Business Phone Number: Features, Pricing, Types, and Benefits.

Are you looking to have a secure and good going business phone system for various business requirements and as well as business communication? Then here we are to help you with a proper guide to business phone number service guide with all the details of its features, pricing, types, and benefits.

For sure this article will help you to choose the right phone system for your business. So let’s get started.

What is a Business Phone Number?

Business phone numbers let you protect the privacy of personal phone numbers while enhancing the credibility and brand recognition of your organization. Business phone numbers make it simpler for customers to get in touch with you, boost customer confidence, and set you apart from other businesses. But it’s important to pick the right phone number and service provider for your business.

Business phone numbers are ones that aren’t linked to any one particular phone system. This means that, with a service provider-provided app, you can use the same number across many platforms and locations, including when traveling. Read our guide on Best VoIP Providers For Small Businesses.

A direct inward dialing (DID) number, often known as a business phone number, is a telephone number that isn’t connected to a particular phone system.

This means that you can use the same business phone number via the provider’s app on various gadgets and locations, even while traveling. Setting up a business phone number is simple; all you have to do is download the number provider app, choose the plan and phone number you want, and pay (generally on a monthly basis). The entire procedure is finished in less than a day, and frequently in under an hour.

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Business Phone Number Features

Your virtual phone app can only handle your needs if your phone is integrated with the right features for your industry. Here are some must-have business phone number features:

1. Mobile App

One of the most crucial aspects of your phone service to take into account is a mobile application. You can carry on mobile chats with clients and coworkers.

2. Call Forwarding

With this capability, you have the freedom to route calls to any other number you like.

3. Auto-Attendant

To direct your clients’ calls to the appropriate department, you can utilize auto attendants, which are computerized menus that use audio prompts. These are excellent approaches to handling calls and guarantee that your consumers won’t have to wait for too long.

4. Voicemail Transcription

Your company would profit from finding a VoIP solution that enables voicemail-to-email or voicemail-to-text because it would automatically send you notes from any voicemail.

5. Call Recording

In contrast to voicemail transcription, which provides a physical copy of your messages, call recording ensures that you don’t miss anything from any incoming or outgoing calls. Make sure to abide by any call recording regulations.

6. Call Parking

With this capability, you may put a customer on hold in the cloud and give any employee the option of picking up the call again. Customers won’t have to wait too long because the call will be handled by the best person available.

7. Analytics

You’ll have all the information you need from this to make sure your staff members are as productive as they can be when taking calls.

Types Of Business Phone Numbers

Picking a business phone number that is suitable is a significant concern in running a company. Here are the top types of business phone numbers:

1. Local Phone Numbers: For Establishing a Local Presence

An area code or location-specific phone number gives your company a more dependable local presence.

It’s important to remember that you can select local phone numbers in zip codes different than the one for your business’s physical address. In order to have a local partner across the nation, many companies actually buy many local phone numbers. Local phone lines can be acquired for less than $10 per line per month and claimed for free using services like Google Voice. Setup is quick and easy.

2. Toll-Free Phone Numbers: For Affordable Professionalism

Often referred to as “800 numbers,” toll-free numbers start with prefixes like 800, 888, 877, 866, etc.

Customers can call these numbers for no charge, and unlike local phone numbers, they are not attached to any particular area. You can route toll-free numbers to existing lines or set up toll-free numbers through your phone service provider. These numbers are an economical choice that provides your firm with a more national rather than local presence, with an average monthly cost of $10.00/number.

3. Vanity Phone Numbers: For Better Name Recognition

A vanity phone number is a customized toll-free number that may be customized and allows you to spell out keywords or phrases. Perhaps the most well-known example of a vanity number is (1-800-FLOWERS).

Vanity phone numbers are a great technique to improve number memory as well as name recognition. As a result, even if someone hears or sees your vanity number and doesn’t currently require what your company offers, they will still know who to call if they do. The main drawback is that a lot of vanity numbers are already used, so be ready to think outside the box. Vanity numbers cost between $10.00 and $50.00 per number each month, which is significantly higher than regular toll-free numbers.

4.VoIP Phone Numbers: For Businesses Needing Advanced Features

When you sign up for a business VoIP service, a VoIP phone number is given to you, enabling you to place and receive calls over the Internet (including WiFi.)

