How to Get a Business Phone Number
Whether you are ready to open your new business or just looking to expand, obtaining a business phone number should be one of the first steps you take. This centralised point of contact will allow you to connect with customers, gain marketing insights, and even close sales. So, you must choose the right one for your business.
That is why we have created this helpful guide on all aspects of business phone numbers and how to obtain them. Read on to learn more.
Types of Business Phone Numbers
Before you can begin the process of getting your own business number, it is best to know what types are available to choose from. The type of phone number you choose for your business can affect what kind of features are available with the phone plan, your national and/or local presence, as well as what call rates you will pay.
Most service providers offer the following phone number types for businesses:
Toll-Free 1800 Numbers
A toll-free number, also known as an 1800 number, is called as such since it allows customers to call a business without incurring a charge. Instead, the cost of the call is paid for by the business according to the call rates of their service provider. This builds a business brand of trustworthiness and customer initiative that callers will enjoy.
Ultimately, customers find toll-free numbers appealing due to their lack of charge, making them a popular number choice for many businesses. After all, customers are more likely to remain loyal and connect with a business more when they know they can call from anywhere in Australia with no added cost.
1300 Numbers
If you are looking for a national and/or local phone number to connect with customers anywhere in Australia, the 1300 number is a cost-effective choice.
The cost of calling 1300 phone numbers is split between the caller and the business according to local call rates and the service providers. This makes it an excellent choice for businesses looking to appeal to customers while also saving money.
Virtual Local Phone Numbers
For businesses that are only interested in accepting calls rather than making outbound calls, virtual phone numbers may be the best choice. Virtual local phone numbers are not tied to a physical phone line or address but still advertise that your business has a prominent local presence. This can be a great marketing technique to draw in customers while also providing a reliable phone service.
What to Look For in a Business Phone Number
When choosing your business phone number, several aspects of your operation should be considered beforehand. The phone number that best suits your business does not just support daily operations but also improves them.
Thus it is best to consider the following business elements to help direct you towards a suitable phone number:
- Who is your target audience?
- How do your customers prefer to interact with your staff?
- What is your budget for a business phone system?
- Do you currently have difficulty in managing incoming calls?
- Are additional management features required for high-volume call rates?
- Do you want to charge customers for their calls?
Such questions can help guide you towards a suitable business number. Whether you decide on a free business phone number to attract more customers, or desire advanced call management features for your high rate of business calls, actually obtaining a number is fairly simple. You just need the right kind of phone service provider to help support your efforts.
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Get a Business Phone Number
The process of getting a business phone number is fairly simple. However, it is useful to work with an experienced service provider to gain support throughout the application and set-up process. Commonly, the process to get a business phone number is as follows:
1. Choose a Phone Number Provider
The first step in obtaining a professional phone number is choosing a number provider you can trust. Look for a provider that suits your business’s unique needs and has experienced success with businesses your size or within your industry.
You can narrow your prospects by determining what businesses offer the type of phone numbers you have been searching for. I.e. toll-free phone numbers or a specific local business phone number.
2. Check Phone Number Availability
Once you have chosen a phone number provider, it is time to determine out of their available numbers what your business requires. Most local and national numbers come in three main categories to choose from:
1. Free Lucky Dip Numbers: Generic 1300 or toll-free phone number digits that are completely random and are often offered at no extra charge.
2. Premium Numbers: Hand-picked numbers that usually come with a small monthly fee for use. This is because they contain double or triple sequence numbers that make them ‘premium’ in business marketing. Customers often find it easier to remember these numbers than generic phone numbers and a professional image often comes with this memorability.
3. Memorable Numbers: The numbers following the initial prefix digit are structured specifically to be memorable. They may contain certain number patterns or spell out a word related to the business. This makes them perfect for marketing campaigns for businesses.
3. Select a Phone Number Plan
Choose a monthly phone plan to base your new number around. Some providers may offer small business plans specifically designed to support future growth or high-volume plans for existing businesses looking to expand.
Regardless, each plan will often come with unique features or promotions that can be utilised for streamlining internal operations and customer communication.
