0800 Number or Landline On Website?

[JamesMason67]

What are the members thoughts about what would convert better on my website? I currently have an 0800 number.

What has sparked this question is that a pal of mine says that 0800 numbers are not free to call from mobiles, and he reckons that would put off a lot of people, as non inclusive minutes such as 0800 numbers on a mobile phone are very expensive.

He has got me thinking. I originally thought I was being clever having an 0800 number, but if these numbers are expensive to call from a mobile, a re-think may be in order.

Can I please have your thoughts?
Much appreciated,
James

 

[AllUpHere]

Your customers would much prefer knowing they are calling a local firm. A landline with a local code is the way to go for a business like yours. An 0800 will be putting people off.

 

[TPTele]

Hello James,

There are a number of factors that you need to consider when deciding on the best number to market your business; who are your customers, where are they located, what percentage are calling from landlines or mobiles, etc.

If the majority of your customers are within your local area then a local 01 / 02 number is good. You may want to consider a 2nd local number if you are close to another dialling code.

If you sell nationally then an 0800 number will give you a bigger national image.

The rules on calling costs for 0800 numbers change in July this year at which point they will be free to call from mobiles. If your purchased a new mobile contract on the last 6 months then 0800 numbers will already be free to call.

Regards,

Stuart

 

[cjd]

See:

http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/threads/choosing-a-telephone-number-for-your-business.46850/

As Stuart says, the rules for 0800 (and all 08xx numbers) change this summer so that guide will need a re-write. It'll take quite a while for customers to twig that 0800 are now free though.

I've never been a big fan of 0800 anyway, I much prefer standard 01 and 02 numbers for the reasons in the guide - they've been oversold because the telcos and service providers get a lot more revenue from them - they're therefore quite expensive to own and their original advantages have been eroded by the fall in cost of telephony generally.

There used to be other advantages to 08xx numbers too, in that if you moved, you could take the number with you - unlike 01 and 02 which are tied to the local area. But now with VoIP, all numbers can go anywhere.

 

[fisicx]

Don't use 0800. There is a perception that it will get me through to a call centre. Having a landline and a mobile number on the site with your name alongside gives me confidence I will be speaking to you.

In your business trust is big factor as they are often investing a lot in your services. 08 anything or even 03 makes you anonymous, as if you have something to hide. A local number says to the potential client: this is a local man doing local work.

 

[TPTele]

From reviewing your profile you appear to be a locally focused business so my opinion is that a local number would be best for you.

You could have a traditional landline, VoIP or a marketing number. Both VoIP and marketing numbers can go directly to your mobile and have various other features that might benefit your business.

Please feel free to PM me or call me if you would like to discuss your situation.

 

[JamesMason67]

Thanks guys. Our business is almost exclusively local to Edinburgh, and the overwhelming consensus seems to favour the local number. I guess the smart thing would be to have a local and a freephone number possibly?

Our local Edinburgh code here is 0131, the Morningside area of Edinburgh is 447 giving us
0131 447 .... I know I can purchase for instance 0131 214 .... numbers which have no geographic leaning, but this is not ideal. From what you are saying, better than the 0800 tho?

Is there anywhere where I could purchase a 0131 447 .... number you guys are aware of?
Thanks again, much appreciated.
James

 

[cjd]

You can't really go wrong using both numbers, but I'm not convinced it's necessary unless you're running a heavyweight marketing campaign.

I don't think you'll get 447 from anywhere other than BT, but I may be wrong.

Ours are 564 and I notice that by chance the range starts at 0131 564 0001 so there's some good ones in there.... £2 per month. 0800 are £5 per month with an inbound call charge of 3p per minute.

 

[bluedreamer]

Why don't you offer both numbers to give customers a choice? Monitor the number of calls you get on each and that will tell you what's popular and possibly if one hardly gets used you can drop it and use the most used one.

 

[TPTele]

Hi James,

The 0131 447 range of numbers is held by BT. If you have a traditional landline with a number in this range you could have it ported across to us. If not I may be able to get one for you. PM me if you really want one.

Bluedreamer's suggestion is a good one and can be easily set-up. We provide a lot of marketing numbers with stats, etc.

I can also beat the prices provided above. Once again PM me if you are interested.

Stuart

 

[JamesMason67]

This all makes sense. If what you say is true, this will have cost us a fair bit of business over the last 6 years or so we've had this 0800 number on the site, which is a bummer. On the bright side, I may be able to look forward to a wee increase in enquiries when I sort this out.

Thank you Bluedreamer that is an excellent suggestion. Thanks Stuart, will PM you. CJD, can you potentially provide 0131 447 .... numbers?

Thanks again to everyone replying,
James

 

[cjd]

Thank you Bluedreamer that is an excellent suggestion. Thanks Stuart, will PM you. CJD, can you potentially provide 0131 447 .... numbers?

Our own numbers are 564. It's probable that BT own all the 447s as they will have been allocated to that exchange many years ago. If you email support at voipfone co uk and ask if we can get any - tell them you know that our numbers are 564, but ask if any of our other providers have one. It'll need looking at by one of the specialist porting people in the office who work monday to friday.

 

[afishinsea]

Not necessarily going to help you James, but one thing to consider for businesses that are starting out / working from home, is that an 0800 no, is portable - so you can patch onto any line you like, and move it quite quickly - we have had 3 studio locations in the last 12 years as we have grown, as we started with an 0800 no. that part of the business has been consistent. It also meant that not all of our marketing material had to be reprinted with new no. s. as some was generic. Hope that helps.

 

[cjd]

^^^ That did use to be a big advantage of 0800, but now all numbers can be anywhere using VoIP, so it's no longer a particularly important consideration unless you're determined to stick to old technologies.

 

[JamesMason67]

Would just like to thank and recommend Stuart from forum member TPTele. He very quickly acquired me a very memorable 0131 447 ... number at reasonable cost to use in my business. I am taking the members advice here and will be having a local Morningside, Edinburgh number.
Thank you Stuart, and thanks to everyone for your input and advice.
All the best,
James

 

[fisicx]

Not necessarily going to help you James, but one thing to consider for businesses that are starting out / working from home, is that an 0800 no, is portable.

Maybe it is portable but just think how much business you have lost over the years because of that 0800 number. There are all sorts of reports showing people just don't like calling 08 or 03 numbers - not even for national companies.

 

[afishinsea]

Thanks for the thought - any examples of credible reports you could share? Would be interesting to look into as we had not seen it as a barrier to contact.

Glad you got your no. sorted James!

 

[Stuart Carter]

If what you say is true, this will have cost us a fair bit of business over the last 6 years or so we've had this 0800 number on the site

If.

The only way to know for sure, in your market, is to test. Does your number allow tracking? If so, grab an 0800 and a local number, split test them and keep the winner.

I once made a change that was a "no-brainer" advised by a web designer. Conversions dropped by 30%. That taught me never to make a change without testing - especially if it seems obvious!