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A Simple Guide to Business Phone Numbers

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One of the early steps in starting a company is getting a business number. For many enterprises, the most likely method of contact used by customers is calling the company. And so, having a number solely for the purpose of the company’s communications is a must. But what do you need to know about business phone numbers and the different types that are available? And which would suit your communications needs best?

more accessible business

Become More Accessible With Virtual Business Phone Numbers

Business phone numbers are phone lines used specifically for business purposes: to attend to and manage business calls. These phone lines are different from your personal or home phone lines. And, they enable easy communication within the organization. More importantly, they make external communication with customers efficient. Most customers prefer meeting in person or speaking with an actual human being from an organization over emails or talking to bots.

But in-person meetings are not always feasible. However, having a phone number that facilitates communication — for example, forwarding calls to different departments or locations so no call is missed — can really boost a customer’s confidence in the company. Therefore, a business phone service that is answered and attended to can increase customer engagement and satisfaction.

Why You Should Consider Virtual Phone Numbers For Your Business

Now, you can get a regular business number from your service provider or you can switch gears and invest in a virtual number to better manage phone calls. Virtual numbers work through voice over internet protocol (VoIP) systems which route audio and video calls over the internet. These numbers work digitally and can be used on mobile phones, VoIP lines, landlines, laptops, or computers. You can purchase virtual numbers as local, international, toll free, or international toll free numbers.

The best part? These numbers let you convert your smartphone into a fully functional business telephony system, without the need for additional equipment. And, they are also useful for a phone system with multiple desk phones for larger enterprises where multiple devices are connected to a main console.

With virtual business phone numbers, you can have calls routed to different phone lines or numbers of your choice, anywhere across the world. For instance, you can have calls from your Indian customers routed to your American phone line. Or, have them routed to your customer reps in India or China, closer to the customer’s time zone. You can also enable simultaneous ringing which lets incoming calls ring on multiple devices and numbers, allowing a greater chance of the call being answered by a member of your team.

Opening New Communication Lines

VoIP phone systems operate over the internet. Businesses can run their telephone lines using the same internet line. This way, they don’t have to worry about extra equipment or installation, nor will they have to deal with adding phone lines in the office. Calls can be made through laptops, computers, smartphones, etc.
consider virtual phone number
An additional benefit of having virtual numbers as business phone numbers is that you can take advantage of having a local, international, or toll free number.

    Here is some more information about these numbers:

  • Toll free numbers: These numbers charge the receiver instead of the caller, making it free for customers to reach out to you. On the other hand, you can get a local number in almost any city, state, or country across the globe and have incoming calls forwarded to an alternate number where you or your team can answer it.
  • Local numbers: Local numbers are less expensive for a customer than calling an international number or a number with different area codes. These numbers demonstrate that you are considerate of your customers, giving them more reason to call your number. Customers are more likely to answer a number they recognize and so having a local area code or a local number is more attractive than an unknown international number.

VoIP Makes Teamwork Easy

voip teamworkBusiness phone numbers with VoIP technology also work well with extensions and private branch exchange (PBX) systems. Virtual PBX allows all lines of communication to connect to you digitally. Record and forward calls, set up welcome messages, and more without being stuck to a landline phone. Use unlimited extensions to categorize and organize different departments across your company as well as different office locations. Create a better system for internal communications. Customize your office lines to suit your teams’ needs and manage incoming calls more effectively.

A Freelancer’s Tool: How Virtual Communications Can Benefit Start-ups & Small Businesses

Freelancers, solopreneurs, or small business owners rarely consider getting a business phone number because, why not just use a personal number? But having a number solely for business calls keeps your work and personal life separate. A business number can make your company look professional. But more importantly, you can make use of some great features at a reasonable price. No more dropped calls due to a bad phone network connection. Use custom greetings to personalize your calls. Forward or redirect calls to your partner or teammates during certain times of the day. Increase credibility to ensure your customers know your business is reliable. Balance your work and personal life better with virtual communication solutions.

