Everything you need to know about virtual numbers and their uses in business

Communication is the backbone of all relationships, whether that be between individuals or a business and its clients.

Without communication, everything becomes messy and, if left unchecked, even the best things will fall apart. This is not something you want for your business, and using virtual numbers is one of the few things that will help you manage this.

In this article, we will tell you what a provided virtual number is, why you should use one, and how it will make things easy for you and the office. 

What is a virtual phone number?

Traditional phone lines work because they are anchored to specific things. A landline connection, for instance, is delivered to a physical address and to a certain device. A cellular phone is connected to everything else with a SIM card provided by the service provider in charge. A virtual number turns things on its head by not requiring any of those things to work.

A virtual phone number does not require a SIM, physical address, or specific device. It instead routes all incoming calls to another phone or IP address, making it easy to have multiple numbers. This is why they are also called online numbers or direct inward dialling numbers.

What lies at the heart of a virtual number’s extreme flexibility is its dependence on the internet to field calls. These numbers work on Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems, which is the same technology used by WhatsApp and Skype to make calls using broadband. By eliminating the dependence on cell towers and addresses, a virtual phone number can be used on the go, wherever there is a good WiFi or cellular data connection.

What benefits does it bring?

Just based on the fact that a virtual phone doesn’t need a SIM or an address gives it a lot of freedom, but it isn’t limited to just that. In this section, we will mention some of the biggest advantages a virtual number can bring with it.

• You can literally receive a call anywhere. Just because you forgot your business phone at home doesn’t stop you from working on the job. The virtual number can reroute all calls to your own phone, if you so choose, meaning you will never have to miss an important call ever again.
• Does your office have multiple branches? You can set up a virtual number to ring any number of phones across all your branches. If a client calls and nobody answers at Branch A, it will redirect the call to Branch B. Or, it will just ring at all the branches simultaneously, giving you lots of freedom.
• With a virtual number, you can choose the sequence of digits that will make up the whole number. This is hugely beneficial. Suppose your office is in San Diego, but your main customer base is in San Francisco. The people in San Fran might not be willing to dial a number with a different area code, choosing to rely on locals instead. By getting a virtual number with the 619 area code, you can appeal to their confidence and have them call you without issue!
• If you’re in marketing, then virtual numbers are your friend. If you have a new campaign going and you need to know whether it is working, you can get a virtual number specific to that campaign. By gauging the number of people calling in for that specific campaign, you get all the data you need about whether people are responding, how they came across it, the volume of people interested, etc. It is completely invaluable for any marketing team.
• On the money side, you’ll end up saving a lot. Because virtual numbers are, well, virtual, you don’t need to spend on installation, hardware, or any of the big money drains associated with setting up a telecommunication system.
• Services that offer a virtual number also provide a whole host of other useful features. Things like call waiting, call forwarding, call recording, and group calls are there for you if you need them. Depending on the kind of company you have, you will need at least some of them at hand.
• Thanks to the pandemic, people have gotten used to working from home —which is what makes a virtual number even more appealing. People working from different parts of the city, the state, the country, or even the world, can all use virtual numbers to keep working without setting foot in the office. This technology has served countless businesses throughout the pandemic, and it looks like it will continue to do so.

Conclusion

Technology is to be embraced, not shied away from. The world is changing at a rapid pace, and business owners need to keep up. The world of virtual telecommunication exists to bridge gaps not only between employees but also between the company and its customers, ensuring a good working experience for all involved. 

Virtual numbers are a gift, and a staple in most places by now. This will only grow as more and more people see the use for them. Just do your research and make sure to find the best possible service provider when you do get one. Other than that, you should be fine!