Virtual Numbers: How Are They Useful?
Is your business effectively reaching customers? While business leads can come from many sources, phone leads remain a tremendously significant source of leads. With virtual numbers, you can assign a unique local number to every caller.
Various businesses, individuals and even families use virtual numbers for privacy, ease of communication and a host of other benefits. If you’re wondering what a virtual phone number is or how it’s used, we’ve got you covered.
Today, we’ll tell you everything about virtual numbers and how you can use them to your advantage. We’ll be exploring the use of virtual numbers for different types of businesses and households to provide you full clarity. But first, a definition of virtual numbers.
What is a Virtual Number?
If you are wondering what a virtual number is, or what virtual phone is, the answer to both of them is same. A virtual phone number is a virtual or web-based number that is not associated with a telephone line. The internet-based number can be assigned to any device, whether it’s a desk phone or a softphone app on your computer.
You can link a virtual number directly to your telephone. Calls made to the virtual number will then be forwarded to the assigned, real, telephone numbers. The technology also allows various advanced call management features like call recording, voicemail, and the ability to conduct virtual conferences and so on.
Advantages of Virtual Numbers
Whether you’re a business owner or an individual, you can reap a wide range of advantages to using virtual numbers. Some of the benefits include:
- No hardware, installation or setup costs
- No maintenance cost or support needed
- Advanced features like PBX is available
- You can use call extensions
- You can assign several virtual numbers to a single connection or device
- Lower call charges than traditional carriers
- Ability to call extensions under your virtual number for free
- Enhanced privacy
Now, you must be thinking, “How can I create a virtual phone number!” Fret not, as the process is really easy. You can approach cloud-based phone system providers to purchase a virtual number. Solutions like CallGear allows you to create virtual phone numbers and offers features like call tracking, virtual PBX, call recording, call analytics and more.
Next, we’ll explore how you can use virtual numbers to your benefit.
Create Virtual Phone Numbers for Your Business
Here’s how you can use a virtual number to grow your business:
Maintain NAP Consistency
You must maintain a consistent NAP (name, address, phone number) to make the most of Google searches and listings. You can have a virtual number and keep changing your original business number without any penalty from Google.
Use Multiple Numbers
You will be able to use multiple numbers or call extensions at a fixed price. There’s no need to pay for multiple lines. Think of virtual numbers as a cell phone number scrambler.
Create Local Presence
If you’re a local business, virtual numbers can do wonders. You can use local codes and numbers provided by virtual number providers even when you’re located in other parts of the world. It’s something that is not possible with normal phone connections. Your customers can also avoid paying overseas charges by dialing local numbers.
Marketing Data and Analytics
Virtual numbers are great for generating marketing data. You can use call tracking with virtual numbers to measure the success of your marketing efforts. Advanced virtual number providers also offer phone analytics and custom reporting for generating actionable insights.
Call Management
You can perform all the tasks that a traditional PBX does with virtual numbers. That includes automated phone menus, call forwarding, call waiting, voicemail and more! All of these can be done more easily than legacy PBXs.
Integrations
Virtual numbers can be integrated with other critical business applications. For example, you can integrate virtual numbers with your CRM to track the customer journey and all interactions.
Now we’ll see how a household can benefit from the use of virtual numbers.
How about a Virtual Cell Phone for Your Household?
A virtual number can behave as a virtual cell phone for the whole family. You can use the virtual number in many ways:
One Family, One Number
You can maintain a single family number and use extensions to redirect to different family members. For example, your friends or relatives dial the virtual number you have provided them. When the line is connected, the callers will hear something like:
“Hello, you have reached Cooper’s family. Press 1 to talk to Mr. Cooper, press 2 for Mrs. Cooper, and press 3 for junior Cooper.”
You can assign different extensions to each family member and let callers reach them directly without wasting time. Virtual numbers also allow you to set up your own call service exactly the way you want.
Global Flexibility
You already know how virtual numbers allow you to take advantage of local numbers. Surprisingly, the opposite can also become advantageous for your family. Virtual numbers offer you flexibility around the world.
Virtual numbers are not assigned to a specific phone and can be used from anywhere around the world. That means you can be traveling on vacation and never miss a call from your friends or family members.
Separate Professional and Private Life
It’s really irritating when your boss or colleagues keep on calling on your personal number. With the help of virtual phones, you can easily put a barrier between your professional and private life.
As you are aware, you can use multiple virtual numbers with a single phone line. That means you can give your friends and family one number and your co-workers and boss another number. When someone calls the virtual number, you will instantly know who’s calling. It becomes easy to ignore calls from the office when you are spending quality time with your kids.
Wrapping Up
Virtual numbers can go a long way to keep things private, lower costs and enhance communication, making it a seamless process. If you are considering getting a virtual number, check out CallGear PBX and our hosted phone services. We are there to make things easy and simple for you, all while ensuring efficiency, reliability, and safety.