, your calling costs will go down.