Obtaining a business phone number is one of the first steps in establishing a trusted, responsive company. You have a far better understanding of how people feel about your business when clients can call you directly and ask questions or address customer service concerns. This is critical for building a respected company that provides excellent service to its customers. This is especially true for international businesses trying to enter new markets like the US, developing trust is a first step to getting new customers. This article is focused mostly on how to get a business phone number in the US with some helpful advice for supporting international customers.
It’s simple to find a business phone number in the US, but you must first choose which type would work best for you.
Toll-Free Numbers
Most clients associate a toll-free number beginning with 1-800 with a well-established company. Because of decades of TV advertising, phone books, and advertisements in general, many customers are familiar with this format. Although getting a free 1-800 number is becoming increasingly difficult, there are still a number of different toll-free prefixes available.
How to Obtain a Toll-Free Telephone Number
Your normal phone provider can help you get a toll-free number for your business. You may even forward it to an existing line to keep track of any calls that come in through a previous phone number.
When serving consumers and clients in the United States, a toll-free number is the best way to create a professional presence. Customers from all around the country will know they are calling for free because it is a well-known business number. The monthly expense for your company is generally around $10.
International callers, on the other hand, may pay increased call fees. If you want to expand overseas, you’ll need to come up with a new strategy for your company phone number that is more international friendly. Often companies will use WhatsApp as their international calling service for free or a call forwarding service so international customers can choose a low or no cost option to communicate.
Vanity Numbers
A vanity phone number isn’t strictly about how it looks, but it may help your business integrate marketing and make your phone number simpler to remember than the normal ten-digit string.
How Do I Get a Vanity Phone Number?
Depending on what they have available, you might be able to get a vanity phone number with a local area code from your current phone operator. You might try to get a vanity phone number that starts with 1-800 or another toll-free area code.
The issue with vanity phone numbers is that the most obvious ones have been taken. On the other hand, the ones you can think of that are still accessible are likely to be more memorable than the obvious ones. Having an unusual or eye-catching vanity phone number like 1-800-4GLOBIG (which we don’t actually have LOL) might be a significant asset to your business if you can discover one that works with your organization.
Vanity phone numbers are more expensive than regular phone numbers, costing between $10 and $50 per month.
Local Numbers
A local phone number has an area code that is unique to a certain region of the United States. Area code 212, for example, is connected with Manhattan in New York, whereas 323 is associated with Los Angeles, California. Local clients are more likely to trust these phone numbers since they appear to be from a neighbor or a nearby business.
What Is the Best Way to Get a Local Phone Number?
Any firm, including a sole proprietorship, can get a single business phone number from any telephone or cable provider. A small firm that obtains a business phone number with a local area code may establish itself as a trustworthy local business almost immediately.
Which of the following alternatives best suits your needs?
The choice of a business phone number plan is based on your own development plans and how rapidly you wish to expand into other markets and consumer bases outside of your immediate location.
Although having a local phone number is vital for neighborhood reliability, you may also want to have local phone numbers in various parts of the country to establish credibility in new markets. A local phone number with area codes that people recognize will serve this objective in the long term if you want to build and keep this sort of reputation.
Vanity phone numbers may help you stand out from the crowd by giving you a memorable name. Fortunately, vanity phone numbers are available from both local and toll-free phone number providers.
Getting a 1-800 or other prefix toll-free number is a terrific way to convey a distinct professional image. The consumer may relax knowing that they will not be charged back for phoning the company to address a problem or ask inquiries.
What Is the Most Effective Method for Obtaining a Business Phone Number?
There are several internet-based “voice over IP” (VoIP) providers that enable purchasing toll-free numbers, vanity numbers, and local numbers simply. Make sure to evaluate the top VoIP companies on the market to discover the one that best meets your specific requirements.
Local phone carriers often offer plans that limit the amount of phone numbers you may have per user, but there are also options that allow you to increase your pool of phone numbers and extensions.
Other Things to Think About
Many of the free or low-cost solutions will fall short of the extra services you’ll need to grow your company and please your customers. Regularly adding new add-ons will reduce the affordability of a free or low-cost service.
If you want personalized greetings, call forwarding, and an auto-answering service, you should look at business phone lines and VoIP services, which are more expensive but provide a better return. You may also have corporate phone lines that allow you to schedule calls in advance, transcribe calls and voicemails, and route calls to multiple users.
Guest Contributor:
Author Note: Emma Lakna is a business analyst and digital marketing specialist on a mission to revolutionize the internet advertising industry by making it simple for businesses to promote their products in front of interested potential buyers.
