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November 12, 2019

7 Ways to Get a 800 Toll-Free Number for Your Business in 2019

Do you want to get a 800 toll-free number for your business?

Toll-free numbers help new and existing customers reach out to your business directly. Many customers also prefer to call a business phone number instead of writing an email.

A toll-free number encourages them to do so because they’re free for the caller. It also helps you win new customers and build lasting relationships with your existing customers.

In the past, toll-free numbers were used by large businesses only. But now they’re extremely affordable, so even small business owners can get a 800 toll-free number for their business.

In this guide, we’ll share 7 ways to easily get an 800 toll-free number for your business. You wouldn’t need to install expensive phone sets, purchase new hardware, or even hire new staff.

Sounds good? Let’s get started.

Why Get a Toll-Free Number for Your Business?

Toll-free numbers are the phone numbers that can be dialed without any charge to the person placing the call.

They start with a unique 3 digit code as a prefix. 800 is the most commonly used prefix for toll-free numbers, but you can also get one with the following toll free prefixes 888, 877, 866, 855, 844 or 833.

These toll-free codes are well recognized and customers know that they will not be charged for the call by their phone company.

Apart from the free call, talking to a human feels more natural and offers better customer satisfaction.

Toll-free numbers are not restricted to a particular geographic location. Your customers across the world can use the same number to reach you.

It looks more professional and gives credibility to your business. It is also easier to promote because you can select a memorable phone number and use it in all your marketing campaigns. Some companies even buy vanity phone numbers which are available on a first-come-first-serve basis.

They are not too expensive and using a VoIP service provider also allows you to make cheaper calls. You don’t need any special hardware, in fact, you can use a computer or even your phone to receive calls.

That being said, let’s take a look at the best ways to get a 800 toll-free number for your business.

1. Nextiva

Nextiva is the best business phone service provider on the market. They offer the easiest way to get a toll free number for your small business.

You get a free toll-free number with each Nextiva plan. You can also get a local number from anywhere in the United States.

Nextiva offers a simple dashboard to monitor your calls, set up voicemail greeting, set caller ID for outbound calls, call routing, caller ID, logs, and more. This enables you to efficiently manage your business calls and make the most out of them.

You can get calls on your toll-free number via laptop, a desk phone set, or even on cell phone using their app. This reduces the dependency on specific hardware and gives you the flexibility to take your business phone with you.

Pricing: Starting from $20 / month per user.

2. RingCentral

RingCentral is another excellent way to get a toll-free number for your business. They offer all popular toll-free codes including 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, and 844.

You can forward the calls to an existing number or use an existing toll-free number with RingCentral. They offer an extensive set of features like call routing, voicemail, call analytics, message alerts, answering rules, and more.

They have an easy to use dashboard that you can manage from your browser, desktop app, or use mobile apps to receive calls on the go.

Pricing Starting from $15.99 / month

3. Grasshopper

Grasshopper is a leading provider of virtual phone number for small business with toll-free, local, and vanity numbers.

You get all the usual features of a VoIP service like call management, extensions, call forwarding, voicemail transcript, and more. You can use your business number to send and receive texts.

Call management tools like call waiting, custom greetings, simultaneous call handling, allow small businesses to easily manage more calls with limited staff.

Pricing: Starting from $26 per month with 1 number and 3 extensions.

4. Ooma Office Phone

Ooma is a popular business VOIP phone provider that offers 1-800 toll free phone numbers at affordable prices. You can add a toll free number to any Ooma office plan. By default they will pre-select a toll-free phone number for you, but you also have the option to choose a new one.

Ooma office platform comes with all powerful features that you would expect such as virtual receptionist, extension dialing, music-on-hold, smart mobile phone apps, and more. Best of all the setup is very easy, and you can do it within minutes.

Pricing: Their plan starts at $19.95 per month which comes with a free toll-free number and 500 minutes included for free. They also allow you to purchase additional minutes at discounted rates.

