Are you a small business owner who has been weighing up whether or not to invest in a business phone number? Well, in this article we will provide eight reasons as to why you should get one! Not only is it a great way to maintain and improve your business after lockdown, the benefits it gives your company are very tangible too.
Business, and in particular small business, nowadays is about connecting more to customers than ever before. If you invest in a business phone number, you will be able to achieve that in the following ways:
Increased Credibility
Whether you decide to get an easy to remember number like 1-800-suntan or a 1300 number instead, having a business phone number provides you with instant memorability and/or credibility. This is especially worthwhile for start-ups, or small businesses, as it gives customers the impression that these organizations are professional, successful, and reliable.
First impressions do count, and customers, largely, are much more receptive to the idea of calling companies that have business phone lines, as opposed to personal, mobile phone numbers. Phoning a business number will always give your clients the impressions their calls will be addressed appropriately.
Consistent Business Branding
If you want your small business to be successful, it is crucial to set up consistent branding across all channels of communication. Having a dedicated business phone number enables you to do this. It ensures that everything from your social media accounts, to your invoices, and sales and marketing literature, shows the same phone number. As your business grows, or you move locations, you will not face the potential risk of losing customers who are phoning an old and incorrect number.
Improved Customer Satisfaction
As a small business owner, you might not want to put your personal phone number all over the internet and other communication channels. This is why you perhaps rely on contact forms for initial customer enquiries.
However, this can often be a source of frustration for customers, who just want to talk to a human being. Moreover, it gives your business a bit of a faceless edge, too.
A business phone number makes you more accessible to your customers. This in turn provides them with a better level of customer service and satisfaction. Customers who want to contact your business usually want to talk to someone, which is often the first step towards them making a sale.
Professional Voicemail
Another benefit of a business phone number is that you can set a professional personalized voicemail to accompany it. Customers do not want to call and hear the same voicemail your partner, family, and friends do. Likewise, they do not want to be greeted with a soulless automated voicemail that comes from your phone provider either. This not only comes across as unprofessional, but customers also cannot be sure they have reached the correct business. This would not happen with a business phone number.
A professional voicemail is a marketing opportunity, too. You could direct people to your website or inform them of their latest special offer.
Clearly Defined Business Hours
As a small business owner, running your operation is rarely a 9 am to 5 pm kind of thing. However, thankfully, with a business number, you can at least ensure your customers call you solely within that time. Should any of your clients call before or after your designated hours of operation, any messages left will go straight to your business voicemail — as opposed to your personal voicemail.
So therefore, if you are working late in the evening on the strategic side of your business, you will not be disturbed by customers or annoying marketing phone calls. Likewise, you can also keep your personal lives separate at night, on the weekends, and when you are active or relaxing.
Calls Forwarded Simultaneously to Different Phones
If you are managing a remote team with several people who could answer incoming calls, a dedicated business phone number can easily be configured to their phones. This ensures the answering of customer calls, regardless of whether your team is working from their various homes or different office locations. It also improves your company’s efficiency and overall level of customer satisfaction.
Screening Calls
Do you feel inundated with lots of unwanted marketing calls? Well, a business phone number can help free up the line for customers simply by giving you the choice of answering the call or forwarding it to voicemail. You can set up a virtual system with your phone number that will allow you to divert the call straight to voicemail if you do not recognize the number, or do recognize it as a spam call. Therefore, it allows you to keep on working until you receive a phone call from a genuine, prospective or existing customer.
Portability
With a business phone number, it does not matter where you are located. Therefore, should you decide to move state, or into a different part of the country, you can easily and seamlessly take the number with you. It eliminates any disruption to your business or inconvenience to your customers.
Conclusion
After reading this article, we hope you can see the clear benefits of having a business phone number. For a small business owner exploring new small business opportunities, this is not an expensive outlay. Indeed, some of the best value 1300 numbers will only set you back a few dollars a week. All the while, you get something that significantly improves your business’s credibility and professionalism, while concurrently ensuring you always remain accessible to your customers.”
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