Non-Geographic VS Geographic Phone Numbers, Choosing the Best for Your Business

 Whether your entire sales process is carried out over the telephone, or you trade online and simply use the phone for customer service or lead generation, choosing the right phone number for your business is crucial to ensure that you get as many calls from potential customers as possible. You have the choice of using a non-geographical number, or many "geographic" phone numbers, or you could use a combination of the two. Both of them have benefits, as outlined below, so it is a case of deciding which is best for your business needs and for your target customers.8006927753 Primary City

Geographic phone numbers are those with local area dialling codes. For example, one area might begin with 0117, another with 0161, and another still might have an area code of 020. This is then followed by the actual number, which is unique to each landline. If your phone has the same prefix as the one you want to call you can simply skip this part and dial only the remaining digits. However, to dial a number outside your local area, or from a mobile, you must first enter the dialling code. A non-geographic number, on the other hand has a set prefix, such as 0800 or 0844, which must be dialled, and which can be given to a phone line in any area of the country.

Non-geographical numbers have the benefit of appearing more professional, as people are used to seeing big, reputable companies display numbers starting with prefixes such as 0800, 0844 and 0845. It is instantly recognisable as a company number and not as a number that could belong to a member of the general public. It also makes the phone number easier for customers outside of your local area to remember, as they do not need to memorise your local dialling code, only the digits that follow the prefix.

The different non-geographic prefixes are charged at different rates. 0800 for example is free, whilst others are charged at a local rate or at an expensive, premium rate. If you opt for an 0800 number, the vast majority of people in the UK recognise this as a free number and they will be more likely to telephone the number if they know that they will not be paying a penny. However, it can be costly for the business to receive calls on an 0800 number, so this is something to take into consideration before making your choice. However, if you expect to receive many calls then an 0800 number can pay for itself.