What’s the purpose of having a dedicated virtual phone number for your business? When it comes to business phone numbers, having a virtual phone number holds a significant amount of value for your company – more than you might ever even consider.
The concept of using a virtual phone number – a phone number which uses VOIP telephony and call forwarding to divert it to another number – might be new to many SMEs in Ireland. However, a virtual business number is a very cost-effective option that can deliver a host of different benefits.
These include;
Gaining customer trust
Before they even contact you or purchase from you, potential customers will have analysed various signals of trust to decide if you’re a good vendor to buy from/hire. They may have read online reviews, asked friends for recommendations, reviewed your company page on social media or checked out your website.
Above all of these, there is one sometimes overlooked factor by businesses which can be a key decision-maker for customers – a phone number.
If a phone number isn’t provided or a home/personal mobile number is added as your business contact detail, it can deter the trust of your potential customers, as they may not see you as entirely credible or established.
Establish a presence in different areas/countries
If you are seeking to establish a business presence in a different county, state or even a different country, providing a local contact phone number for potential customers in that area is key.
Customers prefer to buy from or use local businesses so if you are using a foreign or non-local area code, this can be enough to sway them towards a different vendor.
Using virtual phone numbers with the area or country codes of the business areas you are targeting can help you to increase the likelihood of engagement from customers in that area. Even if you just have remote employees on the ground there, you can empower them to build a business in the area by providing a local virtual phone number.
Keep personal numbers private
Using your own mobile phone or home phone to accept calls requires actively publicising your private phone number. By switching to a virtual phone number, you can protect your personal number, even using the virtual phone number to show on the receiver’s call ID.
This will also prove a much more attractive option to employees who will undoubtedly be hesitant to have to provide their personal numbers to customers. A virtual phone number can also be a more cost-effective option than purchasing separate business phones for yourself and your employees.
Saving on international call costs
Making and accepting calls using a virtual international phone number is more cost-effective for you and your customers. Customers only incur the costs of phoning a local number while you can avail of low-cost rates as part of your virtual business number service.
You especially don’t want to place added expense on your customers or prospects simply because they want to contact you. Incurring additional costs to call a business can prove off-putting to potential customers.
SMS and Whatsapp Marketing
SMS and Whatsapp marketing and customer service lines is an incredibly effective ways for small businesses to reach and engage with their customers and vice versa. SMEs can facilitate SMS/Whatsapp contact numbers through the use of a virtual business phone number, opening up the channels through which customers can communicate. The greater the number of channels you make available to customers, the higher the engagement rate from customers and prospects.
Could a virtual phone number help your business? It’s a simple service but one that could go a long way towards growing your business, whether that is on a local, national or international scale.
