Why A Virtual Number Can Improve Your Business

A Virtual Number is a telephone number that can be dialed but physically does not exist. Instead the "virtual number" is redirected to the telephone line that you select to receive the call. So if you want to appear to be in Washington DC you can use a virtual number that begins with area code 202 while in fact the call is routed to your Daytona Beach, Florida telephone with an area code of 386.

Virtual numbers are a great way of establishing a local presence while avoiding the expense of local staff and rentals. This is excellent if you are aiming to market your products at a particular region of the country. You can combine a virtual number with a forwarding address in that particular area.

You can also use virtual numbers to establish the impression that your business address is at a prestigious part of the country. This is an excellent idea, especially if you are marketing your products to the entire country or if you are selling products that are sensitive to such aspects, such as financial products. Thus, your office can be in Little Rock, Arkansas, while your virtual number is associated with Wall Street, New York. Indeed, virtual numbers are a great marketing tool and the possibilities to promote your business are endless.

Small businesses and indeed, home based businesses can use virtual numbers to give the impression that they are larger than in fact they are. A customer can call the virtual number and have the call answered by a call attendant who then passes the call on to you or acts as a message taking service. Immediately you look like you have a switchboard or personal assistant handling your incoming calls rather than letting your customers and potential clients talk to the answer machine.

Virtual numbers are also great ways to encourage sales calls and to provide your customer with excellent customer services. This is because virtual numbers use a local dialing code (which means that your customers pay local rates) or a toll free 800 number. What's more, there is no additional cost or fancy equipment involved in setting up a virtual number. All you need is to rent the virtual number.

Your business will look and sound well-structured and professional with a virtual number. In addition, your customers will be able to reach you anytime as the virtual number can be forwarded to a land line or a cell phone. You can also receive faxes via e-mail and voice mails as mp3 files.

You also do not need multiple lines to receive multiple incoming calls. With a virtual number, your incoming calls can be switched between the person the customer is calling, a voice mail service or a live operator. Thus, you can take one call and the other calls can be fielded by other staff or by voice mail. Your customers can call you anytime, without them receiving a busy signal.

There are now a wide variety of virtual number providers offering both voice and fax communication with pricing starting from as little as a few dollars a month. Vonage pioneered the concept of virtual numbers but has been overshadowed as Skype has taken the concept to the internet and a wider market with free calls to any other Skype user no matter where they are in the world.

By: Antoine Brown

Additional resources: Find out more about internet usage as well as finding an alternative phone service for cable broadband - visit the links to the left for more info.

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