A good business phone number is the sort of thing you don’t realize you need until it’s too late. Even the most passionate business owner can burn out with their personal mobile pinging constantly. In fact, it’s more likely to impact these hands-on types of owners.
According to recent stats, 48% of interviewed business owners reported burnout symptoms in just the past month. Creating a phone number dedicated to your business allows you to take a step back. Before you approach more complex stuff, like SMS API or collecting numbers for marketing, it’s vital to deal with the essentials.
In this guide, we’ll teach you how valuable properly managing your phone numbers can be in business. We’ll cover everything from how-tos to benefits — even throwing in insights for syncing this strategy up with SMS marketing later.
If you’re struggling with phone demands as your business grows, here’s what you can do. In 10 minutes or less, you’ll be a pro.
What Is a Business Phone Number?
At first glance, you might not notice that a specific number is only for business purposes. A business phone number is no different from a customer-facing perspective, yet behind the scenes, it makes all the difference.
There are two main approaches to this:
- A business number for a single phone (aka buying a company phone for better work-life balance).
- A business number for an entire virtual call system (aka connecting callers with multiple call handlers from different physical locations).
That first option might be suitable for a small to medium business, like a single restaurant. It looks professional, allows multiple people to answer a single phone, and distances the business owner from every proceeding.
However, for larger businesses or chains, with entire teams dedicated to answering calls, obviously, one mobile phone won’t cut it. These numbers connect callers with an entire system for your business, which then distributes calls to available staff. It might even act as an international phone.
As reported by Business.com, there are also different types of business numbers, including:
- Local business phone numbers
- Toll-free numbers
- Advanced VoIP business numbers (like Phone.com or Google Voice)
As you can see, the phrase “business number” is an umbrella term encompassing many different strategies and types.
For the purpose of this article, we’ll focus on the primary term: a business number for a single phone. However, you must be aware of the other variations to adapt further as your business grows.
How To Get a Business Phone Number
Getting a business number for single-device use is easy. It’s a task that your provider can assist you with, and it’s no different from setting up a normal system.
These are three simple steps to take when figuring out how to get a business phone number:
- Contact a landline or mobile provider: If you want a landline or mobile number, contact a provider directly or browse their websites for rates. It’s worth taking notes so that you can compare more accurately in the next stage.
- Check reviews and compare against other providers: Check the ratings from previous users and see how the first provider performs compared to other providers. Allocating extra time for this stage can ensure you get the best deal possible.
- Sign up for a contract: Secure your contract and embark (unofficially) on a trial period. See how effective this provider is over your contract period and decide at the end whether you’d like to renew. Keep track of the costs, too, as business numbers are a tax-deductible expense.
3 Benefits of Using Business Numbers
Aside from being massively strategic customer engagement, business numbers are just plain useful. They save business owners from burnout, are simple to set up and make your company look tons more professional. Let’s look at the benefits in detail, though.
Here are the top three pros of investing in a business number for your company.
1. Better Handling of Mass Calling
With the right team, you can handle almost unlimited calling. All it requires is someone to hover near the phone, such as an extra bar staff member whose specific responsibility is to answer calls.
Having a company number allows you to distribute business calls easily; they don’t solely fall on a single individual.
2. More Professional
Having a special business number from a phone provider makes you look more professional. Being able to pick up a mobile and call a business builds trust. You’re real. You’re contactable.
With that in mind, it’s a great addition to branding strategies — whether that’s restaurant branding or branding a coffee shop. It is a fantastic way to improve how your customers perceive your business.
3. Might Be More Memorable
On another note, if you do create a business number, it might be more memorable than your original personal one. Always, always, always request to personalize the number that a provider generates for you. This way, you can add specific details, like repeating numbers.
If your business has a number in its name, you can also use that in your contact details. Take this cafe, for instance, thirty-nine (named after its location at 39 The Grove). You could add that same numerical value to your business number, e.g., 3939. Anything catchy is a smart way forward.
Small details make a big difference! A massive benefit of choosing a number, especially for your business, is that you can be creative.
How Do I Choose the Right Business Phone Number for My Company?
There’s really no one-size-fits-all when it comes to generating numbers. With that in mind, we’ll cover the different variations to consider. So, let’s answer the question, “How do I choose the right business phone number for my company?”
Firstly, we’ll assume you’ve already chosen the right mobile type to manage your business calls. That initial choice is really important — for instance, picking between a business phone service or a traditional phone.
A static landline is hugely different from a virtual phone accessible by a mobile app. Take your time to weigh up this primary decision.
