Are You Frustrated With Reverse Phone Number Searches for Cell Phone Numbers? by: blog-editor2, November 12, 2010 Reverse phone number searches can be necessary for all kinds of reasons. Perhaps you are trying to find out who is talking to your wife or boyfriend, you want to know who is behind that strange number that keeps calling you, you want to acquire a certain number, or you need to stop a number from continually running up your toll free number bill with unwanted calls. Whatever your reasons for a reverse phone number search, trying to perform your own detective work can quickly become frustrating if you do not know where to look. Occasionally for cell phones, you may be able to perform reverse phone number searches simply by typing variations of the number into search engines like Google and Bing. However, all too often the result is just bringing up paid reverse phone number search sites that cannot guarantee they have the exact information you want. When it comes to reverse phone number searches for cell phones, you can also try sites like Board Tracker, which are designed to search forums and networking sites that normally do not come up in Google searches. Or if you are really desperate, you can try call spoofing which masks your number and voice, so you can call the number directly. Fortunately, if you need a reverse phone number search for an 800 toll free number, things are a little more straightforward. Owners of toll free numbers are closely guarded by phone companies and sometimes even by the owners themselves. However, by using the latest and most advanced reverse phone number search tools, you can now instantly get details on 800, 888, 877, 866, and 855 numbers for free. You will also find that the leading toll free number providers offer further search and negotiation options that guarantee results. Read More
Can Your Prospects Find Your Phone Number Easily? by: blog-editor2, November 11, 2010 If your customers can’t find you, they won’t be able to acquire your products or services even if they so desire. This problem applies equally to potential prospects and existing or past customers. Without an easy-to-remember phone number, it is also much more difficult to generate word-of-mouth advertising and referrals. Sure you can list your business in the Yellow Pages and various online directories, but what we are talking about is an easy-to-remember number that can be memorized in a few seconds and is easily recognized as being yours. Smart business owners know how important it is to lock in winning vanity phone numbers that unify their branding and tie together their web domain names and company names from the start. Just having a great toll free phone number is no use if no one knows about it, so make sure to include your vanity number on all of your marketing pieces as well as all communications with the public. Take a minute and think about your own shopping and referral habits. No doubt you have seen thousands of infomercials on TV, hundreds of billboards and display ads, and have received countless direct mail pieces. Often even may have been interested in what was being offered, but if you didn’t have the time to write down the phone number, you likely ended up going with another company for your needs, one that was easier to call. When it comes to referrals, you may often enjoy helping others by giving them contact numbers for companies and services that can help them. However, if you don’t remember the number off the top of your head and you can’t find it in your wallet or phone within a couple of seconds, the opportunity usually ends there. Referrals and word-of-mouth advertising are the most profitable forms of marketing; plan ahead for them. Isn’t it worth making sure you have a phone number that promotes for you? Credit Line: © Iqoncept | Dreamstime.com Read More
VOIP Phone Service for Business Use – Does It Work? by: blog-editor2, November 10, 2010 VOIP phone service has bloomed over the last few years. Once solely the domain of unreliable offshore call centers, VOIP phone service has now become integrated into everyday life both for business and personal use. Individuals all over the world are now using the likes of VOIP phone services such as Skype and Google Voice to communicate on a daily basis. Not only does VOIP phone service Skype offer free Skype to Skype calls, but extremely inexpensive phone service around the globe for as little at $13.99 a month. Even courts have now recognized the success of these VOIP phone service and video communication tools, and in at least one landmark case, a U.S. judge ordered a woman to obtain Skype for her children to use to communicate with their father as part of a custody agreement. The real question is: Are VOIP phone services really reliable enough to conduct business on a daily basis in a professional way? It is true that, even as recently as a year ago, poor Internet services together with VOIP phone service often meant that call quality was unpredictable at best and commonly unusable at least one day of the week, so it was often responsible for causing prospects as much frustration as it was for actually closing deals. Fortunately, that has changed, and now 99.9 percent of the time, you would never know someone was calling you via a VOIP phone service. Businesses of all sizes can now successfully use these business phone services to set up remote teams and even build their own call centers cheaply, streamlining their operations and increasing their profit margins. Combined with toll free numbers and advanced routing options managed by Independent RespOrgs for incoming calls, VOIP phone services can now be credited with helping to launch hundreds of new businesses and divisions in the last couple of years alone. In fact, without the ability to partner VOIP phone service and toll free numbers together effectively, not only would many of these companies not have been viable at all, but the unemployment rate in the U.S. and abroad would be much higher than it is today. Read More
