Choosing the Best Phone Number for Your Business

Choosing the best phone number for your business is not always an easy task - there are many types of phone number available. Attractive numbers are available with different packages and plans, increasing the number of choices available. As a business owner, it pays to consider various factors including your geographical location, present and potential service charges, and phone number prefixes before choosing a number for your business.

If you already have a business phone number that you use to communicate with existing customers, it's best not to change that. You can always get more phone numbers at a later date and this will save your existing customers from any confusion. On the other hand, if you're a new or small business with few contacts as yet, there’s nothing holding you back from choosing a new business phone number.

Factors to Consider when Buying a Phone Number

One of the most significant factors to consider when buying a business phone number is the geographical location of your business - where do you operate? If you operate in a single city or location, you should get a local business phone number. If your business is limited to a single country, it's better to go for a non-geographic number. However, if you operate worldwide, you need to get an international number to facilitate trade with customers and clients overseas.

You can also use the services of a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) provider. VoIP comes with plenty of benefits that can help your business to grow faster than ever before. The latter part of this article includes a thorough overview of VoIP.

Types of Business Phone Number

Local Phone Numbers

Local business phone numbers are effective at building relationships with local customers. Business phone numbers begin with a three-digit area code that corresponds to a city or region.

Some phone service plans, including Yay.com’s, offer a free business phone number. Small businesses that operate within a given region can choose a geographic phone number. You can easily add more business phone numbers whenever it suits you.

Non-Geographic Phone Numbers

Non-geographic phone numbers carry the implication that your business operates nationwide, conveying a sense of size and authority to customers. If your business operates all over the country then choose a non-geographic business number. Without a business strategy centred around building a customer base in one, or perhaps a few given locations, there’s nothing to gain from using local phone numbers while a non-geographic number will imbue you with a sense of size and professionalism.

International Phone Numbers

Having an international phone number for your business is important if you have clients all over the world. International business phone numbers make it possible for overseas clients to contact you at a lower cost than they could otherwise. VoIP providers like Yay.com can offer you international phone numbers, allowing customers from all across Europe, the USA and Canada to do business with you.

The Right Business Phone System

The benefits of choosing the right business phone number are multiplied many times over if you choose the right phone system provider to supply the platform on which you’ll your new numbers. VoIP providers offer the best and most forward-thinking features in this space.

Choose VoIP for the Best Phone System Features

VoIP services exist globally and traditional phone networks are almost obsolete. People prefer the internet over any other medium and it's cheaper to make calls over the internet than with an analogue phone system. VoIP platforms are compatible with desk IP phones and most providers offer smartphone and desktop apps as well.

VoIP systems are extremely flexible. You can add or remove phone numbers as your business needs change and, if you're an existing business and don't want to change your current phone number, you can easily port your existing phone number over too.

Advantages of VoIP and Virtual Phone Numbers

Less Costly

VoIP is much cheaper than traditional, analogue phone systems. You don't have to set up and maintain any type of PBX system with VoIP. All you need for your VoIP service is a connection to the internet - the rest is handled by internet protocols.

Call Forwarding

VoIP offers modern call forwarding options not available with traditional phone systems. The best VoIP services will offer granular control over call forwarding options: with Yay.com, for example, calls to any of your business numbers can be forwarded to any other number, extension or set of extensions associated with your account.

IVR Call Menus

IVR call menus (press 1, press 2 options) also known as ‘auto receptionists’ or ‘auto attendants’ give your customers a more efficient caller experience whilst saving your staff time by cutting down on transfers and repeated queries.

Automatic Call Recording

Record your inbound and outbound calls - useful for compliance, training and accuracy purposes to name a few.

Conferencing

Conduct calls with multiple users simultaneously.

With all its attractive features, VoIP is definitely the best service for your business phone number. Get memorable phone numbers and VoIP services from Yay.com today by choosing your VoIP plan and you'll be ready to expand your business anywhere in the world - instantly.