5. Phone.com

Phone.com is another easy way to get a toll free number. It allows you to easily manage your businness calls using your computers and mobile apps.

They offer vanity and toll-free numbers that you can use with your existing number. It comes with all the usual features you may expect from a cloud phone service.

Pricing: Pay per minute plans start from $12.99 per month and Unlimited plans start from $29.99 per month.

6. 8×8

8×8 is another easy option to get a toll-free number for your small business. They offer toll-free and local numbers for several countries which makes them a good choice if your target customers are in multiple regions.

You also get all the usual call management features plus integrations with G Suite and Office 365.

Pricing: Starting from $12 per month per user.

7. Vonage

Vonage is another business phone service offering toll-free and local numbers. You can choose from the popular 888, 877 or 866 codes and it will ring on your existing business phone number.

They have an easy to use web-based control panel to manage your calls. It includes all the additional features you may expect from a VoIP service provider including voicemail, auto-attendant, forwarding and routing, simultaneous call ring on multiple devices, and more.

Pricing: Their mobile plan starts from $19.99 / month per user with limited features. The premium plan starts at $29.99 / month per user and unlocks advanced features.

FAQs about 800 Toll Free Numbers

Many beginners who are just starting their first business are quite unfamiliar with how toll-free number works. Here are some frequently asked questions about toll-free numbers and how they work.

1. What are toll-free numbers?

Toll-free numbers are telephone numbers where a person or business receiving the call is charged for it instead of the caller. Mostly, these numbers are used for customer services by businesses and organizations.

To distinguish them from regular landline numbers, toll-free numbers start with specific codes like 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 844 and 833.

The rules for toll-free numbers are controlled by the FCC, but they don’t assign the specific phone numbers.

The toll-free numbers registry database is maintained by a company called Somos, Inc. This company then gives permission to other companies called RespOrgs (Responsible Organizations) to assign toll-free numbers.

This allows any small business owner to get a toll-free number for their WordPress website or online store.

2. Is there a difference between a toll-free number and vanity number?

A vanity phone number is the industry term used to describe numbers that spell a business name or a more memorable phrase, for example, 800-FLOWERS.

If a vanity number starts with a toll-free code, then it is not different than any other toll-free number in terms of functionality and purpose.

3. Can I get a vanity number that spells a business name and then sell it?

No, FCC rules prohibit hoarding or purchasing toll-free numbers for the purpose of reselling them.

4. Can I transfer my toll-free number to another company?

Yes, toll-free numbers are portable ,and you can use the same number with any business phone service provider of your choice.

5. Can I receive international calls on a US toll-free number?

Yes, you can. However, those calls will not be free for the caller, and they will be charged by their phone company for an international call.

Most toll-free numbers are considered local calls in the US and Canada. Customers calling from Canada will not be charged for an international call.

If your customers are located in different countries, then many of the toll-free number providers mentioned above offer toll-free numbers for other countries as well.

6. Can I forward toll-free calls to my existing number?

Yes, you can forward toll-free calls to your existing phone numbers. Many of the phone companies above also allow you to set forwarding rules for inbound calls based on business hours, availability, and other factors.

7. How do I add the toll-free phone number on my website?

You can easily add your toll-free number to any of the popular website builders or blogging platforms.

If you’re using WordPress for your website, then you can follow our step by step guide on how to add a click to call button in WordPress.

Which is The Best Toll-Free Number Service?

The basic service which assigns you the toll-free number is offered by almost all virtual phone service providers.

However, call management tools, costs, and integrations are equally crucial for growing your business by using a toll-free number.

Keeping these factors in mind, we believe Nextiva to be the best toll-free number for small businesses. They offer competitive rates, an extensive set of features, and integrations to take full advantage of a business phone system.

We use Nextiva for our own business.

RingCentral comes as the close second in terms of features, ease of use, and simplicity of adding toll-free number to your plan.

