Choosing the right phone number for your company is possibly one of the most overlooked decisions a business owner has to make … So make sure you know which one will work best for yours
what phone number is right for your business?
0800 Numbers (Free phone)
Pros
Your customers don’t get charged from landlines
Cons
You as the number holder have to pay the charges
According to the Institute of direct marketing if your customers know exactly what they want or your product range is specialised customers will be attracted to a 0800 number. This is psychologically due the lack of financial participation; the number is free for them to call.
Also if the price of your products exceeds £20 then you will find the small costs you have to pay for the 0800 numbers worth it.
0844 Numbers
Pros
You don’t have to pay anything, not for the number and not for the call charges (this is because phone number providers make the money from the call charges the callers pay)
Cons
Your callers have to pay the call charges
If you sell products that are inexpensive then paying for the call charges may not make sense. Instead you should think about using 0844 numbers where the callers pay the call charges.
0845 Numbers (also known as the local rage number)
Pros
You and the caller “meet half way” the caller pays a cheaper calling charge and you pay for the line rental. This puts both you and the caller in a position where you pay the cheapest possible costs.
Cons
Erm … You both have to pay for stuff…
Yes, 0845 numbers are the devils advocate of the phone number world making their positives also their negatives.
If you’re in a position where whatever you are selling may not cost a lot but also isn’t too far on the cheap end either.
Sometimes things are not black and white and you are not in a position to pay for the call charges but you are also not in one to demand your customers pay for it too.
0300 and 0330 numbers
Pros
Unlike most phone numbers 03 numbers are treated like local numbers (01/02) meaning callers won’t get charges when calling from a mobile.
Cons
03 numbers are still little known and despite the fact they are so beneficial for your customers, a lot of people still don’t know enough about them.
03 numbers are investments for the future, eventually people will clock on that they are so beneficial to the modern mobile phone dominated world. However that has not happened just yet, but from what you can see online (forums/message boards) there is a rapid increase in 03 number interest.
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