If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the past 12 months, it’s that stable employment is a blessing bestowed on too few people.
Due to the pandemic, many of us had no option but to work from the safety of our homes, whilst others were furloughed or made redundant. However, after multiple lockdowns and spending more time at home than ever before, it has allowed more of us to put our energy into starting up a new business. Every cloud, hey?
Whilst we’re sure you’ve spent hours perfecting your website, creating accounts on popular social media platforms – such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube – and considering effective marketing techniques, we’ll bet that you haven’t thought about your telephone number.
Are we right?
The truth is, once your company grows, the number of phone calls you will receive is bound to increase – and having a professional phone number will prove to be an asset for your business. But the question is, should you opt for a local number or a toll-free number?
Here we take a closer look at what local and toll-free numbers are, and list their pros and cons.
Local numbers
As their name suggests, these numbers are associated with a physical location. For example, when you open an office, warehouse or shop, a local number will come with your landline service. Typically, numbers are allocated randomly and, for ease, many businesses stick with the first number that they are given and incorporate this into all of their marketing campaigns.
The great thing about local numbers is that they can help your business to establish a local presence – and many customers want to support and work with local businesses.
Pros:
● Cheap or free for callers
● Customers recognise the area code and are reassured that you’re nearby
● Keep departments and locations separate if you have more than one base
Cons:
● No customisation – you cannot customise your number
● Difficult to remember
● Some mobile providers charge customers when calling local numbers
Toll-free numbers
You might not have heard of a ‘toll-free number’, but there’s a good chance that you’ve dialled one of these at some point.
Toll-free numbers are dedicated phone lines that allow callers to make contact with your business without it costing them a thing. Examples in the UK include those that start with 0800. They are normally used as customer service lines and are widely recognised as free to call numbers. There is a vast range of them to choose from as well.
Pros:
● Free to callers
● Easy to remember
● Make your business look more established
● Gain credibility
Cons:
● Relatively expensive
● Big competitions for the excellent toll free numbers – making it difficult to select the one you want
● Customers often assume they put to an automatic machine which discourages customers from call
Which will you choose?
Both local and toll-free numbers have their perks – but, before you make your mind up, you must carefully consider the pros and cons to ensure you pick the best one for your business. Luckily, whether you choose to go with a local or toll-free number, securing one couldn’t be easier.
G-Tele is a leading provider of global toll-free numbers and local numbers in more than 100 countries. Setup is straightforward and the team will work hard to get your number live as soon as possible – meaning you shouldn’t have to keep your customers waiting too long. And the best bit? They guarantee competitive pricing.
