Which non-geographic number is the right choice?

Date: 29/09/2011

When they have an idea for a business, entrepreneurs will probably start out with a small office in their local area or even work from home. Building up contacts, making deals with clients and creating a customer base are the first steps to establishing a place in the market.

Once this has been achieved, managers and founders may be keen to expand and grow their company as quickly as possible - and this may involve moving around the country and setting up in various locations, depending on where the target audience is based and business connections are strongest.

However, this may pose a problem if they have previously been operating with a local phone number, as they will have to purchase new digits, change all of their correspondence and inform clients. Not only is this a time consuming and costly process, but it might take a while for consumers to get used to the new number.

This issue can be avoided if businesses purchase 0800 numbers. Because these have a nationwide reach, enterprises can be located anywhere in the country and still utilise the prefixes.

Furthermore, this promotes a positive image for potential clients as the digits create the image of a wide-spreading, large corporation with a dedicated customer support service and employees specially trained to deal with enquiries.

Another benefit of 0800 numbers for businesses is that they will not have to change them if their enterprise expands further and they decide to open new offices or perhaps relocate to an even bigger location such as London.

When people contact the prefix their call is automatically redirected to a line of the firm's choice, which makes it convenient for both them and their customers.

But which is the right 0800 number to choose? There are several different options and each has slightly different characteristics that can be of benefit to companies in different ways.

One option could be 0808 or 0800 numbers. These are useful because they are free to call from landlines, meaning they encourage contact. After all, consumers are unlikely to make an enquiry if they know they have to pay more than the cost of a normal phone call to do so.

Furthermore, these prefixes are memorable, giving organisations a catchy point of contact that can be used to great effect in marketing schemes and advertisements, whether it be on the internet, a printed ad or a television or radio commercial.

These two prefixes serve the same purpose and can be equally effective. 0808 numbers were introduced by Ofcom to provide corporations with a greater amount of memorable options to choose from, as 0800 numbers are beginning to run out.

If businesses are keen to make as much money as possible during the early stages of the enterprise, 0844 numbers may be a better option. These are revenue share numbers and mean that a company will receive money whenever they receive a call. For those just starting out, these could be the ideal choice as they give an extra boost in incomings - perfect if they want to achieve their dream of being located in London and creating a truly global enterprise with contacts around the world.

Alternatively, there are 0845 numbers that are also cheap to call from landlines - perfect for targeting businesses as well as busy mums or older individuals who are likely to be making a lot of calls from home and potentially making purchases over the phone when they cannot get to the shops.

With so many different options available, each of which offers slightly different benefits, enterprises are bound to find 0800 numbers suit all of their needs.