When starting a business, the phone is one of the most essential tools. It’s your customers’ first impression and vital for building credibility.
Rather than using your number, you can get a dedicated business phone number that can separate work calls from personal ones. These numbers also come with many features that help businesses operate efficiently.
Reputation
Regarding your business’s reputation, the phone number is often one of the first things potential customers notice. It may seem minor, but your phone number serves many functions that affect everything from customer service to ad campaigns.
Choosing the correct number can make your company look professional and trustworthy. A dedicated business phone line can also help you separate your calls from work-related ones, preventing burnout and improving your life-work balance. It can even allow you to customize caller ID so that your business name appears instead of your own, further reinforcing the brand image and making it easier for customers to remember.
There are various business phone number options, including local, toll-free, and vanity numbers. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, a toll-free number is an excellent option for businesses that want to create an image of trust and professionalism. In contrast, local numbers are best for companies with a local presence.
Ultimately, the type of number you choose depends on the size and location of your business and your expansion plans. It’s also important to consider how your team uses the phone number, such as if they use click-to-dial software integrations or if you plan on using it in marketing personalization.
Convenience
There are many decisions to make when starting a business. Some are more exciting than others, like choosing a name or creating a logo, but some of them, such as a business phone number, can significantly impact your brand.
The correct business phone number conveys a sense of professionalism. It allows you to separate your personal life from your business, making it easier for clients to reach you if you are unavailable during working hours. Additionally, you have several people who can answer your calls. In that case, you can easily configure the phone number to connect to multiple devices concurrently and route calls to the appropriate person.
Choosing the correct phone number for your business depends on several factors, including the size and location of your company and your plans to expand. Local numbers, which begin with area codes specific to a geographic location, are ideal for regionally-based businesses. However, customers may be less likely to respond to a call from an unfamiliar region. Buy 713 number, which are easy to remember and are often used for advertising, can be a smart option if you want to offer customers the ability to choose their preferred language when contacting your business.
Finally, toll-free and international numbers are also options that can improve customer satisfaction by allowing customers to reach you without incurring additional costs. They’re also helpful for businesses that need to manage large volumes of incoming calls or automated sales processes.
Affordability
Many businesses avoid getting a dedicated business phone number because they believe it’s too expensive. However, with modern technology, the right solution can provide cost-effective benefits.
In addition, these services also make it easy to customize caller ID to project a consistent brand and ensure that the company name appears on customer caller screens during calls. This makes for a more professional appearance and helps build consumer trust.
The type of number a business chooses depends on the size and location of its client base and its expansion plans. Clients often prefer local numbers, which begin with a geographic area code, as they commit to the local community and help establish credibility in that particular market. Toll-free numbers enable potential customers to reach the company without incurring fees and are ideal for sales calls. Vanity numbers, which are easy for customers to remember, can also increase brand recognition.
Sometimes, small businesses use their personal phone number for business purposes, which can lead to clarity and efficiency. If the business owner ever changes their phone number, it can disrupt their marketing efforts and make it easier for clients to find them. In addition, using a personal number for business means that there is no way to separate personal and work calls or notes.
Convenience
While it’s tempting to use your phone number for business when you first launch, having a dedicated phone number for your business provides several significant benefits. It separates your work and personal calls, which is a must for maintaining a healthy work/life balance. It can also add professionalism to your brand with features like call routing and automated location and business hours information. Changing your business phone number is much easier if you change phones or providers, ensuring customer consistency.
When you choose a business phone number, it’s essential to understand how your teams use phone data in their daily processes. For example, your CRM or other software solutions may have different formatting requirements. This can cause issues for automated solutions, such as sales auto-dialers, if numbers are formatted incorrectly, resulting in missed opportunities for your team. It can also impact your single customer view if different formats are used across different teams, departments, and organizational tools.
Other considerations for your business phone number include whether you want a vanity phone number (custom numbers that are easy for people to remember) or a toll-free telephone number (that people can call without incurring any call charges). If you plan to serve customers and clients outside the United States, figuring out which country code to get will be essential.