We hope this article helped you get a 800 toll-free number for your business. You may also want to see our guide on how to get a free business email address and our comparison of the best email marketing services for small business.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 7 Ways to Get a 800 Toll-Free Number for Your Business in 2019 appeared first on WPBeginner.

October 24, 2019

How to Buy a Vanity Phone Number for Your Website (in 5 Minutes)

Have you ever wondered how certain companies buy a vanity phone number for their business website?

Vanity phone numbers are business phone numbers that are memorable and easy to promote. For example, 1800-FLOWERS is a vanity toll-free phone number for a popular flower delivery service.

The sequencing or spelling of vanity phone numbers makes it easier to promote in creative ways. Vanity phone numbers are also highly effective in building your brand image.

Many small business owners believe that having a vanity business phone number must have a high cost, need special equipment, or technical skills to manage it.

This used to be the case in the old days, but it is not true anymore. You can get a vanity number without spending a fortune, purchasing special equipment, or acquiring technical skills.

In this article, we’ll show you how to easily buy a vanity phone number for your online business or WordPress website.

What is a Vanity Phone Number?

A vanity phone number is an easy to remember phone number that have a unique sequence. For example, 1-800-TOYSRUS (1-800-869-7787) or 1-800-GoFedEx (1-800-463-3339).

You can also find numbers with unique combinations like 800-333-4444 or 800-000-3333.

These phone numbers are more noticeable and memorable than random phone numbers. this makes vanity phone numbers great for marketing and building a brand image.

You can also get them as a toll-free number or a local number.

Most vanity phone numbers are usually toll-free numbers, which are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. This means that your vanity number is subject to availability regardless of the business phone service you buy it from.

What Do I Need to Get a Vanity Phone Number?

You’ll need a business phone service to buy a vanity phone number.

Unlike traditional landline phones, a business phone service runs on the internet. This is why it is sometimes also known as business VoIP service (Voice over Internet Protocol).

By using the internet for phone calls, companies can offer lower call rates, cheaper international calls, and advanced call management features to business owners.

These call management tools allow you to maximize the potential of your business calls. You can monitor calls, analyze them, set up voicemail greetings, setup call redirect rules, and more.

You only need a device connected to the internet to use a modern business phone service. Basically, a computer, laptop, tablet, or mobile phone would work.

This means you don’t need to buy any special equipment.

You can forward calls to your existing landline or mobile number, share the same number with team members, and set up auto-attendant messaging.

That being said, let’s take a look at some of the best vanity phone number providers that you can use to easily buy a vanity phone number for your business.

1. RingCentral

RingCentral is one of the top business phone system providers. They offer affordable VoIP service for small businesses with local, toll-free, and vanity phone numbers.

First, you need to sign up for a RingCentral plan. Their pricing starts from $19 per month per user which gives you one local or toll-free number.

You can add a vanity phone number to your plan for $30 (one-time fee).

Once you have signed up, you can get a local and toll-free number directly from your account dashboard right away.

However, if you are looking for a vanity phone number, then you’ll need to apply for it. The process can take up to 10 business days to set it up for your account.

Once approved, you can use a vanity number generator to come up with ideas for your easy to remember business phone number.

Pricing: Starting from $15.99 per month + $30 one-time setup fee.

2. Nextiva

Nextiva is one of the best professional phone service providers on the market. We use their platform on WPBeginner for our professional business phone number.

By default, Nextiva does not offer vanity phone numbers. Instead, they procure the numbers from their carrier partners which limits their ability to provide vanity numbers as a feature.

However if you already have a vanity phone number, then you can move it to Nextiva and start using it with their superior platform with all the call management features, CRM software integrations, and more.

Each Nextiva plan also comes with a free local number for any area code in the United States, and a toll-free number with all prefix codes except 0800.

Pricing: Starting from $20 per month.

3. Grasshopper

Grasshopper is one of the leading providers of virtual phone numbers for businesses. They offer local, toll-free, and vanity phone numbers.

