Although there are plenty of ways for customers to get in touch with modern businesses, most people still prefer to use the phone. This means that the inbound number that your company uses is an important asset, because choosing the right one can help you increase leads and generate sales that might otherwise have eluded you.
There are a number of different types of inbound numbers available, each with their own benefits and negative aspects, so deciding on an appropriate selection for your business can be tricky.
First, you will need to work out whether you want a geographic or non-geographic number, because this can impact upon potential callers’ first impression of your business. With a geographic number you will be able to target specific areas of the country and make your business seem like a local operation, even if it is based elsewhere.
Meanwhile, a non-geographic number can be used to obscure the location of your company and give the impression that you operate on a national level, which is useful if you are looking to broaden your user base and penetrate a wider market.
Non-geographic numbers are particularly convenient if you need to route calls to both landline and mobile devices, since modern service packages make this easy to achieve and you can intelligently forward calls so that they get to the right person or department no matter where it happens to be based.
Second, it is necessary to consider whether or not you should make your inbound number free to call, or whether a premium rate line is appropriate.
The benefit of using a freephone number is not only that it will make your business seem approachable and fair, since customers will not be charged each time they get in touch. It is also down to branding, because freephone dialling codes are widely known and help to enhance the perception of a business by association.
If you want to generate leads and drive sales, the use of an inbound freephone number can be really beneficial, although you will of course have to offset the price that your company is paying in order to use such a service.
Changes to modern telephone tariffs mean that businesses often have to take an inventive approach to the selection of inbound numbers.
For example, in the past a freephone number would have been desirable because it made getting in touch with a business free for customers. However, mobile phone operators tend to charge for calls to freephone numbers and millions of people only use a portable device for the purpose of communication.
Conversely, mobile and landline providers have continued to expand the number of inclusive calls that can be made by customers. So, mobile users can call geographic landlines without increasing their bills, while 0845 and 0870 numbers can be dialled from a landline phone free of charge during certain times of the day in many households.
The upshot of all this is that businesses need to carefully plan their inbound number so that it fits in with the target audience and makes their company seem as appealing as possible.
A modern telecoms provider should be able to inform you of the specifics of a service and help you determine which type of inbound number is right for your business.
So, whether you are looking to generate leads and drive sales or provide customers with a telephone support service, if you get the right inbound number you will find that your efforts are far more successful than they were before you found the most appropriate solution.
Daisy are a leading provider of all types of inbound business phone numbers. Visit their website for more information.