800 Numbers for Small Business: Yes, They Still Exist
By
Nick Gowdy
Over the past decade, communications technology has
advanced by leaps and bounds, producing new and exciting ways for consumers and
businesses to connect. Between the advent of VoIP and the mobile boom, how we
place and receive calls is radically different than it was before the turn of
the century. It's fairly strange then, that one of the more antiquated
small business communications tools in the United States is still going strong:
behold the almighty staying power of 800 numbers.
In the early years of 800 numbers, one of the biggest
reasons service providers encouraged small businesses to snatch up and use these
numbers was that they were toll free. Callers could pick up the gigantic,
wall-mounted phones in their homes and reach out to a company headquartered on
the other side of the country without having to spend a dime out of their own
pocket.
In recent years, however, the ubiquity of mobile phones and
unlimited calling has largely squashed this benefit. The concept of paying for
long distance calling has all but faded into the annals of time, like calling in
to switchboards and spinning the dial on rotary phones.
For some telecom pundits, this spelled the doom of the toll
free number industry – and yet, years later, 800 numbers are being used now more
than ever. So large is the demand that, following the 888, 877, and 866 prefixes
being released nearly a decade ago, 855 numbers had to be recently released to
keep up. What's the big draw?
The main thing most people miss about 800 numbers is that
the advantage has very little to do with helping the caller save a buck or two.
The real advantage of having an 800 number for your small business is two-fold:
1) It classes up the joint.
Without a toll free number, the scope of your business is
apparent. If you're advertising with a local number and no extension, you may be
giving the impression that it's your mobile phone number or that you're
otherwise a small shop that might not be able to handle the caller's needs.
Maybe a more intimate feel is what you're going for, especially in markets like
real estate or insurance, but for many small businesses, looking bigger is
better.
2) It's non-geographic.
800 numbers aren't tied to any particular location, and
that's huge for any company that does business nationwide. If you're running an
Internet-based startup in California and a potential customer in Georgia comes
to your website, having anything but an 800 number there for them to call is
going to be a red flag. Does your business only serve California? Are you going
to be hard to get ahold of for someone on the East Coast? Just how small are
you?
Who knows.
Having a toll free number for your business is a smart play
in most cases, even if that whole "toll free" part really doesn't matter
anymore. So yes, 800 numbers are here to stay as long as small businesses stand
to benefit from the two points above.
About
the Author:
Nick Gowdy is the Online Marketing Manager for
FreedomVoice, a
pioneering provider of
800 numbers and virtual phone systems since 1996. Besides immensely enjoying
his daily toil, he is a proud husband, father, and Cal alumnus.
Article Source:
ArticlesBase.com
