Comprehensive Guide to Business Phone Numbers: Features, Benefits and Costs

In today's competitive business landscape, effective communication is essential for success. One crucial aspect of communication is having the right business phone number. Whether you are a startup or an established enterprise, selecting the best business phone number can significantly impact your operations, customer satisfaction, and overall business growth.

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Establish your business in local communities with business phone numbers

What is a business phone number?

A business phone number is a number that you use solely for your business, separate from your personal phone numbers. A business number should be available 24x7, enhancing your business image and efficiently connecting callers to your team members, wherever they're located. Depending on how you want to use your business phone number, you might choose one of the following types of numbers:
Local town

Local Number

Enhanced local presence and visibility in search engine results for location-specific searches. Builds trust and rapport with local customers, as they perceive you as a local business, thus increasing the likelihood of conversions.

National map

Toll-Free Number

National and toll-free numbers help in expanding your customer base beyond your local area. Professional and credible image, instilling confidence in potential customers to engage with your business.

Billboard advertising

Vanity Number

Memorable and easy to recall, which aids in brand reinforcement and customer retention. Creates a unique identity for your business, setting you apart from competitors.

What are the benefits of using a virtual business number?

Unlike a physical phone number tied to a specific device or location, a virtual business number lives in the cloud, allowing you to be more responsive to your customers.
storefront

Professionalism

A virtual business number answers your calls 24x7 and gives your business a more professional appearance and makes it easier for customers to reach you. It can also help you compete with larger, more established businesses.

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Flexibility

A virtual number allows you to receive calls from anywhere, at any time. Calls can be routed to you and your team, wherever they are, reducing dropped calls and missed opportunities.

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Greater Sales

Including a local number in your marketing and advertising efforts can help track the success of those efforts and make it easier for customers to respond to your campaigns.

What can I do with a virtual business phone number?

Maybe it’s just easier if we show you:

But wait, there’s more!

Halloo has tons of features to help your business grow.
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Virtual receptionist

Fully programmable auto attendant answers your calls 24x7 and directs callers to the right person or department.

groups

Multiple extensions

Easily scale from one to hundreds of extensions. Organize users into departments and groups.

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Call forwarding

Forward your calls to home, mobile, and office locations; or set to do-not-disturb.

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Call routing

Route calls to distributed team members in sequential or round-robin hunt strategies.

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Music on hold

Play music or pre-recorded announcements to callers while on hold.

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Call tracking

Built-in team based tracking and commenting of customer calls and interactions.

contact_phone

Contact management

Contact management, call history and contextual alerts for incoming calls and interactions.

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Call recording

Optional call recording for inbound calls for review and agent training.

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Conference calling

Add up to 6 parties to any live call or add optional meet-me conference lines.

add_call

Call transfer

Blind and consultative transfer of calls to other users or extenal numbers.

video_chat

Video & text chat

Web based text and video chat with routing to sales and support groups.

fax

Fax receive

Dedicated fax receive numbers. Receive faxes and download in PDF format.

pin

Caller ID

Capture and log inbound caller-IDs. Mask personal phone number for outbound calls.

voicemail

Voicemail

Separate business from personal voicemail. Track voice messages with built-in collaboration features.

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Mobile apps

Convenient access to features directly through Android and iOS mobile apps.

devices

Softphone support

Receive and make outbound calls directly through the Halloo website: no extra software required.

Why should I get a business phone number from Halloo?

Thousands of businesses over twenty years have relied on Halloo.

How much does a virtual business phone number cost?

Halloo is the most affordable virtual phone provider on the internet. Plans start at just $4.95/mo.

Biz 100

$ 4 .95 /mo
per user
  • Just starting out? Our most affordable plan.
  • 100 minutes per month included, per user
  • +$4.95/mo. if paying monthly.

Biz Pro

$ 11 .95 /mo
per user
  • Perfect for growing organizations
  • Unlimited talk time
  • +$4.95/mo. if paying monthly

Biz Pro Max

$ 14 .95 /mo
per user
  • Includes inbound call recording
  • Unlimited talk time
  • +$4.95/mo. if paying monthly

Frequently asked questions about virtual business phone numbers.

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about virtual business phone numbers:

A virtual business phone number is a phone number that is not tied to a specific physical phone line. Instead, it is hosted in the cloud and can be forwarded to any phone number. You can choose a local area code to give the impression that you are based in that location.

Yes, you can usually choose a specific area code for your local businss phone number. Some providers may offer more options than others.

You typically do not need any special equipment to use a virtual business phone number. Most providers offer web-based or mobile apps that allow you to manage your calls and messages.

The cost of setting up and using a virtual business phone number varies depending on the provider and the features you need. Some providers may offer free plans with limited features, while others charge a monthly fee or per-minute charges. Halloo has the most affordable local numbers on the internet, starting at just $4.95/mo.

The benefits of using a virtual business phone number for your business include increased professionalism, 24x7 availability, building trust with customers, and separating business from personal calls. It also allows for flexibility in managing call routing and voice messages.

Call forwarding works by routing incoming calls to your virtual business phone number to another phone number of your choice. You can set up rules for when and where to forward calls, such as forwarding to your mobile phone during business hours and to voicemail after hours.

Yes, you can usually make outgoing calls from your virtual business phone number using the provider's app or web-based platform. Some providers may charge extra for outgoing calls or limit the number of minutes you can use. Halloo treats incoming and outgoing calls the same in terms of usage.

Yes, it is possible to get a virtual local phone number for international calls. Some providers may offer international virtual numbers or allow you to choose a local number in a different country.

Setting up voicemail for your business phone number is usually straightforward. You can usually customize the greeting and set up notifications for new messages.

Virtual numbers are easily ported, so you should be able to keep your number if you switch services. At Halloo, you are free to port your number to a different carrier as long as your account is active and not suspended.

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