This type of number is more expensive than the others here, with an average cost of between $20 and $50 per user each month; however, it offers scalability and other services not found on all number types. Additionally, there won’t be a charge for adding the VoIP number to your existing phone line. Check out our guide to VoIP features to learn more about what makes these numbers special.

Business Phone Number Benefits

An entirely virtual business phone number has a considerably more professional appearance than a traditional landline or smartphone number. Apart from that, it also offers some other significant advantages that we’ll lay out below:

1. Multiple Device Support

A business phone number can be used on any device of your choice, including your regular desk phone, a laptop or desktop computer, a smartphone, or even a tablet.

You won’t have to spend your time waiting for calls on your landline anymore because these numbers are highly portable and flexible. A call that you miss on one of your devices or phone numbers will also be routed to another one thanks to basic capabilities like call forwarding. For instance, the call will be redirected to your personal cell phone number if a consumer calls your company phone number but gets no answer.

2. Additional Channels of Communication

Although voice calls are the most common use for virtual numbers, many service providers also include SMS texting and online faxing as additional communication options.

With local virtual faxing, you may make or receive calls, which frees up your business phone line so you can send and receive contracts and other crucial papers without the need for bulky equipment. If you miss a call while in a meeting, you can quickly react to simple client questions via SMS and MMS business texting or let them know when you’ll be available to speak on the phone.

3. Modern Features for Improved Call Management

Even while virtual business phone numbers lack some of the more sophisticated functions of VoIP business phone systems, they nevertheless provide more efficient call management features than traditional landlines.

For instance, Call Screening (Caller ID) makes it simple to select whether to accept the call and ensures that, if you do, you are better prepared for the conversation. Call records and real-time missed calls and voicemail notifications help you avoid missing returning calls in a timely manner (or from forgetting to return calls at all.)

Numerous suppliers of virtual phone numbers now provide voicemail transcription services, allowing you to read voicemails rather than listen to them. Time is saved, and callback prioritization is improved.

How To Get a Business Phone System?

A VoIP provider is the fastest and safest way to obtain a business phone number.

Each offered package comes with one or more virtual numbers, giving you access to scalable business phone number options with just the capabilities you require.

Business Phone Number Pricing

1. Cost for Small Businesses

• Hosted VoIP system software- $15 to $40 each month for each user.
• IP desk phones- $50 to $300 in advance, for each phone

2. Cost for Medium-Sized Businesses

• Hosted VoIP system software- $25 to $40 per month for each user.
• Call/contact center add-on- $10 or more per month per user
• IP desk phones- $100 to $500 in advance, per phone

3. Cost for Large Business

• Hosted VoIP system software- $40 to $60 per month for each user.
• Call/contact center add-on- $10 or more per month per user
• IP desk phones- $100 to $500 in advance, per phone

When to Request a Business Number?

• Customers claim they have problems locating your contact information.
• Business calls frequently get cut off by personal calls, and vice versa.
• You no longer work alone; instead, you have one or more full- or part-time staff.
• Your number of calls per day has grown
• You struggle to control voicemails and callbacks.
• You require cutting-edge services that your present phone number provided does not supply, such as call forwarding, voicemail transcription, call recording, and other capabilities. You also need to raise the credibility of your company in the eyes of customers.
• To stay up with your expanding business, you require a solution that offers expandable phone numbers.

Conclusion

Making the appropriate decision for the number itself is the last stage in obtaining a virtual number.

First, think about what you intend to do with the number. Customers prefer not to be paid for assistance with problems they believe your company “created,” hence it is preferable to tie customer service to a toll-free 800 number. Local numbers should be used for sales calls because callers are more likely to pick up when they come from familiar area codes. Because they are simple to remember, vanity numbers work well for general commercial phone numbers that include IVR menus to direct calls. They are a wise choice to include in advertising initiatives.

The quantity you choose will also depend on your business’s size, location, and future expansion plans. Small teams or brick-and-mortar businesses typically choose local numbers because the majority of their customers are located nearby. 1-800 numbers are typically chosen by national businesses since they are more advantageous to clients and boost the credibility of the brand. A vanity number is best for enterprise-level businesses with high daily call traffic and those who actively promote their goods and services.

Finally, think about the features your business number requires and whether you would be better off choosing a whole VoIP phone system rather than a number provider.

Frequently Asked Questions