4. Add Any Additional Features
Some providers may also offer your business the chance to add on more call features to your chosen plan. This step should always be carefully considered if available to ensure that there are not any support systems that you are missing out on. Teleca’s plans include all our features at no extra cost.
Common features most businesses should include in their phone plan include:
| Announcement - Let’s you insert a pre-recorded greeting or announcement message, introducing your business to the caller. Announcements can be placed anywhere throughout the routing configuration to play whatever you desire to your customers. | Call Whisper - A programmable short recording that ONLY you hear when you answer a call, letting you know it came to you through the 1300/1800 number. We have generic recordings already uploaded; however, you can upload your own or use the text to speech function. This allows the caller ID number to also be received on your phone. | Dedicated Caller ID - You can choose to set a dedicated number that will show on the receiving phone for every call that comes through via the 1300/1800 number. This number can then be saved as a ‘contact’ in your phone with whatever label you desire. If you choose this option, the callers phone number won’t show on your phone any longer, however it can be accessed via the Call Logs in the customer portal. |
| Mobile to Mobile Overflow - You can program multiple phone numbers to ring one after another, with specified time out values for each phone number. | Voice 2 Email - Just like a voicemail, however we email through the recording that the caller leaves, along with the call info – time/date, caller ID and allocated mailbox name. We have a generic recording already uploaded; however, you can upload your own or use the text to speech function. | Time of Day routing - You can set specific rules for different times of the week or hours of the day, e.g Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, call my mobile – all other times, go to voice 2 email. |
| Simultaneous Ringing - Allows you to set multiple phones to all receive the call at the same time, whoever answers takes the call. Note that if a phone is off or unavailable, the call may go to that phones voicemail if programmed, not allowing others to answer. | Round Robin - Calls take turns calling different phones (call 1 goes to phone A, the next call that comes through goes to phone B etc). Good for sharing calls amongst a sales or customer service team. | IVR (Interactive Voice Response) - Allows you to configure customer selection-based routing where the caller can pick Option 1 for XX or option 2 for YY etc. You will need to upload custom recordings to use this function. We can provide you with further information on setting up this configuration if you need. |
5. Active Your New Phone Number
Once you have everything ready, you can go ahead and set up your new phone number. Your chosen provider can help you throughout this process, activating the number for you to set up voicemail, call forwarding, direction of missed calls, etc.
When your phone number is activated, you can enjoy a streamlined line of communication and faster in-house operations. Plenty of daily tasks can be automated with the right phone number and plan, so you can look forward to more time, manpower, and money saved for your business.
Why Get a Business Phone Number?
There are plenty of reasons for both chain and local businesses to get a professional phone number, beyond just accepting incoming calls. Here are just a few key reasons why it may be time for you to look into starting the process of obtaining a number:
1. You need to separate between personal and professional calls: The last thing you want is for a team member to answer the phone unprofessionally due to a mix-up of personal and professional business. Always put your best foot forward in communication efforts to ensure customer satisfaction.
2. Business hours need to be maintained: With the scheduling features and automated messages provided by certain phone plans, you can ensure customer calls do not extend beyond business hours. Keep everything on time and professional.
3. Maintain privacy and security: The use of personal devices for work often creates security gaps and the chance for key customer information to be leaked. With business phone numbers, all details are kept within the boundaries of work and its boosted security.
4. Additional features are required for internal operations: A regular local number for a mobile phone cannot offer the necessary support for a growing business due to its lack of call features. With a business phone number, you can automate various areas of communication, data collection, and task allocation to boost internal success.
5. Marketing opportunities: While phone numbers do not initially seem to suit marketing materials, it is a particularly effective tool for projecting professional imagery and brand values. Customers begin to recognise the number and associate it with your business, creating an effective tool for boosting brand recognition. The call tracking features also allow crucial customer data to be collected for review of ongoing marketing efforts elsewhere.
Secure Your Business Phone Number in a Matter of Minutes
If you are ready to secure your new business number, make it an easy process with Teleca. Our experienced team members are available to contact for all your business number needs. Allow us to help you choose the right digits and plan for your business, and we can help you throughout the entire process of activating your new number.
Get ready to open up a whole new avenue of business with Teleca!
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