Well, you may find a separate business phone number essential in your life, as you do not want to mix your business and personal life which somehow may seem to be disorganized and annoying. Also, when you’re making a big business deal, you’re more likely to leave a professional impression on your dearest clients rather than a casual one. However, one thing you have to know is that getting a business number is just the first step, and the most important thing you need to consider is how to maximize the profits.
Why is a Separate Business Phone Number So Important?
For individuals, no one wants to deal with his/her work in the after-hours. No one wants to see work messages or business calls on his/her phone when finally finishing a day’s work. Take this as an example: Amy is a sales manager whose business duty is to canvass business orders through every channel. So she has to put her contact information (most importantly, her only phone number) on every platform she uses. However, the problem is, that business opportunity comes all the time, and sometimes in the after-hours she has to answer a few business calls which will undoubtedly disturb her private life. So you see the importance of getting an extra business phone number? You don’t need to see and handle your work anymore when you’re off work. After all, work and life should be separated and balanced.
For companies, having a dedicated number adds to your credibility as an organization. While numerous sorts of companies are developing and emerging from all walks of life, customers constantly consider a company’s service attitude and professionalism when selecting their ideal choices. On the other hand, as business numbers have to be used via phone number apps, companies are also able to discover and unlock other helpful features (like SMS Marketing, Auto Reply, and Custom Notes and Voicemails) that make it easier to deal with massive customers in an easy way.
How to Choose Your Business Phone Number
Multiple types of phone numbers exist today, and you should choose one that is compatible with your business demands.
So, list all your needs in the process of doing business and choose a suitable phone number. If there are multiple options meeting your demands, then choose one at a low price and high quality or one with multiple features. After all, some features you really need don’t come out now you should wait and see.
In this section, leading types of business phone numbers will be introduced with their pros and cons so that you’ll be able to distinguish them for a suitable choice.
Toll-Free Number (Numbers like 800-, 400-, etc.)
Toll-free numbers are the phone numbers starting with 800, 855, 877, etc. Callers are not charged when dialing such numbers, so they are usually used by business owners to improve their business opportunities.
Pros
- Free to dial
- Sometimes easy to remember
Cons
- High cost
- Perhaps unnecessary for small businesses
Local Number (Numbers with a local area code)
Local numbers refer to those with a local area code. If your potential customers are located in New York, then a number starting with 212 may be needed. Whenever a new area is to be developed to be a business target, a local number can be got to instantly contact local potential customers.
Pros
- Familiar with local customers, boosting your brand’s reliability
- Relatively low cost for local calls and texts
Cons
- Limited to local customers only
- Not memorable
- Caller gets charged
Vanity Number (Numbers like 1-800-FLOWERS, etc.)
Vanity numbers are the easiest to remember among all types of business phone numbers. The digits in the number can represent the business domain like FLOWERS, RENT, BOOKS, etc. so that customers are able to remember your phone number the moment your business is needed.
Pros
- Easy to memorize
- Beneficial to boost business
Cons
- High cost
Virtual Number (Numbers covering all above)
Unlike the features of the above number types, virtual numbers provide multiple business phone numbers including local numbers, vanity numbers, and toll-free numbers. You are allowed to get any number on a virtual number app according to your business demands. The only difference lies in the prices.
Pros
- Easy to get
- Multiple options provided
- Low cost
- Multiple features
- Can expect a number combining all the features
Cons
- Many are available on the market and should be carefully selected.
How to Maximize Profits via a Separate Business Phone Number?
Get a Business Number on Your Personal Phone
Having an extra business number and your original private number on the same phone allows you to separate your work and your life without an extra device purchased, and it also lends you professionalism that may help you grow your business. There is no need to get a second or extra device. Just download EasyLine on your phone and register one or more business numbers within a few minutes, and then you can use your own second number to get in touch with your customers and clients. Of course, it is more suitable for those self-employed business owners or small business owners.
Get a Business Phone Number that Best Fits You
Before registering a second number, users have to choose the best type of number among local numbers, toll-free numbers, and international numbers, so as to reduce costs, serve their core users and maximize profits. For example, having a local number helps to create a sense of close community with your customers. Having an international number helps to improve your brand image and increase your worldwide sales. If you only need a local number, it’s easy to get a business number 100% free. If you need a toll-free number, usually you can pick a randomly assigned number for free. However, if you want a vanity number, you may need to pay an activation fee.
Get a Business Number Plan Totally Compatible with Your Needs
After choosing the most suitable number type, another important thing to consider is to select a number plan totally compatible with your needs.
You may only be given a few free minutes each month, so it’ll only allow you to make phone calls sparingly. However, if you and your team make several calls within a day, free minutes will be spent quickly. So you should compare the number of plans to choose the most suitable one.
You have to be careful. Some number plans include unlimited talk & text, some don’t. Some allow users to call with an HD calling quality, some only have a normal quality. etc. To maximize profits, users need to choose the most compatible number plan due to their personalized needs.
