Buy the Right Virtual Number for your Business

Aspiring entrepreneurs treat their business phone numbers like any other number. But this is a mistake. A business number is not just another phone number. It is part of your brand, one of the most important components because it will appear on all your promotional materials.

A business number is also the primary means through which your business will engage its customers. As such, one cannot overstate its importance. This is why you are encouraged to take care when selecting a number for your business. And if possible, keep the following considerations in mind:

Purpose

What purpose will the phone number serve? You shouldn’t select a business number without answering this question. Will you attach the number to an advertising campaign? Is it specifically designed to receive calls from customers? Do you intend to use the number locally or internationally?

The answers to all these questions are going to narrow your options. For instance, if you want to buy a virtual number for marketing purposes, an 0800 number is your best bet because it is free to call and customers are more likely to use it.

Reach

Speaking of local and international numbers, where are your customers located? If you wish to target the customers in your local vicinity, a geographical virtual number will aid you in your endeavors. You will find that it is easier to earn the trust of your local target market because the geographical number tells them that you are situated within their community.

If you want to appeal to customers outside your local area, buy a non-geographical number. Non- geographical numbers are not attached to any geographical location. Callers have no way of knowing where you are situated. This allows you to create the image of a large company with an unrestricted reach.

By selecting a virtual number based on the local or international locations you want to reach, you can minimize your costs whilst also branding your business in a manner that will appeal to your target audience.

Cost

Business owners only consider the issue of cost when they negotiate with service providers. And this makes sense. They have to identify a service provider that offers competitively priced bundles. This is often the only way to minimize spending.

But the subject of cost is just as important to your selection of a business number, especially when questions about toll-free numbers arise.

Most people think that free-to-call numbers like 0800 numbers are the only way to go because potential customers are more likely to call a business if they know that they won’t incur a call cost.

Of course, 0800 numbers are only free for the customer. As a business owner, the service provider expects you to bear all the costs associated with each call.

0800 numbers are non-geographic. Even if they are more likely to attract callers because they are free to dial, are they truly superior to local phone numbers?

Local phone numbers are often free to call for customers too, as they are frequently included in minute bundles offered by mobile and landline providers such as BT.   Customers are very likely to call a local number because of the loyalty they have for local businesses. On the other hand, they might shun an 0800 business number because it makes your company feel distant.

There is no easy way of determining which of these two numbers types, a local number or an 0800 number, is better for your business. Some people will respond positively to local numbers. Others will favor 0800 numbers.

To get an affordable virtual phone number for your business, give us a call free on 0800 088 6886 today.