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Toll Free Telephone Numbers
For Small Businesses
Improve customer relations and increase orders.
by Alyice Edrich
All materials copyrighted
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Whether you run your business out of your small home office, from an office overlooking a major metropolitan city, or from a small shop
in a quaint, but quiet downtown location, your business could benefit from a toll free telephone number,
especially if you have a web presence.
Toll Free Telephone Numbers Increase Sales
Toll free telephone numbers have been known to increase online sales by an estimated thirty percent. When a customer comes to your
website looking for a specific product, he/she doesn’t know you, your business, or your staff—all he/she knows is that you offer a
product or service he/she wants. If your website doesn’t clearly answer his/her concerns, that customer has two choices:
- Leave your website to find a company that does answer his/her questions, or
- Call your company for clarification.
Toll Free Telephone Numbers Build Credibility
If your company is based in the United States, and your potential customer is based in another country, but the contact page on your
website only gives a local phone number, there’s a 99% chance that potential customer will leave your website in search of a company
that answers his/her concerns. If however, your contact page lists a local number, followed by a toll free telephone number for out of
state (or city) callers, there’s a 75% chance your potential customer will pick up the phone and ask for clarification.
The same principle applies to companies located in one state, but doing business in another. Customers with questions and/or concerns
about your product and/or service find speaking to a live person validates the business, builds customer relations, and develops a sense
of security and trust in both the company and its representatives. In fact, according to a recent consumer research poll, businesses
with toll free telephone numbers in their business listings receive a higher amount of customer calls than those who don’t.
One thing to keep in mind when deciding whether or not your business needs a toll free telephone number is this: With so many scams and
schemes filling the Internet, customers are more leery than ever to order from a company they don’t know. Allowing your customers to
speak directly with your employees gives them the psychological push they need to feel safe buying from your company.
Other Advantages Of Toll Free Telephone Numbers
Toll free telephone numbers aren’t just for customer service questions. Since toll free telephone numbers have become so affordable
(as low as $2 per month and 6.9 cents per minute), many companies now use toll free numbers to track promotions, advertising results,
and sales leads. Some companies assign toll free telephone numbers to employees who work out of their home offices while others assign
toll free telephone numbers to employees traveling out of the area, to help cut down on high hotel phone bills.
Toll Free Telephone Numbers Come With Opt-Out Features
Finally, toll free telephone numbers have the option of opting out of certain calling areas. In other words, if you’re worried about
in-state customers using your toll free telephone number instead of calling direct, you can simply ask your toll free carrier to block
certain locations by area code and/or phone number. That way, you keep your costs down, while still being readily available for long
distance customers.
About The Author:
Alyice Edrich helps ordinary people start homebased businesses that earn profits and keeps families together. Visit our
e-book store to learn how you can work from home today.
* This article is available for your publication, for a F-E-E.
This article may NOT be reprinted without monetary compensation and written permission from the author.
For reprint rights or comments/questions about this article, please contact the author.
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