How To Get A Business Phone Number: The Top Providers
Whether you’re a solopreneur or a large enterprise, you need a business phone number. In this guide, we’ll explain how to get a business phone number so you can maintain a professional image while staying organized.
With so many options available, knowing where to start can feel overwhelming. We’ll make it simple for you, walking you through everything you need to know to get a business number that works for your business and sets you up for growth.
How to Get a Business Phone Number
Here’s a quick look at how to get a business phone number:
- Consider what type of business number you need. For example, local numbers build trust with customers in a specific area, while toll-free numbers are ideal for nationwide businesses.
- Decide what kind of phone service you need. Most businesses today get their phone numbers through a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) provider. VoIP works over the internet and is usually more affordable and flexible than traditional landline services.
- Select your phone number. Once you sign up, your provider will let you pick a new local, toll-free, or vanity number or port an existing number to the new service.
- Set up your system. Configure how calls are routed, such as ringing multiple employees or devices, setting business hours, creating a greeting or auto-attendant, and sending missed calls to voicemail. Most providers offer easy online dashboards for setup.
With setup complete, you’re ready to make and receive calls with your new number!
What Is A Business Phone Number?
A business phone number is a number that’s used specifically for business communications, separate from your personal phone number. It allows clients, customers, and partners to contact your company directly while helping you maintain a professional image.
Unlike a personal number, a business phone number often comes with features designed to improve your communication with customers, such as call routing, voicemail, auto-attendants, and business texting.
Benefits of Having a Business Phone Number
A business phone number does more than just make and receive calls. It offers a number of benefits that can help your business stay organized and look professional. Here are some of the key benefits of having a business phone number:
- Looks more professional: A dedicated business phone number shows potential customers that you are a legitimate business that they can trust.
- Keeps work and personal calls separate: Using a business number prevents customer calls from interrupting your personal life, especially after hours.
- Improves customer experience: Because business phone numbers usually include professional features, using one can improve the customer experience. With features like auto-attendants and call routing, customers can more easily reach the right person or department.
- Supports growth: As your business grows, you can add users, extensions, or departments without changing your main number.
- Works anywhere: With a VoIP-based business phone number, you can receive business calls anywhere you have internet access, which is perfect for remote teams and field workers alike.
- Protects privacy: You don’t need to share your personal number with customers on social media, ads, or websites. Calls and texts stay tied to the business, not an individual, and your personal number stays out of the hands of spammers and robo-callers.
- Enables call tracking: With a business phone number, you often get access to call logs, recordings, and analytics to track performance and improve customer service.
How to Know You Need A Business Phone Number
If you’re wondering whether it’s time to get a business phone number, there are a few clear signs. Many small businesses and solopreneurs reach this point sooner than they expect.
- You’re missing or losing track of calls.
- You want to look more professional.
- Your business is growing.
- You need to be able to set business hours so you can protect your time after hours and on weekends.
- You’re using your voicemail to screen calls so you know which ones are from customers.
- You want to separate work from personal life.
- You’re unsure when to answer as your business and when to answer as yourself.
- You need to route or forward business calls, but have no way to do that with your personal phone.
Business Phone Service vs Personal Cell Phone
When starting out, many business owners use their personal cell phone as their business phone. While this can work short-term, a business phone service offers clear advantages as your company grows.
Using your personal cell phone is usually best for side hustles or very early-stage businesses. There are no additional costs and no setup required. However, this method mixes personal calls and business calls. There’s no separation between the two, no way to route calls, and no way to scale as your business grows. Publishing your personal number on websites and social media can also put you at risk of receiving spam calls. In general, using your personal number simply provides a less professional appearance.
When you switch to a business phone number, however, you can easily keep track of which calls are for your business and which are for your personal number. You get access to professional features like auto-attendants and call routing so you can better manage incoming calls. When your business takes off, it’s easy to add users to your phone system.
Different Types of Business Phone Numbers
There are a number of different types of business phone numbers to choose from. The right one for your organization will depend on your customer base, where you’re located, and how you handle calls. Here are the most common types of business phone numbers:
- Local business phone numbers: Local numbers use area codes tied to a specific city or region. Choosing a local number helps you build trust with local customers. Local business numbers are ideal for local restaurants and shops and service-based businesses.
- Toll-free phone numbers: Toll-free numbers allow customers to call without being charged long-distance rates. They typically start with 800, 888, 877, 866, etc. Toll-free numbers are best for nationwide businesses or those focused on customer support.
- Vanity phone numbers: Vanity numbers spell out a word or a brand name, such as 1-800-FLOWERS. They are easy to remember and help your business create strong branding. Vanity numbers are a great choice if you rely heavily on ads, billboards, and other types of marketing.
- Virtual phone numbers: Virtual numbers work over the internet and can forward calls to any device. They are not tied to any specific location, and no physical phone line is required to use them. Virtual numbers work on mobile phones and computers, making them a great choice for remote teams, startups, and small businesses.
- Direct Inward Dial (DID) numbers: DID numbers are individual phone numbers assigned to a specific employee or department. They allow calls to bypass the auto-attendant, reducing call transfers and providing direct access to employees. DID numbers can be added after you establish your main business number. They’re best for growing teams and larger organizations.
- International phone numbers: International numbers are tied to specific countries or regions outside your home country. They allow you to establish a local presence in international markets without a physical branch. International numbers also lower calling costs for overseas customers, making them best for businesses with a global reach.
