How Vanity Phone Numbers Can Help Your Business

What’s in a phone number?

For a regular person, not much. But if you’re a business owner, a business phone number can be the reason your customers call you, especially if it’s easily memorable. Social media engagement might be on the rise, but many customers still prefer calling. Not only can they talk to live agents, but they can also get immediate responses to their needs. With today’s technology being stuck at home waiting for a call is a thing of the past with virtual business phone numbers.

 Customer phone communications are essential to your business. Not only can you offer your clients support, but you can also gauge how your marketing agency campaigns are performing. Phone communications may boost sales, improve customer satisfaction, and help you grow. However, you’ll need a number that’s easy to remember to realize these benefits—a vanity phone number. 

What are Vanity Phone Numbers?

A vanity phone number, also known as a custom number, is a local or toll-free phone number with a sequence of simple digits or one that spells out specific words.

 For example, if you run a tour and travel company, you might want to have 1-800-GO-TOURS as your number. Alternatively, you can get a combination of simple or similar numbers such as 1-800-888-4444.

With a number like this, your target audience can easily call you back or refer others whenever you advertise your brand on billboards, TV, radio, and print media. Want to increase your brand recognition? Get a vanity number. And if it’s toll-free, your callers won’t be charged.

 These days, businesses looking for vanity phone numbers pair them with modern VoIP phone systems. VoIP allows you to communicate with your customers over the internet from any location. This means that when customers contact you at that memorable number, you won’t lose leads from calls going to voicemail. Instead, you can use VoIP features to choose from multiple options for handling those calls at any given time.

Related: Business Phone Numbers: A Comprehensive Guide

Popular Brands That Use Vanity Numbers

Some popular brands successfully leverage the power of vanity numbers and provide great examples of just how memorable and powerful a vanity phone number can be. Let their efforts inspire you to get a vanity phone number and grow your business.

 Such brands include:

• 1-800-FLOWERS: Need to order flowers for your girlfriend’s birthday? Just call 1-800-FLOWERS. You don’t have to go looking for a nearby flower shop. This easy-to-remember number will connect you to their customer service, where you can make an order for your special occasion.

• FedEx: We all know FedEx delivers our packages. But what do you do when you’re missing a package or got the wrong one delivered? Just call 1-800-GoFedEx!

• 1-800-GOT-JUNK: Got Junk? Whether from a construction site or you need to clear your basement, they’ll do it for you. But you have to call their very memorable vanity number first—1-800-GOT-JUNK. Oh, and it’s also their brand name.

• DirecTV: If you need to upgrade your subscription or have a question about their services, call 1-800-DirecTV.

• 1-800-CONTACTS: 1-800-CONTACT is a vanity number and brand name where you can order your contact lenses.

Look familiar? In the world of vanity phone numbers, the catchier, more relevant to your brand name, the better – giving you a leg up on the competition.

Related: Are Custom Numbers Worth It?

Benefits of Vanity Phone Numbers for Your Business

Vanity Phone Numbers Can Increase Call Volumes and Sales

It can be challenging for customers to recall business numbers. But since vanity numbers have memorable digits, words, or phrases, your customers can easily recall them. For this reason, they may be more likely to reach out to you either for inquiries or to make a purchase. This increases your call volumes and sales when they convert into actual buyers.

Vanity Phone Numbers Can Improve Brand Recognition

Need to improve your brand awareness and make people recognize you easily? Get a vanity number. You can use your brand name in the number, as in the case of FedEx, or a word that sums up your business.

 Some businesses even make the number their brand name. Customers learn to associate the number with your brand and can recognize you anytime. 

 For instance, a camping equipment business using the number 1-800-CAMPING will easily reach more people. Potential customers will already know what the business is offering and that they’re contacting the correct number.

Vanity Phone Numbers Can Offer Improved Customer Service

A vanity number makes it easy for new customers to reach you. They don’t have to go scouring the internet looking for your contacts as they already know which number to call. Additionally, returning customers know they can get support quickly without digging around for a phone number. A memorable vanity phone number suggests you want your customers to be able to reach you quickly and easily.

Vanity Phone Numbers Paired with VoIP Can Help You Continue to Grow on the Go.

Missing calls can cost you leads and sales. If you travel frequently, you need a phone number that allows your callers to reach you anytime. With a vanity phone number and a VoIP system, you’re always available regardless of your physical location. It makes you flexible to work from anywhere, anytime, with no effect on your calling customers. They’ll still get the same experience.

 You get to work on the go and, at the same time, maintain a professional image. Going on vacation or out for the day? Forward all your business calls to one of your agents to avoid missing any important calls.

Virtual Phone Numbers Can be a Crucial Part of Your Marketing and Advertising Campaigns

Since vanity phone numbers are memorable, they are ideal for advertising campaigns on print media, billboards, and broadcasting channels where your target audience interacts with the ad for a short time.

 With the number on the ad, you communicate crucial information about your business, such as your business name, what you do, and how interested people can contact you.

 Moreover, you can track the success of your marketing campaigns by assigning a vanity number to each campaign. After closing them, analyze the results by the number of people who called each number.

Vanity Phone Numbers Can Offer a Competitive Edge

If people can recognize your brand, they are more likely to do business with you. A vanity phone number improves your brand recognition and, thus, gives you a competitive advantage.

Your name will be at the forefront of their minds whenever someone asks for a referral for a product or service that you provide. When coupled with excellent customer service, your professional reputation will grow. 

How to Use Vanity Phone Numbers

• Marketing and advertising: Vanity phone numbers are ideal for advertising campaigns. Whenever you need to place your business phone number on an ad, a vanity phone number is the best chance for your audience to have it pop up in their memory when it matters. And even if they don’t, your brand will stand out just from the phone number.

• Providing customer support: Your customers need to know you’re always available whenever they have an issue. And what’s the best way to assure them of excellent services other than to start with a memorable number? They won’t have to look up your contact number every time they need to call you. They can easily memorize it.

• Reach out to leads: If your potential customers don’t call you, why not call them? A vanity phone number can be the best way to introduce yourself to a potential client when you call them, even before they pick up.
  
  You can reach out to leads as part of nurturing them into actual buyers. Maybe they abandoned a cart before checkout or showed interest in your offerings at a trade show. With a vanity number, you will avoid making them feel ambushed. If they were interested before, seeing your number will help them realize they’ve been meaning to get ahold of someone.

Related: What is a Virtual Phone Number and What Can You Do With It?

How Can You Get a Vanity Phone Number?

There are various phone number providers where you can get a vanity phone number. The first step in obtaining a vanity phone number for your business is to choose a reliable, reputable provider–preferably that offers other business phone number features as well.

In general, the next step is to pick your preferred subscription plan. The price depends on the features you want to be incorporated, such as the number of calling minutes, CRM integration, call analyzing and reporting tools, etc.

Big businesses that handle numerous calls should look for more features, while small businesses with few calls can find a vanity number with basic features such as call forwarding to be a good fit.

When picking a vanity number, make sure it’s available. You can choose a local or a toll-free vanity number. Get creative, but keep it as directly related to your business as possible.

Once you’ve chosen a subscription and a vanity phone number, you’re ready to get started.

Make Your Business More Memorable, Starting Today

Having vanity phone numbers can benefit your business and offer you a competitive edge. Not only do they afford you the flexibility of managing your business from anywhere, but they also help make it easy for your customers to contact you.

 Phone.com offers millions of vanity phone numbers and a fully featured VoIP phone service. In fact, we offer the ultimate communication system for small businesses, including professional voice, video, text, and call management from anywhere. Want to make it easy for customers to remember and begin interactions with your company? Sign up today and get your custom business number.