You can easily check the availability of your desired vanity number during the signup process. You can also port your existing local number and set up call forwarding to your newly acquired vanity phone number.

Grasshopper provides all the standard features of a business phone system. You get business texting, call forwarding and routing, extensions, custom greetings, and more.

Pricing: $26 per month with 1 number and 3 extensions.

4. Phone.com

Phone.com is another popular business phone number provider. They offer local, toll-free, and vanity phone numbers.

However, they do charge a one-time setup fee for a toll-free vanity phone number. This fee starts from $49 and can go higher depending on what number and toll-free code you choose.

Phone.com’s plans come with a monthly limit of call minutes, and you’ll need to purchase extra minutes if you exceed those limits. You also get a generous number of SMS messages with each plan.

Apart from getting your desired phone number, you also get all the standard features to manage business calls. This includes call routing, auto-attendant, custom greetings, voicemail, call logs, business texting, and more.

Pricing: Starting from $12.99 per month

How To Promote a Vanity Phone Number on Your WordPress Website?

Majority of the website traffic these days are coming from mobile devices. This means that your users don’t need to reach to their phone to contact your business since they are already on the phone.

You need to make it easier for them to just tap on your business phone number to make a call.

Adding Click to Call to a WordPress Website

If you are using WordPress which is the best website builder on the market, then you can easily add a click to call button to your website using a plugin.

First, you need to install and activate the WP Call Button plugin on your website. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you need to visit Settings » WP Call Button page to configure plugin settings.

It provides two types of call buttons.

Sticky Call Button – This button remains visible on your website as users scroll down a page.
2. Static Call Button – This button does not move and you can add it anywhere on your website using a shortcode.

After you choose your button type, you will need to enter your phone number and choose the button’s appearance style. Don’t forget to click on the Save button to store your settings.

For detailed instructions, see our step by step tutorial on how to add click to call button in WordPress.

Adding Click to Call Button Using HTML

If you are not using WordPress and want to add a click to call button to your website, then this is how you would do it.

Basically, you can add telephone numbers as links using the specific phone number format.

tel:+15555555555

Depending on which website builder you are using, click on the Add link button and then add your phone number with tel: prefix.

If you are familiar with HTML, then you can also use HTML to add a clickable phone number.

<a href="tel:+15555555555">Click here to call us</a>

Simply replace the phone number with your own and save your changes.

Frequently Asked Questions about Choosing a Vanity Phone Number

Choosing a toll-free or vanity phone number can bring up a lot of questions. We will try to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about vanity phone numbers that we have come across.

1. What is the difference between a vanity phone number vs a toll-free number?

A vanity phone number has a sequence of numbers that spells your business name, product, or service. They can also just have a memorable sequence of numbers.

Your vanity phone number can be a toll-free number or a local number that comes with a memorable number sequence.

On the other hand, toll-free numbers are the numbers with specific dialing codes that can be dialed with no charge to the person making the call. Toll-free dialing codes in the United States are 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 844 and 833.

Toll-free numbers can be acquired on a first-come-first-serve basis, which is why most vanity phone numbers are usually toll-free numbers as well.

2. Do I need to pay a premium price for a toll-free vanity phone number?

No, you don’t. FCC rules forbid hoarding, trading, and reselling of toll-free numbers. Some phone services may charge you a setup fee for a vanity phone number, but this is not the price of the toll-free number.

3. Can I sell my toll-free vanity phone number?

No, you cannot. FCC rules prohibit selling of toll-free numbers, and anyone trying to sell a toll-free number can get into legal trouble.

4. Can I use my vanity phone number with my local number?

If you are using a business phone service provider, then you can easily forward inbound calls to your existing local number. You can also set up forwarding rules based on time of the day, or set up an IVR to connect with the right person in your team.

We hope this article helped you buy a vanity phone number for your website. You may also want to see our guide on choosing the best live chat software or best email marketing service for your business.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Buy a Vanity Phone Number for Your Website (in 5 Minutes) appeared first on WPBeginner.