Customers are among the main stakeholders in any business. As such, investing in customer service should be a priority for any enterprise looking to compete with the best. When the clients are happy, then you have a better chance of growing in your specific industry, because you’ll not only keep the current consumer base, but you’ll also attract more.
Good customer service entails a lot of things, from the quality of products and services to how the agents interact with the clients. Companies that are client-centric will also need to ensure that customers experience a seamless and hassle-free process of service delivery. That’s where toll-free and vanity numbers come in handy.
Many business phone numbers can be very long and quite difficult to remember. As such, it makes it hard for customers to contact the relevant departments whenever they have inquiries. That can be a huge disadvantage to the company because many prospective clients will go for alternative options in the long run.
Vanity phone numbers, however, are easier to remember, which simplifies the process for the customers whenever they want to make inquiries. You can rent a virtual vanity number from online providers like Call Cowboy and supercharge your communication system. If you’re still wondering how this investment will benefit your business, then all the answers are discussed in this article. Read on to learn more!
What are vanity numbers?
Vanity numbers are a set of alphanumeric characters that are easy to remember and are usually used by companies both for marketing and to enhance customer communication. The digits in these phone numbers are either local or 800 codes. They are accompanied by a combination of letters that spell out the name of the business or any other memorable word that can be associated with the subscriber’s company.
There are many reasons why people choose to invest in these numbers. But before getting into the nits and grits of it, it’s imperative to note that there are two main types of vanity numbers: toll-free and local. What’s the difference between the two?
- Local vanity numbers
As the name suggests, these numbers are tied to a given location. When you request for a local vanity number, it’ll come with the code of your country, state, or city, depending on how it works within your region. These numbers are usually used by companies targeting people within a specific region rather than inter-state or international population.
Another significant piece of information to keep in mind is that local vanity numbers aren’t free on the part of the customers. Therefore, anyone that makes a call to these phone numbers will have to pay for the call. The payment may vary depending on where the call is initiated from. Those within a given area may be exempted from the payment system, but that’s not a common arrangement.
- Toll-free vanity numbers
Toll-free vanity phone numbers are another option that might work well for you as a business. One of the main distinctive features is that they’re not associated with any region. As such, they come with a code that doesn’t necessarily point toward any specific city or state. In fact, the caller may not know the location of your business unless they follow up on other sets of information.
The payment part is another thing that differentiates toll-free from local vanity numbers. Unlike the latter, customers can call a toll-free number without necessarily paying anything. As such, both the client and the business benefit because the former can make inquiries without having to worry about phone subscription bills. Your business, on the other hand, will continue enjoying high-quality marketing.
- Toll-free numbers attract more clients
The worst thing for customers is having to call a company for inquiries and still pay for the call. Inasmuch as the information they get from the resulting conversation is beneficial to them, most customers believe that such calls shouldn’t add more financial strain to their current budgets. As such, some can even become loyal to a brand just because of the toll-free vanity numbers.
Therefore, investing in these digits can have a significant impact on the number of clients you attract and those that choose to remain attached to your brand. To enhance these results even more, you should instill the culture of calling back your customers, especially if their calls went unanswered because of a long queue. This can be achieved by investing in modern communication technologies like a power dialer, which is designed to automatically call the next contact on a given list once the agent is free.
- Their easy-to-remember nature can boost sales
Another advantage of vanity numbers, and this goes for both toll-free and local, is that they’re memorable. As mentioned earlier, these numbers combine alphabet and numeric characters, with the latter spelling out the name of the business or anything else that’s easily associated with the company.
So, whenever a customer wants to purchase something that your company offers, they can easily remember your telephone number just by figuring out the name attached to the number. For instance, if you’re selling snacks, you could have a vanity number customized as 1800-SNACKS. The ease of dialing this number can have a huge impact on your overall sales in the long run.
- They market your brand
One of the most important departments for any successful business today is digital marketing. Advertising your products and services regularly will always attract new customers, provided you do it right. Among those “right ways” is the use of vanity phone numbers.
Unlike any other business number, you can attach your brand name as part of customization for your vanity number. As such, people will find it easy to remember the number. The more the memorable name sticks to their minds, the more your brand grows in popularity. Before you know it, you’ll have a very high number of returning customers. It’s worth remembering, though, that the success of this strategy depends on many things, one of which is the quality of whatever you’re selling. When you have high-quality products and services, there are high chances of attracting even more customers using your vanity numbers. Everyone who is satisfied with the experience will find it easy to spread the word since they’ll be having both your phone number and name at their fingertips.
