How to Get a Business Phone Number in 4 Easy Steps
Getting a business phone number gives you a professional line to connect with your customers and enhance brand credibility. To acquire one, determine whether you need a local, toll-free, vanity, or international number. Then, choose your desired service provider and sign up for an account. Below, we’ll explain in detail how to get a business phone number, different number types, top providers, and why you need it for your business.
Step 1: Decide on the Type of Business Phone Number
There are four types of business phone numbers—local, toll-free, vanity, and international—with each type serving a different purpose. For example, a local number enhances call pick-up rates when targeting customers within a specific area, while a toll-free number encourages customers to contact your business due to the absence of call charges.
To help you decide, here’s an overview of the types of business phone numbers, including the costs and their pros and cons.
Still confused? Our local vs toll-free number guide provides detailed comparisons and sample use cases to help you make the best choice for your business line.
Step 2: Select a Phone Number Provider
Once you know the phone number you need, it’s time to decide which provider to get it from. The easiest and most affordable way to get a business phone number is through cloud-based services such as a VoIP service provider, a virtual phone solution, or a standalone phone number provider.
The phone number types, functionalities, and costs vary widely across providers, so it’s important to consider your budget and feature requirements. To help you start, here are the options to consider:
VoIP Provider
This option works best for businesses looking for a full-fledged cloud phone solution with a phone number offering. VoIP phone systems completely replace your existing landline system by offering flexibility and cost-saving benefits. They deliver a wealth of call management features and collaboration tools like team chat and video conferencing.
Here are three industry-leading examples:
Virtual Number Provider
A virtual phone system is similar to VoIP, as it relies on the internet to transmit calls and comes with a phone number. However, it tends to have fewer phone features than VoIP, making it ideal for small teams and businesses with low call volumes.
Standalone Phone Number Provider
Many providers sell toll-free and vanity numbers for a one-time fee. You can forward the number to your phone or port it into your phone system, but it’s better to check with the carrier first to ensure the number is portable. These providers might also lack basic calling capabilities, but they’re an excellent alternative for solopreneurs who simply need a second phone number to separate their work and personal calls.
Step 3: Sign Up for an Account
The next step is to proceed to the website of your chosen service provider and create an account. The process of claiming your number varies depending on the provider, but it usually starts with selecting a subscription plan and then choosing a phone number from the number picker tool filtered by number type and area code.
Grasshopper uses a self-service approach for the phone number selection process. (Source: Grasshopper)
VoIP providers use a self-service approach, so you can claim your number within minutes. After selecting a number, you will be directed to the account information form to enter your name and email. Next, choose your billing cycle (monthly or annually) and add your payment details. After confirming your payment, the phone number is now yours.
Step 4: Set Up Your Phone System
After claiming your phone number, the final step is configuring your phone system. This may vary depending on your provider. Generally, it involves assigning users and setting up phone features like extensions, call flow, call forwarding rules, and company greetings.
For assistance, contact your provider’s support team for a walkthrough or visit your provider’s help center to learn how to set up a business phone number. If you need multiple phone lines, proceed to the admin portal to order additional phone numbers.
RingCentral lets you manage multiple user extensions from the admin portal. (Source: RingCentral)
Setting up your phone system is a huge game changer for improving agent efficiency and customer satisfaction. This ensures incoming calls to your main company number are routed to the right department, resulting in fewer wait times for callers.
Types of Business Phone Numbers
Here’s a breakdown of the types, benefits, and costs associated with using a specific phone number type. We’ve also included video guides to help you distinguish between the different options and select the one that best fits your needs.
Local phone numbers consist of an area code tied to a specific location. Customers are more likely to answer a call from a number with a familiar area code, as it suggests it’s coming from a nearby business. This is best for small companies that want to establish a trusted local presence without setting up a physical branch in a specific locality.
VoIP services offer a large selection of phone numbers based on your business address, but you can also request a different area code. A phone number purchase typically includes unlimited local calls and a host of calling features.
Toll-free numbers, also called 800 numbers, start with three-digit prefixes like 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 844, and 833. These numbers are ideal for businesses wanting to create an image of a larger company with an established national presence. They are often used for service hotlines, allowing customers to contact a business for free.
Note that your business will shoulder the per-minute fees for every incoming call to a toll-free number. VoIP services like RingCentral and Nextiva include generous toll-free minute allotments (up to 10,000 to 12,500 minutes) on their subscription plans, but calls exceeding the allotted minutes will incur additional charges.
Head over to our guide on how to get an 800 number to learn how to secure a toll-free line for your company.
Vanity number providers provide customizable numbers that let you spell words or phrases. These numbers boost not only your brand recognition but also your number memorability. You can also combine vanity numbers with 800 numbers, like 1-800-FLOWERS and 1-888-BEST-BUY.
Getting a vanity number for your business can be tricky because most good ones are already claimed. They are also pricey as most VoIP providers charge a setup fee apart from the monthly charge of up to $200. However, vanity numbers make a great investment as they help reinforce your brand and make your business line memorable when customers are looking for a specific product or service.
International numbers enable businesses to expand worldwide by having a local number in another country. These numbers save customers from the inconvenience of dialing international codes and the cost of long-distance calls.
Getting an international phone number doesn’t require a physical office or employee in a specific region because VoIP providers offer international numbers for select countries. When a customer calls, your provider routes the call to your domestic phone number, which you can pick up on your business phone.
Why You Need a Business Phone Number
Whether you’re starting a new business or expanding your current one, you’ll likely need a phone number to help customers reach you via phone call. Here are more reasons why you need to get a business number:
- Separate work and personal calls: A company phone number is a dedicated point of contact for your customers, preventing work calls from being mixed in with personal ones. It also has more call handling features, allowing you to control how an incoming call can reach you, whether you’re out of the office or at home.
- Enhance business credibility: Credibility drives business. Customers are more likely to answer calls from numbers associated with business lines, especially if you’re using a toll-free or vanity number. These lend an image of professionalism to your company.
- Advanced calling features: When you get a phone number for business from VoIP providers, you receive access to phone features like auto-attendants and call screening. Additional capabilities like call analytics, call queues, and integrations streamline voice interactions and empower your employees to work from anywhere.
- Access from multidevices: VoIP and virtual phone number providers deliver capabilities to manage your business communications almost entirely from the cloud. This means your number is usable on any device, including desk phones, tablets, smartphones, and your desktop.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Get a business phone number as soon as you start your business, regardless of size. A study by RingCentral shows that voice calling is still the preferred communication method of most companies, so your customers need to easily reach you by phone.[1] Doing so will make your business look more established, even when you’re just starting.
Yes. VoIP providers let you port your existing number into their services for free or for a minimal fee. The process varies by service, but you must contact customer support so you can prepare the requirements. You should keep your landline service active during this process until the transfer is complete.
Google Voice provides a free phone number once you sign up for a personal plan using your Google account. Once you sign in, you can select a list of telephone numbers based on the area code.
Bottom Line
Learning how to get a business number can be a quick and straightforward process as long you know the type of number you’re looking for and the features you need from a service provider. It gives you a fair advantage when launching a business by building trust and credibility with your potential customers early on.
If you’re looking for a reliable VoIP solution with a large selection of phone number options, consider RingCentral. This provider ensures great value for money as you get all the phone features you need to boost your brand credibility on top of having a professional phone line. Sign up for a 14-day trial and get support for up to 20 phone lines.
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