Useful Features That Make Conversation Happen

Virtual phone service providers, like United World Telecom, understand how important customer interaction is for companies. And so, telecommunications engineers are constantly inventing and upgrading features to improve the way a company communicates with its clients. United World Telecom offers many such features that help create different channels of communication to ensure incoming calls are answered in the most efficient ways. These features also help you customize your service to make it stand out against competitor organizations. Here are some features that benefit businesses most:

  • Call forwarding: This forwards calls to any number or numbers, to any location, or any device.
  • Simultaneous ringing: You can have incoming calls ring simultaneously on multiple phone numbers ensuring you receive calls anywhere and at any time.
  • Time of day routing: This feature redirects incoming calls to one or more alternate numbers during specific times of day.
  • Call recording: Allows you to record incoming or outgoing calls to study customer preferences or assess your team’s standards of customer service.
  • Multiple extensions: Enables you to add extension codes to your virtual company number so that callers can connect to the person or department needed.
  • Interactive Voice Response (IVR): This is an automated system to handle high call volumes and improve customer service by directing customers to particular departments.

vanity phone numbers

Virtual Numbers: A Marketing Tool

Did you know you can market your company with virtual business phone numbers? United World Telecom offers vanity numbers that customize your virtual number to align it with your brand. You can use memorable patterns or insert letters for words associated with your company or industry in your number. For example, 1-800-TRAVLRS for a travel agency. Or, use easy-to-remember patterns like 877-292-2922. The point is to make your number easy to recognize and remember, and to help it stand out against competitors. Then, advertise this number in places where you get high traffic that can capture attention on a larger scale. Think: billboards, business cards, marketing emails, and more. Soon, customers will associate the word or industry with your company, which will result in greater communication and reach.

How to Get Business Phone Numbers with United World Telecom

Time:
Takes About 2 minutes
Description:
Steps on activating a toll free business number.
Necessary Items:
Computer or Smartphone
image step 1
Visit United World Telecom
Go to the United World Telecom homepage and select Toll Fre Numbers.
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Select your new phone number
Go to the left hand side, “Select Your New Phone Number,” which includes the country that you want your toll free number to be based in. United World Telecom offers phone numbers in over 140+ countries.
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Choose a prefix
Depending on which location you choose, you may be able to select a toll free prefix, a mobile-accessible phone number, or other options.
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Choose your number
You will be provided a list of toll free numbers to choose from. For some locations, your toll free number will be provided upon activation.
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Provide a destination phone number
Now that you’ve selected your number, you need to provide a destination phone number underneath the “Enter Your Destination Number” heading on the right hand side. Include the country code, area/region code. Click the View Rates & Try for Free button
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Select your plan
Review the plans to see which is best suited for your business needs, based on the number of monthly minutes required. Select whether you want a free business trial or you can go ahead and pay for a subscription plan by clicking on the Try for Free button. Plans include; Basic, Value, Power, Premium, and Enterprise.
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Select optional features
Below the payment plans, choose from a variety of add-ons available for your number, such as: Rollover Minutes ‒ accumulate unused minutes for the future
Call Recording ‒ record calls for future reference
Inbound SMS plans ‒ receive SMS messages from customers in your email
Outbound Calling ‒ make international calls with caller ID override to ensure your virtual number appears on the receiver’s caller ID
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Enter contact and account info
Choose account type (Business or Personal), verify the Terms and Conditions, and click on “Try for Free” to verify your purchase.
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Enter payment and billing information
Finally , agree to the Terms & Conditions and click on the “Pay and Activate” button to complete your purchase.

Once your order goes through, a customer service rep from United World Telecom will reach out to you within 24 hours to get you all set up with your business phone number. And, you can start using the number almost immediately.

Ready to Go Digital and Global With Your Company?

If so, a virtual phone number is right for you. Sign up for a business number with United World Telecom or contact our customer support for more information at 1-(877)-898-8646. We can help with international numbers, call forwarding, vanity numbers, voicemail, SMS forwarding, and so much more. Let us assist you in your customer relations efforts and expand your business to attract new and international clientele.

F A Q | Business Phone Numbers

Yes. There are no limits to the number of numbers you can purchase with us. A large percentage of our clients are international companies with locations all over the world. When placing an order online, you can add as many numbers as you would like to your cart. If you want a custom quote for bulk numbers, please send us a corporate inquiry and we can send you a detailed proposal.

A virtual phone number is a phone number without a standard telephone line. Virtual phone numbers can forward incoming calls to a different number, or to a VOIP/SIP line located just about anywhere in the world.

Global Call Forwarding offers numbers in over 140 countries. Some types of numbers include local, toll free, mobile, UIFN, ITFS, DID, SMS enabled, and more.

There are some countries where mobile accessibility with toll free numbers is not available. You can view accessibility and restriction information when you select your phone number under “see additional info and restrictions”

Yes, United World Telecom does offer vanity phone numbers which can be either local or toll free from countries across the globe. You can request a vanity phone number here.