855 Number Launch Date Announced!
The long awaited launch of the new 855 toll free number prefix has just been given a firm date. Those who have been struggling to find a toll free vanity number that meets their needs and marketing programs can now lock in premium 855 numbers if they hurry. The release date for the new 855 numbers is set for 12 Midnight EST on October 1, 2010. However, this does not mean you have time to waste.
ShareThisCustom Toll Free Appoints Rick DeCamp Vice President of Business Development
Custom Toll Free recently announced the appointment of Rick DeCamp as vice president of business development. In his new position, DeCamp will lead product marketing and business development for a new line of business centered on e-commerce technology solutions."We’re excited to have a marketing and business development executive of Rick’s caliber join our management team," said Michael Evans, president and chief operating officer of Custom Toll Free. "Given his deep and highly successful experience, we know Rick will make a significant impact on our business and product strategy, and help us continue the company’s rapid growth trajectory."
Your toll-free number: Six ways get customers to call
In the current economy customers are slower to spend. So now, more than even, marketing messages need to include key phrases that make the customer pick up the phone and call now. That’s why it’s important to tell people in your ads what’s new and different about your product or services — and why they should pick up the phone and dial your toll-free number right away:
The two most obvious phrases are:
- On sale
- Limited-time offer
But there are some other attractive phrases that command attention and inspire action. They include:
- Overnight delivery
- More style options in stock
- New, improved design
- Free estimate (or free sample)
- Make sure your toll-free number appears prominently in your ad, paired with your special offer:
- “Call 1-800-BIZ-NAME today to arrange a free estimate.”
- “Call 1-800-BIZ-NAME today and your purchase can be delivered to you tomorrow!”
Need a distinctive toll-free number that matches your new campaign or product? Get started right away with our Toll Free Number Search. We can also help you get a great customer toll-free number that’s coming available.
How vanity toll-free numbers power outdoor advertising campaigns
One of the fastest-growing segments of marketing communication is outdoor advertising. Traditional billboards are benefitting from fast, lower-cost ink jet printing technologies, and new forms of outdoor ads are proliferating. These include electronic billboards, bus signs and bus wraps, kiosks, giant banners, LED message reader boards, and even taxi tops.
Studies of advertisers reveal that they choose billboard ads for their superior abilities to communicate effectively, to attract new customers, and to increase sales. eMarketer Digital Intelligence predicts that US outdoor advertising revenues will rise from the $7.4 billion posted in 2007 to more than $10 billion in 2011.
Outdoor advertising is known for being powerful and streamlined. According to the five principles of billboard advertising, you want to keep it simple: convey one strong visual concept about your service or product, add a tagline or call to action, and provide your company name and contact information.
One of the best ways to keep it simple and effective is with a vanity toll-free number. In outdoor advertising, a great vanity toll free number does double duty, reinforcing either your company name (1-800-yourname) or your call to action (1-800-buy-sodas). A good example of a vanity number being used as a call to action is the highly successful outdoor ad campaign used by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to advertise a new tip line for reporting illegal animal fighting. The vanity toll free number they chose was 1-877-TIP-HSUS.
Get the most out of your outdoor advertising by prominently featuring a strong vanity toll-free number. Custom Toll Free staff can help you acquire a toll-free number that works with your brand, service, or product and takes advantage of the high-impact outdoor ad medium to capture attention and generate response. Find out more about our toll free number search.
The evolution of toll-free services
Let’s start with a little history: Toll-free numbers first appeared in 1960, introduced by the US Post Office. But they really began to change the shape of business calling in 1967, when they were adopted by the old AT & T. In those days, toll-free service was known by the name of IN-WATS (Inward Wide-Area Telephone Service). You might remember hearing someone refer to a “WATS line.”
It didn’t take long for major companies to see the advantages of using toll free numbers to make it easy for customers to reach them. Not surprisingly, the early adopters included companies in the hotel and car rental industries. They set up call centers serving customers who were away from home and facing long-distance calling from a relative’s phone, an expensive hotel phone, or a cumbersome public pay phone. Customers loved the convenience, and companies found that toll-free numbers generated substantial ROI.
In the 1980s, vanity toll-free numbers (spelling a phoneword like 1-800-COMPANY) appeared on the scene, and companies clamored to get the best numbers. Today some vanity toll-free numbers are valued in the millions.
Custom Toll Free has experience in helping businesses select not only a powerful custom toll-free number, but also the toll-free services that best fit your company’s budget and business model. An entire suite of basic services is yours for free when you activate a toll-free number with us. In additional we provide an extensive choice enhanced services including virtual PBX, hunt groups, call announcement, call recording, and VoIP termination.
We make the entire process of getting a custom toll-free number convenient and fast. Contact us for more information, or get started researching a vanity toll-free number using our Available Tollfree Number Search.
5 ways to please callers to your vanity toll free number
One of the best ways to strengthen the power of your vanity toll free number is to use it in all your marketing materials. That includes putting it in your telephone greetings. Think about it: Clients dial “1-888-PET-CARE” and the greeting they get is “Hi, this is Johnson’s Pet Supplies.” But they could be hearing “Hi, you’ve reached 1-888-PET-CARE, Johnson’s Pet Supplies.”
This is a no-cost way of helping customers recognize and remember your custom toll free number, increasing the likelihood that they’ll call your business again in the future. Here are five ways to use phone greetings to turn those vanity number calls into sales — and increase customer satisfaction.
