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A virtual number, sometimes also known as “direct inward dialling” or DID, is a telephone number which, unlike traditional numbers, is not attached to a telephone line. Virtual numbers are increasingly popular with businesses of all types and sizes as they have many uses which can help firms respond to communications from their existing and potential customers more easily and efficiently.

How can a virtual number, such as an 0330 number – available to buy from Number Supermarket here – help your business? As the virtual number is not related to any particular line, calls to it can be forwarded to any telephone, whether a traditional fixed line (sometimes known as a land line), a mobile phone or a voice over internet phone. This means that you can have the call answered on different lines at different times, for example if you wanted calls to go to one office on weekdays and to a mobile or call centre out of office hours, or when the office is busy.

Buying a virtual number

You may want your customers to have the reassurance of a local geographic number, but you want the convenience of being able to answer from your mobile while out on jobs, or from a cheaper office out of town. Alternatively you may want to have a national presence and choose an 03 or 08 number which does not tie your business to any particular place and means you can advertise on a national level. You can even have different numbers relating to different marketing campaigns, so you can easily track the impact they have made on customer enquiries.

Setting up a virtual number is extremely simple. All you need to do is choose which of our packages best suits your business’s telecoms needs. You then choose a number from our wide range of geographic and non-geographic numbers, and place your order. Our online software makes it easy to manage your number without the need to upgrade to expensive hardware – the calls can be diverted to your existing phone network whether that is a call centre, or just your mobile phone. Our apps for Android and Apple phones make managing your calls on the go easy.

Virtual numbers have many other benefits for businesses. As well as being able to easily route and divert calls, you can have voicemails and even faxes e-mailed to you so you are never out of contact with your customers. You can quickly and easily analyse your incoming call data to look for trends, which can help you to target marketing materials and opening hours. There is a wide range of optional services that can help your business and improve the customer experience, such as call queuing and call recording.

Whether you are a sole trader who doesn’t want to miss a job, or an large established firm who needs to make sure customer service calls can be answered quickly and efficiently by a call centre, virtual numbers can give your business the flexibility you need. Call a member of our team for advice on the range of options on offer so you can decide what will work best for your business