- They portray your business
Apart from marketing, these numbers add more to your branding strategies and make it known that your business exists. You’ve definitely seen coffee shops and hotels that have their names printed both outside and inside the building. The objective of the graphics inside these shops is more to enhance the customer’s memory than traditional marketing.
At the end of the day, the client will find it easy remembering the existence of such a business. This is the same thing vanity phone numbers do. They improve brand awareness, which is one of the building blocks for any business today.
- They are professional
Professionalism is another important aspect that’s rarely talked about when it comes to business growth. In the current world where the rate of scamming has gone high, customers are becoming more vigilant when dealing with any online or remote communication. Therefore, for you to appear more genuine in the eyes of such prospective clients, it’d be better to have a professional-looking business number.
Many companies, however, still use the normal set of digits that are entirely similar to personal numbers. Of course, there is very little wrong with that, but vanity phone numbers can make them look even more professional. Remember, the more you promote your reputation in this manner, the easier it becomes for the target audience to trust your business.
- They offer much-needed flexibility
Flexibility in terms of communication is a crucial factor that can bring tremendous benefits to your business. This is one great feature that you’ll enjoy with vanity numbers in the sense that you can attend to customers even when you’re not in your office. So, how is this made possible?
Like any other traditional phone number, you can divert incoming calls and route them to your personal phone. This way, you’ll be able to attend to customer queries from wherever you are and you won’t miss any important calls. Although it might seem like a small change to the overall performance, this can have a huge impact on your productivity. Your sales can increase by a significant margin depending on how you respond to the callers.
- Provides key metrics for analyzing advertisement efforts
In the world of marketing, it’s always important to have a set of data that gives you an idea of how you’re performing in that department as a company. With this information in mind, you’ll know your customers’ preference and any area, product, or service that needs to change for you to enjoy better results. That said, vanity phone numbers give you a great place to start.
One crucial metric that you can collect here is the amount of time it takes before a sale is closed. A toll-free vanity phone number gives a more accurate representation of this since the caller doesn’t necessarily have to worry about paying for the airtime and stays on call until their questions or concerns are resolved. Knowing the call duration before a sale is closed will help you decide on what to change and make informed plans for the future.
Other questions that can be answered by the metrics you collect from these phone systems are:
- What time of the day or week do you receive the highest number of calls?
- Are the current advertisements attractive enough to the target audience?
These are important questions because they give you a good starting point when making future plans regarding the number of agents and shift arrangements. Apart from tracking these metrics, vanity phone numbers also give you the opportunity to record conversations, analyze them, and make any changes based on the information you get.
How to get a vanity number
Now that you understand the benefits of a vanity phone number, the next step is to learn how you can get one for your business. The first thing you should do is choose a phone service provider that’s not just trustworthy but also reliable. You’ll also want a company that offers you affordable rates since your business will be paying most, if not all, of the bills.
Most companies provide a trial period for you to test all the features and see if they meet your needs. It’s important to take advantage of this offer so as to avoid any unnecessary regrets once you start investing your hard-earned money.
Once you know which company and services to use, you can then go ahead and choose a plan that fits your demands and that which is affordable. Most of these organizations have something for everyone, so be sure to go through all the plans carefully before committing yourself. Finally, you’ll be required to pay for the plan and start enjoying the benefits.
Another feature you might want to confirm is if your chosen service provider has a user-friendly platform. Once you start using their services, you’ll want an interface where you can access and manage your subscriptions. Some rely entirely on their website for all these operations while others have a dedicated mobile app for the same. If this is one of your primary considerations, and it should, then make sure you understand the whole system before signing the contract.
Conclusion
Vanity phone numbers feature an alphanumeric set of characters that make it easier for callers to remember. They can either be toll-free or local, with the latter containing region-specific codes. Toll-free vanity numbers, on the other hand, don’t feature these codes and give customers the opportunity to call the company free of charge. This can increase your sales since clients won’t have to worry about telephone bills.
These numbers are also great branding and marketing tools for companies since business or product names are attached. Flexibility and professionalism are other benefits that a company can enjoy just by having these digits and alphabets as their primary business numbers. To become more competitive in your field, consider investing in this powerful feature.
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