How to Get A Phone Number for Business?

Starting a small business? Or planning to expand your current one? At times, it can be overwhelming to get a phone number for business. Gone are the days when businesses were dependent on one type of traditional landline telephone system. The internet and mobile revolution have brought numerous options offering better functionality, and greater customization, and that too at reasonable pricing. Isn’t that great? But how do you choose the perfect number for your business phone system? Well, this post will address your queries.

What is a Business Phone Number & Why Do You Need It?

Mobile phone usage is common these days. Everyone in the family, friends, and workplace has their personal phones with a dedicated phone number through which they make and receive calls. Likewise, a business phone number is a dedicated number through which customers can contact your business.

Consider a situation where a potential customer just Googles out your business number but couldn’t find one and ends up calling one of your competitors. Not just it ruins your image but also impacts your sales and conversion. Every company primarily aspires to appear professional, legitimate, and unique in front of its audience. Also, even if you are a small business, using your personal number for business operations can be quite cumbersome and can spoil your work-life balance.

Further, regardless of the availability of several self-service digital channels such as live chatting, texting, emailing, etc. people still make calls to businesses. This means that we cannot deny the importance of human interaction.

All these goals are achieved when you get a business phone number.

Does Every Company Need a Phone Number for Business?

According to a study, more than half a million new businesses open every month. With such huge numbers, you cannot risk the foundation of your business. Having a separate phone number certainly paves the way for easy and effective communication.

Options for Getting a Phone Number for Business 

Virtual Phone Number Providers

The very first option to obtain a phone number for your business is to get it from a virtual phone number provider. These providers are basically companies that allow businesses to obtain a phone number that is not tied to any physical location or device. Different providers have their own unique features and pricing plans for offering virtual phone number services. So you need to research before you finalize one.

VoIP Phone Systems

VoIP Phone systems make use of the internet to allow users to make and receive calls through various mobile devices such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc. Virtual phone numbers are a common feature of VoIP phone systems and can be used to make and receive calls by a business. Usually, VoIP phone systems offer more than one virtual phone numbers which a business can use as direct phone numbers for different agents. 

Mobile Carrier Options

Mobile carriers also offer virtual phone numbers as a part of their services. A business can contact a suitable mobile carrier to avail virtual phone number facility and can use these numbers as direct extensions for their customer service agents. 

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Business Phone Number Provider

Cost and Pricing Plans

Most phone system providers offer one or more virtual phone numbers free of cost in their subscription plans. So you must check with the shortlisted providers about the charges for additional virtual phone numbers. For this, you can give them a count of the numbers you need as per your employee count and other business requirements.

Features and Capabilities

Virtual Phone numbers come with various additional features such as call routing, voicemail, and auto-attendants or Interactive Voice Response. These features are immensely beneficial for businesses in improving their customer service and the productivity of the agents. So before you decide upon a virtual phone number service, ensure the availability of additional features.

Customer Support and Reliability

Getting a business phone number comes with additional services in the form of advanced features. A business may experience any technical issues at any point in time or even need assistance for setting up the numbers. Therefore, it is important that your provider must offer a customer support facility 24/7.

Benefits of Having A Business Phone Number

Some key benefits of using virtual phone numbers for business are as mentioned below:

No Additional Hardware is Required

Virtual Phone Numbers work over the internet and make use of existing devices such as computers, laptops, and mobile phones. There is no need to invest in any hardware whether a business wants to switch between different virtual phone numbers or discontinue a number. 

Affordable for Businesses of All Sizes

Virtual Phone Numbers support remote working without any expensive investment as compared to traditional landline phones. Using these numbers is therefore quite pocket-friendly for businesses of all sizes especially those with limited resources such as startups and mid-size enterprises. 

Offer Advanced Business Phone Features

Virtual Phone Numbers in Business Phone Systems come with an array of advanced features such as Voicemail, Call Recording, Call Reporting, IVR, etc. These features can help a business in various ways such as analyzing call data to make informed business decisions. 

Choose The Kind Of Phone Number You Need for Business

Types of Business Phone Numbers

Virtual Phone Numbers come in various forms. It is important for a business to choose the right type of virtual phone number to gain its full benefits. 

Local Phone Number

Local Phone numbers include an area code for a specific location and can be used by a business to show their local presence in different regions even if they don’t have physical offices in those regions. These numbers are especially useful in inbound calls where customers prefer to call a local business. 

Toll-Free Phone Number

These phone numbers start with prefixes like 800, 877, 888, 866, 844, 833, etc. These numbers help businesses in presenting themselves as larger and more professional in front of their clients and prospects. Customers can contact a business using an associated toll-free number without bearing any charge. The per-minute fee charge is paid by the business for all incoming calls. 

Vanity Phone Number

Vanity Numbers are slightly more expensive than all other types of virtual phone numbers. This is because these phone numbers are customizable and can be created in the form of words. Businesses can use vanity numbers to reinforce their brand and make customers remember their business when searching for a specific product or service. Examples are 1-800-PATHOLOGY. 

Steps to Get a Business Phone Number Instantly

By following the below-mentioned steps, you can get a business phone number right away. 

Choose The Right Business Phone System Provider

Selecting a reliable business phone system provider is the first step to ensure that you get value for your money. A good provider will not only offer the best pricing for business phone numbers but also ensure that you receive high-quality services. 

Decide Your Business Phone Number

Once you have decided upon a business phone system provider, it is time to choose a subscription plan according to your need for the business phone numbers and the associated cost. Usually, you get different sets of features in subscription plans for your free business phone number. 

Configure Your Business Phone Number Settings

After subscribing to a suitable plan, you can start configuring your business phone number. Start by choosing a suitable internet-enabled device such as a laptop, tablet, etc.,  to set up your business phone. Further, you can add extensions for the business phone number for different departments and agents. 

Start making and receiving calls

Once everything is configured, you can start using business phone numbers to make and receive calls to your customers.