Important Business Phone System Features
The right business phone system enables your team to work efficiently and provides a superior customer experience. Here are some of the most important features to look for when choosing a business phone system (and number):
- Auto attendant: Automatically answers calls, presenting incoming callers with a menu, and routes callers to the right person or department based on the caller’s input.
- Call routing: Directs calls based on rules like time of day, department, skills, or availability so that fewer calls are missed.
- Voicemail and voicemail-to-email: Captures missed calls and sends voicemails to email so messages are never lost, even when out of the office.
- Business texting: Allows your business number to send and receive texts, making it easier for customers to communicate.
- Call forwarding: Route calls to any device so you never miss important calls.
- Call queues: Places callers in line during busy periods so that customers are helped in the order their call was received. Call queues reduce hang-ups and improve call handling.
- Call recording: Records calls for training, quality assurance, and compliance purposes.
- Call analytics and reporting: Provides insights into call volume, missed calls, peak times, and team performance.
- Business hours and after-hours rules: Automatically handles calls differently outside of business hours, with custom greetings or voicemail.
- Integrations: Connects your phone system with CRM tools, help desks, and other business software.
How To Choose A Business Phone Number
Your business phone number affects how customers perceive your company and how easily they can reach you, which is why it’s essential to choose your business number well. Here are some tips to help:
- What is your customer base? If you mainly serve local customers, a local number builds trust. On the other hand, nationwide customers respond better to a toll-free number, which makes calling easier.
- Will you be using your number for marketing? A vanity number helps with branding so customers easily remember how to reach you. Using different numbers for different ads can help you track which ads are more effective.
- What’s the size of your team? For a small team, a single main number works well. If your organization has multiple departments, DIDs or extensions help with routing and organizing incoming calls.
- What features does your business need? Look for a phone system that will provide the type of phone number you’re looking for as well as all the essential features you need to communicate.
Top Providers
Now that you know how to get a business phone number, you’re probably wondering which provider you should choose. There are a number of providers on the market, but not all of them are the same. Here are some of the top business phone number providers to consider:
- Nextiva: Our top pick is Nextiva, which is widely regarded as one of the best all-in-one business phone solutions. Nextiva offers local, toll-free, and vanity numbers with tons of advanced features in a user-friendly platform.
- RingCentral: If you need unified communications–think voice, video, messaging, and team collaboration features–RingCentral is a great choice. They offer robust tools with advanced call management features and a large app marketplace for integrations.
- 8×8: With free international calling in up to 48 countries, 8×8 is a great investment for organizations with a global presence. It comes with voice, video, and contact center options as well as tons of features.
- Google Voice: If you need a simple phone system, Google Voice can be a good option. While the free plan only has very basic features for one user only, the paid plans let you add multiple users and provide more features. Google Voice is an especially good choice if you’re already using Google Workspace.
- Dialpad: Dialpad is a user-friendly solution that comes with powerful, built-in AI features, like live call sentiment analysis, real-time transcription, and post-call summaries. It offers both local and international phone numbers and toll-free number support.
- Grasshopper: Grasshopper is a virtual business phone system that’s designed primarily for small businesses and solopreneurs. It works by forwarding calls from a business number to your existing cell phone, so there’s no new hardware or complex setup required. Grasshopper offers local, toll-free, and vanity phone numbers, along with features to help you manage customer calls and messages.
Examples of Business Phone Numbers
Business phone numbers look different depending on the type of number and location. Here are some examples:
- Local: (512) 555-0110 (Austin, TX)
- Vanity: (800) GOT JUNK
- Toll-free: (888) 555-0101
- DID: (888) 555-0101 ext 201 (Sales)
- International: +44 20 550 1234 (UK)
How To Get A Free Business Phone Number
If you’re just starting out and looking to save money, you can get a free business number from VoIP providers like Google Voice, TextaNow, and 2ndLine. These providers offer free plans with basic features.
Another option for a free number is utilizing free trials from paid providers. Many business phone services let you start with a free trial period, often 14 to 30 days. This lets you test out of the features before committing and paying.
Why You Should Pay for a Business Phone Number
While free options can work at first, paying for a dedicated business phone number often pays for itself. A paid business number looks more legitimate than a free app or personal number, which means that customers are more likely to trust you. Paid business numbers also usually come with features that help you better manage calls.
Can You Use a Business Phone Number on Your Cell Phone?
One of the biggest advantages of modern business phone systems is that your phone number can ring directly on your cell phone. This allows you to stay connected to customers without carrying multiple devices. Most providers offer mobile apps that let you make and receive calls with your business phone number.
How Much Does a Business Phone Number Cost?
The cost of a business phone number can vary widely, depending on the type of number, the provider, and the features you need. A small business might pay between $20 to $35 per user per month for a local number, while a larger business will usually pay $30 to $50+ per user per month. Toll-free, vanity, and international phone numbers typically cost a bit more, and some providers charge porting fees, set-up fees, or extra fees for using toll-free minutes.
Can You Keep It If You Switch Providers?
Most business phone numbers can be transferred to a new provider through a process called number porting. This lets you keep the same number even if you change providers.
How to Get a Business Phone Number
When it comes to your business, choosing the right provider is just as important as choosing the right business phone number. With so many business phone systems to choose from, it can be difficult to even know where to start.
That’s where 1Call Technologies comes in. We help businesses like yours find the right provider based on what you need. We take our time to understand your unique business so we can partner you with providers that will help you grow while staying within your budget. Contact us today to see how we can elevate your business telecommunication!