Businesses grow and change rapidly and may find themselves in very different circumstances from those in which they were founded. One aspect that may be slow to change, however, is the organisation's contact details. Just as you wouldn't want to buy IT support from a company that still uses @hotmail.com email addresses, you should be wary of a company that still uses a single mobile number as its main point of contact.

What is a geographic number?
You probably know the country code for your area by heart. Which also means you'll notice if a number doesn't have one, or has a different one than other local numbers.

Why are country codes important for businesses?
The number your business should use depends on the image your business is trying to portray. In this sense, you can think of your business phone number as an extension of your brand identity. Just as you would pay close attention to choosing a new logo design or paint job for your company vehicles, you should pay attention to the number you choose. Businesses that want to present themselves as "friendly, local businesses" would best portray this through a local area code. Organizations wishing to appear as national brands would be better off using non-geographic numbers such as 0800 or 0300 as they can appear more 'professional'.

How to choose a different area code for your business
One of the most attractive aspects of using Voice over IP (VoIP) phone service is the ability for a company to choose its own phone number. A business can choose the type of virtual number they want with managed hosted systems, whether it's a local number or a UK-wide number. You can also enter an area code to start your phone number with. Even if it's not the one in your area!

The data will help staff improve time management and decision-making so the company can provide a better experience to consumers and callers. Our team of telecommunications experts can help you analyze your call data and suggest methods and technologies to improve the efficiency of your telecommunications infrastructure.

Use multiple numbers for different scenarios
For example, if your business already serves one local area and you would like to expand into another. You can use two different versions of the same number, but using two different prefixes. This gives potential customers in each location the feeling that they are calling a "local" company, even though all calls are going to your headquarters. Alternatively, some businesses use different numbers to track where their calls are coming from. For example, if you use one number on print ads and another on online ads, you can find out where a customer found out about your company without having to ask. You can easily check which of your numbers have been called.

Do you need a new number for your business?
By purchasing a business geographic number from TinCan, you can choose the number that you think best suits your company. Maybe your call center is now located in a different city than your business? You can now select a number with your preferred area code. This helps your customers (current or future) to have confidence in your company.

These numbers can be forwarded to any number you already have, so calls to 0800 or 01273 can be forwarded to your current office or call center number, mobile or even your home phone. If you are interested in a new number for your business, whether geographic or non-geographic, TinCan Comms can help - let our team of experts find a business number that suits your brand. Contact us today to learn more.