6 Tricks to Optimize Toll Free Numbers

Now that you have acquired toll free numbers, the temptation may arise to simply walk away from the phone and hope customers call your small business with questions about your products and services. However, simply adding a few toll free numbers does not guarantee your small business sees an uptick in business. You need to optimize your new business phone numbers by employing a few tricks of the toll free vanity number trade.

Pay it Forward

What happens when a customer tries to reach your small business after hours? What happens when prospective customers listen to a recorded message during your lunch break? The answer is customers do not like listening to recorded message or leaving messages with an automated phone system. Call forwarding to your personal phone number ensures you assist customers outside of regular business hours, as well as whenever you leave to run an errand.

Make Toll Free Numbers Memorable

The key to enjoying the greatest benefits of toll free numbers is to create memorable vanity names that customers closely associate with your small business. For example, if your line of work involves ensuring patients have healthy teeth, you can acquire the vanity number 1-800-DENTIST. Catchy toll free numbers helps your small business establish a strong brand presence in the community.

Promotions and Specials

Small businesses that run frequent product and service promotions can get the word out by acquiring toll free numbers. This trick creates buzz for the promotions by establishing a connection with both regular and prospective customers. You can advertise the promotional toll free numbers in a variety of ways, from boldly displaying the numbers on a billboard to presenting the numbers on your small business website.

Split the Prefix

The low supply of available 800 numbers has prompted many small businesses to choose prefixes such as 866, 877, and 888. One of the best tricks to ensure your customers remember number prefixes is to split the prefix up, such as 1-8-66-444-9090. Although splitting the prefix appears to add complexity to your toll free numbers, you simplify the number by utilizing repeating digits. This trick works best for small businesses that worry about competitors trying to mimic their toll free numbers to take away customers.

Overdial is not Overkill

The popularity of toll free numbers has increased demand for the numbers. High demand may make it difficult for you to establish a vanity number that best represents your business. Overdial is a trick that extends the vanity number, but the customers still only dials the prefix and the first seven numbers. For example, a prescription eyeglass store can extend 1-800-EYEGLAS to 1-800-EYEGLASSES, with the last three letters not dialed.

Dynamic Phone Tracking

As an Internet-based service for small businesses, dynamic phone tracking enables business owners to learn the origins of every incoming call. You tie in toll free numbers with different advertisements and then monitor the ads to see which ones generate the most phone calls to your small business. Small business owners also learn which areas of the community produce the most toll free number calls.