Personal Vanity Numbers for Everyone by: blog-editor2, November 9, 2010 Today, it seems like almost anything can be customized! The reason is simple: people are starting to demand uniqueness. So anything from a car plate number to a T-shirt has a customized number or message. The same thing is now possible with phone numbers. Known as personal vanity numbers, these phone numbers provide a wide range of benefits. While some prefer to call them “personal” vanity numbers, it is quite interesting that most people who take advantage of this service usually do so for business purposes. Vanity numbers enable businesses to gain a competitive edge in the market because they are easy to remember and can be quickly related to the company’s products/services. Small businesses, medium scale enterprises, and large corporations alike have experienced the benefits of using vanity numbers. These companies have contributed to their bottom lines by improving customer response and ensuring satisfaction. Keep in mind a few things when choosing vanity numbers: Relevance – instead of being a burden, phone numbers can be a doorway to an opportunity if you customize them! Ask about vanity numbers from Custom Toll Free today. Simplicity – the personal vanity number must be simple enough to pronounce and be easy to remember. At the same time, keep to your creative side! Make your brand stand out. Catchiness – there’s no point in subscribing to vanity numbers if no one can remember them. Choose something catchy to keep your brand in the forefront of customers’ minds. Credit Line: © Gert Vrey | Dreamstime.com Read More
Finding an Available Domain Name that Matches Your Branding by: blog-editor2, November 8, 2010 Most businesses today would find it hard to function without a website. And the first step toward creating a compelling site is to register a catchy domain name. The process of domain registration itself is simple and straightforward. But before you can go to this step, it is important to determine the domain name that’s most suitable for your business! The domain name can mean the difference between mediocrity and success on the World Wide Web. With this fact in mind, it is not surprising that some of the best domain names available have already been taken up. But don’t let that stop you. A bit of creativity can go a long way in helping you find a great domain name – below are a couple of tips: .Com is Still King Many types of extensions are available these days including .org, .net, and country level domains. Despite these, .com is still king if you want your business to have a “global” feel. On the other hand, those who want their sites to attain a local flavor can opt for .co.uk domain if you operate in Britain or .com.au if you operate in Australia, etc. Catchy vs. SEO Friendly When it comes to choosing a catchy name vs. an SEO friendly one, there’s definitely no right or wrong answer. It depends on the purpose of your website as well as the specific industry. Each has its own pros and cons. For instance, catchy names like “Yahoo!” have definitely made it big. On the other side of the equation are websites like “hotels.com”, “auto.com”, etc. that have gained success by virtue of their domain name as well. Make sure you pick a domain name that matches your branding, is creative, but also clear about what your business does. A compelling and effective website can make or break a business, so choose your domain name carefully. Read More
The Seven Best Ways to Find Good Toll Free Numbers by: blog-editor2, November 5, 2010 1. Unifies Branding A good toll free number should unify your branding. That means having a vanity number that matches with your business name and Internet domain name. Checking the availability of all three before you reserve any is important. 2. Keyword Search Tools At least one of the leading toll free number providers now offers a keyword search tool for looking up toll free numbers based on keywords in your branding, whether it is your business name, Internet domain name, product, or service. 3. Check Out The Competition See what the competition is doing. What is working for them? What companies are dominating your industry and is it because of their toll free numbers? 4. Differentiate Once you have researched your competitors, analyze what you can do differently. What niches are being left under-served or what direction can you go in to become more appealing to consumers? 5. Reverse Lookups If there is a toll free number already in use that is ideal for your organization, you may wish to perform a reverse lookup to discover who owns the number in question. You may still be able to acquire this number, although it may be wiser to employ the services of a third party to negotiate the best deal for you. 6. Shared Usage Shared usage of toll free numbers can be a great way to get use of a premium vanity number at a fraction of the cost. This option is perfect for businesses that are operating in only a few select areas as opposed to nationwide or globally. For example, you could possibly reserve a premium vanity number like 800-MORTGAGE or 800-HOMELOAN for use just within the one or two states where you are licensed to do business. 7. Testing If you are still having a hard time deciding on which toll free number is best for your business, perhaps you will want to test out several. You can test by simply bouncing the ideas off of different focus groups or polling. Or you could even try out different toll free numbers in PPC ads, and different pieces in direct mail campaigns to see which pulls in the highest response and closing ratios. Credit Line: © Asri Batu | Dreamstime.com Read More