Next, consider the format of the phone itself. Do you need a vanity phone number? These are customized numbers with repeated numbers that are easy to memorize. For example:
- Childline uses 0800 1111
- The NHS helpline (a British health service) uses 111
- US emergency services use 911
- UK emergency services use 999
They can also incorporate letters to receive texts, for instance:
Vanity numbers are nice touches for those receiving lots of texts or wanting to run future SMS marketing campaigns. They aren’t necessary if you just want a general number to receive phone calls and advertise through Google or your website.
In short, these are the considerations to make when ensuring you pick the right business number:
- Do you have the right technology or software? Do you need a number for single device use or an entire system?
- How memorable is the number? If you can personalize it, it’s worth requesting repeating digits, which are more memorable.
- Could you use a vanity number, especially if you receive a lot of texts?
How To Get a Free Business Phone Number
Unfortunately, the general answer to “How to get a free business phone number” is that you can’t. All providers have to charge; otherwise, they wouldn’t make a profit. You’re investing in a contract — just like you would with a personal number.
However, with that said, you could use Google Voice instead. This is free software that allows you to take calls from any device. It also includes features like voicemail transcribing and integrates with platforms like Google Meet. If you want a free alternative, it’s a great option.
So, as a general rule, you won’t find a free business number in its traditional form. However, there are free alternative technologies you can opt for to manage all those incoming calls. It just depends on which you value more: budget or practicality.
How Business Numbers Link to SMS Marketing
We’ve discussed finding and creating and why you should bother with business numbers. But what about how they link with future marketing campaigns?
A big way business numbers can link to advertising and outreach campaigns is through SMS marketing. Numbers aren’t only for answering incoming calls but also for reaching out via text.
An SMS marketing strategy is where a business sends promotional material out through text messages. It’s a savvy approach. And if you’re weighing up SMS vs email marketing, know that texts have a sky-high 98% open rate. Open rates are just one of the many benefits of SMS marketing.
With a business number, you can embark on an SMS marketing campaign from a place of trust. A recognizable number creates a rock-solid brand identity and authority. It’s a great base to establish before you really go to town utilizing text messages for your business.
With all that said about the importance of business numbers for SMS marketing, there’s one important rule. SMS compliance laws dictate that you must gain consent before sending marketing over text.
And what does that mean for you? It means you’ll have to get really good at collecting SMS contacts from people who consent to receive marketing content.
1. Competitions
The first strategy you should consider is through short-term collecting campaigns. These are great for building an initial base that you can then grow through more long-term, passive approaches. A fantastic example of this is hosting competitions or giveaways.
You can request numbers as part of the entry requirements, growing brand awareness at the same time. What a result!
2. Loyalty Programs
A loyalty program is perfect if you have more time to organize something concrete and long-term. This is excellent for customer retention and gives you a reason to ask for mobile numbers.
In exchange, customers get either a physical or digital club card. They can collect points or stamps and redeem these against rewards.
3. Captive Portals
What if you want something really passive? Then, we’d suggest a captive portal. For anyone with an in-person business, this clever software latches onto your existing WiFi.
It’s one of the cheapest strategies for collecting phone numbers and requires zero management once set up. We’ll tell you more about this effective strategy in just a second (skip to the conclusion if you can’t wait).
FAQ
Where do you think you’re rushing off to? Have you tested your knowledge yet? Creating a business number is a complex strategic decision and not something to approach lightly. Let’s consolidate what you’ve learned.
What is a business phone number?
A business phone number is a contact number specifically for a company, not personal use. It allows customers to connect with staff and other representatives, like customer service specialists. There are different types of business numbers, including traditional single-device options and virtual call systems.
It’s important to decide what sort of approach your company requires. Do you need the number active across multiple devices or just a single mobile or landline?
Why do I need a business phone number?
A business number is practical; it prevents a company owner from burning out with too many calls to handle personally. It also creates a more professional image and boosts company authenticity. If you personalize the number, you might be able to create a more memorable digit pattern, too.
Can you use business numbers for marketing?
Yes. You can use business numbers as a more trustworthy means of marketing. The boost of authenticity means that they are great for sending SMS campaigns. You could also invest in cold calling to drive your sales.
Beambox: Collecting Numbers Through WiFi
Ready to get up to speed on collecting numbers through captive portals? Let’s break down how it works.
A captive portal is a webpage pop-up that customers trigger when they try to join your WiFi network.
The pop-up contains a form requesting customer details, which you get to customize, meaning you can specifically request numbers. Once customers comply and input their data, they get total internet access.
What’s great about this approach is that after you set everything up, it ticks along passively. You gradually end up with a huge database of contacts that you can tap into for future SMS campaigns. It’s also budget-friendly, as you can purchase captive portal software on a monthly subscription basis.
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At Beambox, we offer an all-in-one WiFi software with a built-in, customizable captive portal. We can help you take your business to the next level.
Start your Beambox free trial today and grow beyond your new business phone number!
