Gone are the days of the traditional fixed phones that were connected through wires and telephone poles. With technological advancements, communication has progressed to smartphones and the use of the internet. Today, most people are connected through the world wide web or a smartphone linked through a SIM card. And to make things more convenient and easier for businesses, there is a new wave of office phone systems called virtual phone numbers.
From the sound of it, you may have guessed what it means. Like a regular telephone number, a virtual phone number is used to make and receive calls, however, it is connected through the internet. You can select which devices you want to use to receive and make calls from the virtual phone number, giving you the flexibility to work remotely. Let’s find out more about this innovative phone system that businesses are using.
Virtual phone numbers do not require a SIM card or any physical address as they use internet technology to place calls between people. They accept calls through the Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP). It is the same technology that is used for WatsApp or Google Voice. Thus, your phone calls are digitized and connected over the internet and then put across conventional phone networks. All you need is a good internet connection.
Since these numbers are connected through the internet they are location-agnostic and work well for employees who work from home or travel a lot. It means if you have a virtual phone number you can be in the office, at home or on the go. Also, you can choose who can receive calls depending on your employee availability.
Now that you understand the working of a virtual phone number, let’s find out why businesses are getting lured to this modern phone system format.
1. 24/7 availability
Most businesses need you to be available to attend calls at all times, especially if your sales and marketing are linked to the phone. With a regular phone number, often, calls are missed if you are on another phone call or can go answered if your phone is on silent. However, with a virtual phone number, if your phone is busy or on silent, the call is transferred to another employee linked to the same virtual call number. Thus, you will never miss a client’s call.
2. Privacy
Having a separate business phone number helps you maintain your privacy. Sharing your personal phone number where a lot of sensitive information and data is saved can be risky. However, a business phone number linked through VoIP does not pose any such problem. A good service provider has a stringent privacy policy that ensures that none of the data is used or shared so you can rest assured of no fraud.
3. Flair of professionalism
A business phone number gives your company a more professional touch showcasing that you have an established business, even if you run your business from your home. You can have a separate virtual phone number for each department of your business such as sales, marketing, operations and more.
4. Comprehensive web portal management
A good service provider offers its customers a full-service web portal that can easily manage calls and voicemails. It has features for call analytics that can help in customer retention and also better marketing techniques.
Virtual phone numbers come in different formats and serve varied purposes. They all have their significance and value. Here are the three main types of business phone numbers you can use for your company.
These numbers are usually seen on billboards and company flyers. They start with the country code and area code such as 1-800. The toll-free prefix can be 800, 888, 866, 877, 855, 844, 833. They are assigned by an organization, “Responsible Organization” (RespOrg). These numbers are free of charge for the caller and receiver even if it is a long-distance call. However, there might be charges for international calls but you are not charged to receive an international call.
1. Cost-Effectiveness
The most beneficial part about toll-free phone numbers is their cost-effectiveness. The calls are placed over the internet so the charges are minimal and if you have ITFS and UIFN number you will pay at local calling rates.
2. Availability
You are available to the clients at all times with a standard presence nationally and internationally.
3. Easy to remember
These numbers follow an easy format of country code followed by area code. Thus, they are simple to remember.
4. Distinction between personal and professional
With a toll-free number, you can clearly segregate personal and professional communication, keeping your data safe and secure.
These numbers are easy to get. All you have to do is choose a service provider and select your number and plan. After that, you need to download the app and configure the settings. Most often, the service providers help in setting up the structure.
If you want to personalize a virtual local phone number to connect better with the local community, get a local virtual phone number. These numbers start with an area code for a particular region, city or state. This improves the pick-up rates as your potential customers will identify better with a local number. These numbers are ideal for businesses with a local presence only.
1. Better appeal
These numbers work well if you have a business restricted to a particular region as local customers can better identify with local phone numbers.
2. Higher pick-up rates
Having a local phone number gives people the feeling of intimacy and they tend to pick up calls and reply to texts more often with such numbers.
When you personalize a virtual phone number and make it unique to your brand with a catchy mix of numbers and alphabets, it is called a vanity number. This number is ideal for brand recall and recognition. For instance, you can have your company name as part of a virtual number such as 1-800-CHOCOLATES. You can choose from the different toll-free prefixes and add your company name or product offering to it.
Benefits of a vanity number
1. Identification
It becomes a good way to identify with the brand.
2. Lead generation
Studies have shown that vanity numbers get more leads and drive more traffic.
3. Brand positioning
It is an excellent way to position your brand and make it look established and organized.
4. Reach
It ensures a uniform brand reach for clients across the country.
Many service providers offer virtual phone numbers with a plethora of services and freebies. However, you need to be vigilant in your checks and procedures while choosing. It is pertinent to read the privacy policy to know how secure this service is. Also, you need to identify what kind of data is being collected, shared and processed through these service providers. The whole idea of having a virtual phone number is to maintain your privacy so ensure that aspect is covered.
One of the leading service providers is Vumber with great pricing plans and service offerings. It has all the common features like call forwarding, caller ID, call recording along with analytical tools to help in marketing and sales.
One of the features that sets Vumber apart from most of its competitors is the number porting feature. It allows users to change from another service provider to Vumber while retaining the original number. This unique feature ensures that you don’t have to apprise all your clients about a new number. You do not even have to print new business cards, update your website and make new flyers. This is great for small businesses looking at saving costs.
So you can enjoy the services of Vumber while retaining your old number. All it needs is that you stay in the same geographical region.
With an advanced web portal, Vumber manages your voicemails, calls, messages easily and effortlessly. You can view call history, export all your call records for further analysis. You can also make changes to your Vumber by adding more numbers or deleting some. The web portal is optimized for Windows smartphones, Android and iPhone as well as for tablets and desktops.
Virtual phone numbers are a boon for businesses as they make a clear distinction between private and business calls. They also help safeguard your personal data and minimize risks and frauds. With professional service providers like Vumber the virtual phone number space has advanced by several notches. It has enhanced privacy, provided call analytics and the ability to port numbers without any hassle. So if you don’t have a business phone number yet; it is the right time to grab one now and watch your business boom.
