In order for a business to survive, a concrete strategy should exist even at its early stages. This strategy involves recognizing trends and benchmarking against best industry practices. In today’s highly dynamic environment, one of the best ways to ensure business longevity is to use toll free numbers. So why are toll free numbers so important? Well, it actually all comes down to communication.
Whether you are running a B2B or a B2C firm, customers just want to get in touch with you at the end of the day. Toll free numbers make the process easy, cheap, and convenient for them. But take note; there should be a friendly voice at the other end of the line as well! Otherwise, your efforts might backfire. Having said that, below are other benefits you can expect from using toll free numbers:
All these factors will play a part in helping your business succeed over the long-term. It is no wonder then that many organizations are convinced that using toll free numbers is essential for business longevity.
Image Credit: © Mattwatt | Dreamstime.com
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:
But there are some other attractive phrases that command attention and inspire action. They include:
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.
Octane Magazine recently published an article by Custom Toll Free CEO Christopher Rugh with strategies for selecting company names that attract business. Not surprisingly, many of the tips Christopher has for naming a company also apply when you’re selecting a vanity toll-free number. As you look for a number, aim for one that meets one of these criteria:
A toll free number is a key marketing and sales tool, and selecting that number is a major business decision worthy of a strategic approach. We invite you to get started exploring the databank of available toll-free numbers using Custom Toll Free’s powerful automated lookup tool.
If you need a more customized approach, or want to inquire about getting a number that is not currently in the available pool, please contact us. At Custom Toll Free, we have experience helping companies find exactly the right vanity toll-free number — and the toll-free services that match their business needs.
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.
Many callers don’t even notice, but there are often extra digits in vanity toll free numbers. Almost all phone systems are trained to ignore the extra digits, so the call will go through even if eight or nine, rather than seven, digits follow the toll-free prefix.
Vanity toll-free numbers drive sales by making it easy for consumers to remember your number. While the ideal is to find a seven-letter message that translates to an available seven-letter number, what’s most important is that the message be easy to remember.
If using eight or nine letters creates a truly memorable message, you can go for it. 1-888-INSULATE, 1-866-LAWNCARE are examples of eight-letter messages where having the extra letter makes all the difference. You’ll also see an extra digit or two added at the front to differentiate your custom toll-free number, such as 1-877-99-LAWNCARE .
Custom Toll Free provides some great tools, including our Available Toll Free Number Search, to help you create memorable vanity numbers. Use words you have in mind, and take a look at some of the alternatives words our tool will suggest for you. You can even adjust your search to generate results that fit the monthly price range you want to pay.
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.
Sales, customer service, and survey research — all these departments in your company can boost their effectiveness using toll free numbers. And a vanity toll-free number that helps prospective callers remember your company’s name, services, or products, will have an even greater effect.
Quite simply, vanity numbers are easy to remember. A distinctive toll free number, or even a funny toll free number, sticks in people’s minds. Whenever your product or service in mentioned, your custom toll free number is right there with it.
The prescription for success is not difficult to follow: While many 10-digit 1-800 numbers are already taken, there are a wealth of great toll free numbers available that begin with the newer prefixes 1-888, 1-877, and 1-866. Check out our Available Tollfree Number Search, and contact us at our own vanity toll free number, 1-800-CUSTOMIZE. We can help you find a memorable, effective number that will maximize your return on investment.
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.
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.
There is more good reason to harness the power of a toll free number: you save customers money. Let’s face it, the economy is first on the minds of consumers. If they have the option of two phone numbers in front of them, they are going to be more apt to call the toll-free one and save money.
There’s even toll free directory assistance. It is accessed by dialing 1-800-555-1212, of course this is a completely free call to make. But not all phone numbers are subscribed to the service. So if you have a toll free number, make it available for customers to look it up through the toll-free assistance service.
To reinforce my point, not all toll-free numbers are listed in the directory, only the ones that subscribe are listed. However, the FCC has a plan in the works to review the promotional aspect and competition among multiple providers, such as directory assistance options for toll-free numbers.
Custom Toll Free can help you learn more about what’s on the toll-free horizon.