- As often as possible, have a live person answer the phone and present your message during business hours. Studies show that customers expect and prefer it, and it’s the ideal during a sales campaign when you want a sales person to have immediate access to a prospect. After all, studies show that customers who make purchases over the phone order more merchandise, and 95 percent of the time they order more expensive merchandise than customers who are ordering from print or online catalogs. If you are using your toll-free number for non-sales purposes, it’s not as critical that the live person greeting the customer be on your team. A good answering service can handle the caller and then send you a convenient email message.
- If you need to use recorded messages, be sure to record separate ones for business hours and for after-hours. Why? See tips 3 and 4.
- When your callers do get a recorded message during business hours, it should mention your 1-800 number and your company identity. Then tell the caller, quickly, how to get to the department they’re calling or the information they want. Example: “Thank you for calling 1-888-PET-CARE, Johnson’s Pet Supplies. A representative will be with you in one minute. If you need to reschedule a delivery for tomorrow, please press 3 for the shipment desk. For all other business, please stay on the line.”
- The message callers get after hours should (again) reinforce your business identity by mentioning your toll-free number and business name. Then let people know when you’ll be back in the office and what they can do to get a message to you in the meantime. “You’ve reached the after-hours line for 1-888-PET-CARE, Johnson’s Pet Supplies. We’ll be back in the office at 8 a.m. Please call back then, or press 2 to leave a message with our answering service.”
- If you have a website that allows people to view products or schedules, place orders, or send email, be sure to mention that website in your phone greeting. For some callers, this is a plus. But keep in mind that many callers to your toll-free number prefer to talk directly to a live person.
4 excellent reasons companies are going the toll-free route
With all the many companies out there, consumers are wise to evaluate what will help them get fast, seamless and reasonable phone packages. Here are some reasons to access Custom Toll Free:
Real-time, real cool
Companies or individuals have access to real-time call reports. You are never in the dark when you have an 800 number through us. We will let you see just how many minutes you’ve used to the minute.
Harness bulk-rate plans
Every company has different needs when it comes to phone services. Some clients need to get bulk-rate plans. This can be done easily with help from one of our agents who can offer pricing for special services.
Branded advertising
Sometimes it’s all about name recognition. By using a toll free vanity number you can set your company apart from the rest. Being consistent means tying in all your creative elements from your logo and business cards to your vanity number and signage.
Simplicity: looking for a number is 1-2-3
First, all you have to do to get a toll free number is do a simple search. At Custom Toll Free, this is a very easy process. Simply use the search bar at our “Available Toll Free Number Search” page and find the ideal toll free number for your business.
select the “industry” to view what numbers are accessible; for instance Computers/Internet, Sports or Travel.
Finally, you can filter the choices by prefix such as 800 or 866 only. You can also use the slider to indicate your projected price scale.
Contact Custom Toll Free today for more advice about getting your personalized phone number.
Why parents are using the power of toll-free numbers
Whenever you think of the toll-free number market, you think flowers, contact lenses, or safe autos. But today, many parents are using personal toll free numbers to keep tabs on their kids. Parents worried about their college-bound youngsters are resting better at night with toll-free numbers.
We all know it’s hard to get little Suzy or Johnny to call home everyday, but if the call is free you might have a better chance of hearing that phone ring. While normal cell phone plans were once the popular route, they can be highly expensive.
In fact, research shows that 90 percent of people in the United States are dialing toll-free numbers. Additionally, response rates increase an average of 14 percent when advertisements contain toll-free numbers.
Who are the regular people using toll-free numbers today?
• Parents and grandparents
• College students
• Parents of teens and tweens
• Military families
• Frequent travelers
• Those in a long-distance relationship
Custom Toll Free can design a minute plan that is just right for your special toll free needs. You just might bond with your kids, friends and other loved-ones better. Well, maybe or maybe not, but you WILL save money!
What's the advantage of having a toll-free number?
Setting up a business can be an overwhelming experience. And the thought of handling all your calls can be somewhat nagging, too. But what many do not realize is that obtaining a toll-free number is a relatively simple and seamless process.
All you have to do is request one from a company who can access them. When it comes to pricing, this can vary. The factors that affect costs include the geographic region you are located in and of course how many calls you get a month.
Why a toll-free number is an asset
Simply put: easy access. Having a toll-free number increases your communication with everyone. So whether you want to have more customer calls or better access to staff and business associates, it’s within your grasp.
Image counts. In business and marketing, image is everything. Having a toll free number speaks volumes. It says your company is professional and established. It can even imply that a company places a high priority on customer service and client satisfaction.
Not to mention a toll-free number can save on operating costs and helps you to monitor your incoming calls, too.
More reasons businesses need help securing toll-free digits: 800 numbers are declining
Available 800 numbers are on the decline. That being said, there has never been a more urgent need for companies to get 800s if they have not already. It’s been over a decade since the federal government tried to help bolster the supply of toll free numbers. In fact, 800 numbers seem to be hard to come by, and it might be getting worse. Over the years the government has tried to safeguard 800 numbers in various ways.
Not so long ago, 866 saved the day
We all remember when 877 or 866 prefixes were the new digits on the block. With the technology boom and the expanding role of Internet (the emergence of matching vanity numbers with domain names) those newer digits slowly became in short supply as well.
Consumers may or may not know that The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) does have a plan in place for solving 800 numbers from becoming extinct.
While the remaining 800, 888, 866 and 877 become less and less available, phone companies and consumers feel the pain. This could have far-reaching implications on new and existing businesses and how they communicate with customers and clients. Many companies have come to realize that their toll-free numbers a seamless way to help market and grow their businesses.
When it seems like you can’t find a good toll free number, let Custom Toll Free help you secure the right one for your business needs (one point of our service is that we DO get numbers that are not available).
