A business phone number keeps your professional life separate from your personal. It only takes minutes to set up, and can often be obtained for free. This is true whether you’re setting up a virtual number (toll free number) via Google Voice or a professional phone system via Vonage.

We’re going to show you how to set up a business phone number. In particular, we’ll be explaining where to get local, toll free number (800), and vanity phone numbers, as well as discussing the pros and cons of each type of phone number.

If you’re looking to set up a full small business phone system, many providers will include the local or toll free number at no additional cost.

There is also virtual phone, which is local, toll free number, or vanity numbers that forward to an existing phone line. While these aren’t exactly a category of their own, virtual phone numbers are another important option for new businesses.

Local Business Phone Number

The simplest option, a local business phone number typically assigned when you purchase phone service. The 3-digit area code corresponds to your city or region. This makes it ideal for brick and mortar businesses who have mostly local callers and/or want their phone number to establish a connection with the neighborhood.

A local phone number is usually provided for free when you sign up with a small business phone provider.

Toll Free Phone Number

If your business operates nationwide, a toll free number or 800 phone number is a way to separate yourself from any local area code. Traditionally, these numbers allowed customers to call your business without incurring long distance charges. Today, they’re generally sought-after to give your business a larger and more professional brand image. Toll free numbers can begin with 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, and 844. 

Vanity Phone Number

Consumers are 2x as likely to remember a vanity number vs. a numeric phone number on billboards or print ad. For radio ads, the results are even higher with vanity numbers a whopping 9x more memorable.

A vanity phone number communicated using easy-to-remember words. For example, 1-800-TELEPHONE is a vanity number that corresponds to 1-800-000-0000 on the phone’s keypad. The price of vanity numbers varies widely depending on demand.

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