In our technology-driven world characterized by futuristic systems like AI, machine learning, biometrics, and IoT, it is understandable that some people figure that area codes — which have been around since 1947 — really don’t matter much. However, this is not the case, especially when attracting potential customers.
A survey has found that 72% of customers like dealing with a local business. In addition, they are willing to pay MORE to a local seller. Simply put: having a local area code can make the difference between attracting and engaging these profitable customers vs. losing them to the competition.
Think about how you search for businesses. More than likely, you begin your search for nearby business locations. Most businesses prefer to reinvest in the local economy. Finding potential clients locally just makes sense as well.
Carolina Digital Phone is a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) telephone provider with roots in the communication industry going back to the late 1980s. We have seen technology change greatly and we know what matters for successful business.
Below, we provide answers to frequently asked questions about getting a phone number with a local area code. That number could be for another part of the state or country where you do not have a physical office:
Is getting a local area code expensive?
Not at all! Getting a local area code is very affordable, and will likely pay for itself many times over. You will connect with customers who otherwise would not choose you, simply because your phone number reveals that you are located in another part of the state or country.
Are There Restrictions?
You may wonder if businesses are restricted to getting just one phone number with a local area code for another city/state.
The answer is no, there are no restrictions. You can get as many phone numbers as you wish. For example, you can get a phone number with a local area code for your sales team. At the same time, you mat want a separate phone number with a local area code for your customer support team.
Toll-Free Numbers Vs. Local Numbers
When deciding between toll-free and local phone numbers, the choice is not always clear. As mentioned earlier, a phone number with a local area code will make your business appear nearby. This is an important (and in some cases pivotal) factor for many potential customers.
However, having a toll-free number can achieve two objectives that are appealing to business owners and other executives.
First, it means that customers outside of the local calling area can call your business, without incurring long-distance fees. This is not as big a deal now as it was a few decades ago when long-distance costs were much higher. What’s more, some customers with cell phones may already pay nothing for domestic long-distance calls (as part of their plan). However, there are likely going to be some customers for whom a toll-free number makes a difference. Even if the cost is minimal, they won’t make the call if they have to pay.
Second, toll-free phone numbers can make your business “look and feel” larger. Often, this is an important consideration if you are competing with larger companies and enterprises. This factor alone can make getting a toll-free number well worth the (small) cost.
How Important is a Prefix?
While a telephone prefix used to matter for local businesses, now only the area code matters. The first three digits of your phone number (i.e., the prefix) are going to be irrelevant to your customers, and as such it is not a factor that you need to be concerned about.
Porting Cell Phone Numbers
Many small businesses start with one person and a cell phone. For this reason, as your business grows, that cell number is important. You may wonder if it is possible to transfer a cell phone number with another area code to Carolina Digital Phone’s VoIP phone system.
In most cases, yes you can transfer — or “port” — a cell phone number to our system, and you will retain that phone number. Please note, however, that your carrier MAY impose a fee for this, and they may take care of this quickly…or slowly. We have no control at all over either of these factors.
However, you can be assured that we will not charge you anything to port your number (or multiple numbers) to our system. We will also take care of the back-end administration for you at no charge. It is part of our value-added service!
Vanity Phone Numbers
Do you need a vanity phone number with a local area code tied to another part of the state/country? As long as the number is available, you can obtain it. Simply let us know what you are looking for, and we will let you know if it’s available. If not, then we can make some suggestions that you may find appealing.
Additional Phone Numbers
Maybe your business likes the idea of getting a local area code that is tied to another region, but you aren’t 100% sold on it yet. Do you have to decide on this when moving to Carolina Digital Phone’s VoIP business phone system?
No worries. You can add one or more phone numbers with local area codes (for different parts of the state/country) at any time. There is no need to determine this now if it is not within your budget at this time, or if it’s not something that you’re convinced you need.
Mobile Phones Vs. Desk Phones
If you are concerned about the flexibility of using a cloud-based phone system, you can relax. You can answer calls made to a non-local area code on mobile phones and desk phones!
You are not restricted to any specific device. Employees who download and install our free app (iOS and Android) on their mobile phones will be able to answer calls on their devices, just as easily as if they were sitting at their desk at work and using a digital desk phone (this looks like a conventional business phone, but is specially designed to work with VoIP phone systems). Plus, they can access advanced features through the app, such as instant messaging and more. You can also forward incoming calls to landline phones.
Learn More
Learn more about getting a phone number(s) with a local area code by contacting us today. Pricing for our all-in-one, highly-rated VoIP business phone system starts at just $6/user per month (for basic phone plans). Remember: you don’t have to be a large business to have enterprise-level business communications!
Discover why we are one of the industry’s most trusted and recommended cloud phone system providers with 100+ 5-star customer reviews. Call us at (336) 544-4000.