Here are a few common facts about 800 numbers that you may not know.
While we have an FAQ section on the site, I thought we could address a few things specifically about 800 numbers right here on the blog.
Here are a few common facts about 800 numbers that you may not know.
A “true” 800 number is simply a toll free number with an “800″ prefix.
You own your 800 number.
800 numbers are portable. If you change service providers, you can take your 800 number with you.
800 numbers that spell out a company name, product, etc are called “vanity numbers”.
800 numbers have been around for over 35 years.
800 numbers are regulated by the FCC.
800, 888, 866 & 877 are all toll free numbers. The only difference is the numbers themselves.
800 numbers can be used for home numbers as well as business numbers.
Posted in Toll Free & Local Numbers | Tagged 800 number, Toll Free Numbers, vanity numbers, virtual number, virtual phone number | 1 Comment
Remember the Seinfeld episode where George decides to create a catchy jingle for his answering machine?
Aside from a website, your phone greeting could be the first impression customers or potential customers have of your business. While it doesn’t have to be as clever as George’s, it’s important that it sounds professional and helps the caller with what they are looking for.
Here are a few tips for creating a main greeting:
Make sure there is no distracting background noise i.e. ambulances racing by, phones ringing, tv commercials.
When using background music, make sure you choose music that fits your business. Pop music for a spa probably isn’t the best strategy.
Enunciate your words clearly to ensure the caller can understand your greeting. Avoid strong accents.
Posted in Tips & Tricks | Tagged Small Business, tips, virtual number, voice mail | Leave a comment
As a small business it is often hard to track exactly where your customers are coming from; Television, radio, web, partners, etc, etc. While analytics have certainly made it easier to track web traffic, offline efforts aren’t as clear cut.
A great way to track offline marketing efforts and determine ROI is to use multiple phone numbers. Using separate phone numbers for separate campaigns can help you track where your visitor came from and give you insight into which campaign is working the best.
Using Multiple Phone Numbers to Track ROI:
The more accurately a business is able to track marketing efforts, the more efficient they will be and the more money they will save.
Remember, with Grasshopper, additional phone numbers are only $5 each and additional extensions are FREE! Start tracking your marketing efforts now!
Posted in Marketing & Brands, Tips & Tricks | Tagged Local Numbers, Marketing & Brands, Small Business, Toll Free Numbers, tricks, virtual number | Leave a comment
One of the top features of the Grasshopper virtual phone system is the ability to forward your 800 number to any number on any phone. No really, ANY phone/phone number in the entire world! Your home phone, your office phone, your cell phone, your mom’s cell phone…it doesn’t matter.
Setting up call forwarding for your 800 (or local) number is easy through your online account manager.
We have broken it down into 3 simple steps:
1. Login to your Grasshopper account, choose “Settings“
2. Under Settings, choose “Call Forwarding“
3. Choose “Add Number” & Put in the desired forwarding number (click image to see full size)
That’s it!
Posted in Tips & Tricks, Toll Free & Local Numbers | Tagged 800 number, call forwarding, tips, virtual number, virtual phone system | Leave a comment
With the launch of Google Voice this past year, awareness surrounding the virtual phone, virtual pbx, hosted pbx industry has skyrocketed, and here at Grasshopper we have been fortunate enough to enjoy the benefits. More awareness means more people wanting to know what a virtual number is, what a virtual phone system is, how it works, who does this, how it can benefit them and how they can get it?
It also means more people asking, “What is the difference between Grasshopper and Google Voice?”.
The first thing we say is, Grasshopper is designed for small businesses and entrepreneurs versus the general consumer. We are dedicated to helping our customers sound professional, stay connected and ultimately grow their business.
That being said, our feature set has been built as a focused set of tools for entrepreneurs and their businesses – that is really the key difference.
Below we have highlighted just a few of the core features of the Grasshopper virtual phone system – all items not available with Google Voice:
Posted in News & Updates, Tips & Tricks, Toll Free & Local Numbers | Tagged grasshopper, Toll Free Numbers, virtual number, virtual phone number | 6 Comments ← Older posts Newer posts →