Transferable 800 Numbers by: blog-editor2, November 4, 2010 The beauty of transferable numbers is that you can select the toll free numbers of your choice and transfer or move (port) them to any phone carrier you wish whenever you like. This flexibility means you do not need to be stuck on the phone with your normal business phone line carrier for hours on end trying to figure out a winning toll free vanity number for your company. Instead you are free to acquire your 800 numbers from the leading toll free number providers who offer the best and easiest search tools. Look for those that allow you to search by keywords and return multiple great 800 number suggestions in seconds. You should also find that the best toll free service providers include a certain number of free minutes each month if you choose to keep your toll free number management with them. Additionally, you should expect to receive online faxing, advanced routing capabilities, email notification for voicemails, and even online access to call details for monitoring your 800 numbers and metrics. Using transferable 800 numbers means, of course, that you can port your number anywhere you want, but make sure you do a little research before moving phone carriers. While some of the biggest names in the telecom industry constantly bombard you with advertising on TV, you may find that they are not quite all they are cracked up to be when it comes to toll free number management. You need to ensure that you are able to move your 800 number again quickly if need be, that response times will be rapid in the case of technical problems, and that you have access to flexible routing options to maintain a superior level of service and seamless operations. Only then can you be confident that you will be able to retain the competitive advantage over others in your industry. Read More
Get Freedom to Travel with an International Toll Free Number by: blog-editor2, November 3, 2010 Get optimal flexibility by getting an international toll free number! Whether you’re an entrepreneur, corporate executive, freelancer, creative artist, or a business owner, there’s no doubt you’ll benefit from an international toll free number – especially when traveling! It allows you to attend to pressing matters even while on vacation, at a conference, or on a business trip. Aside from giving you freedom, an international toll free number also contains a wide range of features including the following: Simultaneous Call Processing – toll free numbers can accept multiple calls at once without using busy signals. Ability to Change Call Forwarding Number – by simply logging into your online account, it is possible to change your “ring to” number immediately. The service is available 24/7. Flexible Device Compatibility – the virtual number can be accessed on any mobile phone in almost all countries. Low Rates and High Quality – by choosing an excellent international toll free number provider like CustomTollFree.com, you can get the best of both worlds: low rates and high quality. Customized Greeting – customize a message for callers to play to them prior to their being forwarded to your “ring to” number. Responsive Customer Care – we prioritize customer support. All agents are trained to provide the best possible service to clients. So the next time you’re traveling outside the country, consider the benefits of an international toll free number. It can make the trip a lot easier and more convenient for you! Credit Line: © Stacy Barnett | Dreamstime.com Read More
Low Cost Phone Service Tips for the New Jet Set Crowd by: blog-editor2, November 2, 2010 Even the jet set crowd can benefit from flexible and low cost phone service. There’s simply no point in paying more for the same service if you can get the same thing for less. Phone service tips can help you get better value for your money. Beyond looking at cost, there are also other considerations you need to look into. Here are some of these aspects: Time of Day Routing – this is a relatively simple service. An example would be to route a call to a designated phone at a certain time of day. Day of Week Routing – also referred to as Day of Year routing, this feature is basically the same as the Time of Day routing except that calls will be routed to another phone on a certain date (as opposed to time). Exchange Routing – wherever you are in the world, toll free calls can be routed to you. This enables you to stay in touch with friends, family, and business associates. Routing preferences are just one of the many factors you need to consider when getting toll free numbers. Many other phone service tips can help you get the best deals in the market. Read More
Your Vanity Phone Number And Your Bottom Line by: blog-editor2, November 1, 2010 Surely you already know that using a vanity phone number for your direct response marketing can provide dramatically higher response rates and even closing ratios, but the benefits of having a vanity phone number for your bottom line don’t end there. Vanity phone numbers can actually improve the advertising effectiveness of all of your marketing campaigns from your website to your PPC advertising. Clearly, maximizing your marketing ROI is going to give you higher profit margins and will not only enable you to rocket your business to success faster, but it will have an immediate positive impact on your bottom line. Many advantages derive from having a vanity phone number, but you must remember that if you do not put it to its highest and best use, you are not going to realize all of the power it truly offers. That not only means making sure you include your toll free number on all of your communications including emails and business cards, but also making sure you are utilizing the best in toll free number management. Choosing an Independent Resporg for managing your vanity phone number means you can be confident that your business phone lines are being routed correctly, and you can take advantage of the best routing and toll free forwarding options. This advantage in turn will allow you to streamline your business processes so you can benefit from lower labor costs and improved customer service as well as shortening your business cycle. The results can add thousands of dollars, if not much more, to your bottom line every month. What you do with the savings and increased revenues you realize from using your vanity phone number to its maximum potential is up to you. You can amass reserves to build a stronger business, take a nice bonus to travel and escape reality for a while, or use the extra capital to invest in more marketing to grow your business even further. Credit Line: © Erik Reis | Dreamstime.com Read More