Having a local business number can make your company seem more trustworthy and reliable in the eyes of potential clients. Clients also prefer working with companies they can call on without worrying about expensive long-distance charges.
Moreover, local numbers can be diverted to any landline or mobile device, so calls are never missed, which is a great option for businesses that operate remotely or travel extensively.
1. Establishes Credibility
A local business contact number is still beneficial even if you communicate primarily via email or video conferencing with clients. This is because it uplifts your business’ professionalism and authority.
Clients want to feel they are dealing with a responsive company that understands their needs. Having a local number gives them the sense of trust and reliability they seek in a company.
Posting a local business phone number on your online profiles and local business listings makes it easy for potential customers to call you. The report found that 93% of consumers get frustrated when online business information is incorrect or inconsistent.
This is why updating your business information on all your listed platforms is important. This includes business directories, search engines, social media channels and more. Local business contact numbers establish a connection with your community, fostering brand loyalty and increasing customer retention.
2. Enhances Customer Experience
Many consumers expect local businesses to have websites that display clear lists of products and services, opening hours and contact details. Ideally, these sites also provide testimonials and a clear breakdown of prices.
As a result, the consistency of local business information across online listings is crucial to winning customers’ trust. Local numbers are the best way for companies to build a credible reputation and attract more customers. The beauty of these numbers is that they can be easily diverted to any landline or mobile phone number, which makes it easier for remote workers and virtual businesses to handle calls from their local area.
Consumers will feel more comfortable talking to someone they can recognize, and they won’t be charged for long-distance calls. This helps reduce a business’s overhead and ultimately boost its revenue.
3. Increases Convenience
Many consumers prefer to work with local businesses because they feel more reliable, friendly, and dependable. A local business number that begins with its area code shows potential clients that the company values its market and is committed to meeting its needs. Customers also appreciate having the ability to reach a business via messaging.
In a time when email inboxes are flooded with blasted messages from companies they don’t know, text messaging is intimate and helps build strong relationships between businesses and their customers. To effectively communicate with customers, a business should be able to differentiate between personal and work calls or texts.
Having a separate phone line for business, with a local virtual number, ensures that business customers don’t get interrupted by a personal call or receive the same outgoing voicemail message that they would on their phone. This provides a professional experience that leads to brand loyalty. This is especially important when incorporating mobile messaging into a local marketing strategy.
4. Saves Money
When businesses post their local business numbers on local business listings, they make it easy for customers to connect with them. They can choose from various phone number types, such as local numbers that begin with the same area code as the city or region they’re targeting, toll-free and vanity numbers (which are often easier for people to recall) and more.
Using a local phone number for your business also helps you avoid mixing personal and business communications, leading to higher hidden costs, inefficiency, frustration and even burnout among employees. Employees with a dedicated business phone number tied to a top-notch virtual phone system can field calls more clearly and efficiently.
Final Words
To make the most of local business listing management, ensure that your NAP information business name, address, and phone number is consistent across all directories and online platforms where it’s posted. This consistency drives traffic, builds credibility, and attracts potential customers.