Not a Business Number Alone, What You Really Need is Business Features
Having a business number alone doesn’t mean you are able to seize all the business opportunities. What really matters lies in the business features it offers. Here are some wonderful features EasyLine offers to make your business success easier.
- SMS Marketing: It is an easy way to send several customers updates or information about upcoming promotions at the same time through text messages. This feature saves you from the embarrassment of sending messages slowly to your customers one by one.
- Auto Reply: EasyLine’s auto-reply feature guarantees that every missed call is followed up with a message sent straight to your clients. By using this feature, you can keep your communications organized and respond to incoming phone calls in a timely manner.
- Auto Attendant (Call Menu or IVR): With the auto attendant, you’ll never miss service calls from any customer, as well as sales opportunities. The auto-attendant routes callers to the appropriate destination, specific employee, or department extensions. You can customize your own auto attendant in EasyLine.
- Custom Notes: By automatically recording incoming calls and analyzing important messages through speech recognition, EasyLine provides you with much-needed context that clarifies the purpose of the call, the identity of the caller, and the best way to follow up for optimal efficiency.
- Keyboard Shortcuts: EasyLine allows users to create their own personalized keyboard shortcuts to answer commonly asked questions and solve customer problems in a timely manner.
- Custom Voicemail: Making a rather good first impression is very essential. If you choose EasyLine’s personalized voicemail, your customers will be greeted with a message that is tailored to your company’s specific needs, ensuring that they feel welcomed and that their business is valued.
- Business Contacts: By using this feature, your business contacts will never be mixed up with your smartphone’s personal contacts. Store your business contacts in an area that does not overlap with your personal ones, so that you will no longer run the risk of confusing them.
- Call Blacklisting: Think back to those obnoxious calls and unwanted text messages that have made it difficult for your business to operate like an inefficient machine. With this feature, you can block all the undesirable callers and text messages, allowing you and your team to focus on interacting with current/target customers that have the potential to boost your sales.
How to Choose a Business Phone System
A business phone system is a link between you and your customers. It saves your time and efforts to deal with customers’ issues and problems can be easily solved by themselves. Moreover, a business phone system is beneficial to keep your time complete without being cut into pieces by customers’ trivial issues.
Before choosing a business phone system, two main types should be known so that a better option can be selected based on your demands, that is, a separate landline and VoIP.
A Separate Landline
A landline seems a must-have tool for a business. After all, it’s quite common to see businessmen with a suit calling and calling, which is just like Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness. It’s a different story nowadays.
The pandemic has changed multiple aspects of business, mostly the way. Fewer offices are being used today, so landlines aren’t that convenient any longer. Worse still, landline numbers are more expensive than VoIP numbers. The budget can never be neglected when it comes to business profits.
VoIP Phone System
Compared with a separate landline, a VoIP phone system has more functions and number types, including voicemail, SMS/MMS marketing, group broadcast, auto-reply, call forwarding, auto-attendant, and business insights, etc. Moreover, a VoIP phone system allows all staff to use the system at the same time.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Get a Business Phone Number from EasyLine
Getting a business number from EasyLine is not complicated, as it only needs five steps to complete the whole process. Here’s a simple guide for you:
Step 1. Download EasyLine app and open it.
Step 2. Choose the number type among “Local, Vanity, and Toll-free”.
Step 3. Search the area code if you want a local number.
Step 4. Choose a phone number you like.
Step 5. Confirm your number and get ready for EasyLine.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Use Business Features on EasyLine
SMS Marketing:
Step 1. Create a new message.
Step 2. Choose one or more receivers you’re going to send.
Step 3. Send the message to them.
Auto Reply:
Step 1. Find “Settings”.
Step 2. Tap “Auto-RePlay to Calls”.
Step 3. Create New. Input the title and write a message.
Auto Attendant (Call Menu or IVR):
Step 1. Find “Settings”.
Step 2. Tap “Auto Attendant” and enter the settings.
Step 3. Configure the features by customizing them.
Custom Notes:
When the call is over, a pop-up window will appear, in which you can save the notes.
When the call is missed, the call and the note will be displayed on the message page.
Keyboard Shortcuts:
Step 1. Find “Settings”.
Step 2. Tap “Text Settings”.
Step 3. Tap “Shortcuts”.
Step 4. Create new shortcuts or modify existing ones.
Step 5. Use the shortcuts you’ve created on the message page.
Custom Voicemail:
Step 1. Find “Settings”.
Step 2. Tap “Call Settings”.
Step 3. Tap “Business Hours” and set up your available hours.
Step 4. Record a new voice greeting or use the default greeting.
Step 5. Save your recorded voice greeting.
Bottom Line
- Whether for companies or individuals, a business number is very essential.
- When using a separate business phone number, you should pay attention to several aspects in order to maximize benefits.
- Follow the Step-by-Step Guide to get a separate business phone number on EasyLine.
- Follow the Step-by-Step Guide to use business features on EasyLine.