Unlike standard telephone numbers, virtual phone numbers are not associated with any actual telephone line or devices directly. Many businesses use virtual numbers or direct inward dialing (DID) to forward incoming calls to an actual telephone number – landline, mobile or Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). Virtual phone numbers also help businesses to enable long distance telephone services without incurring high long-distance charges by leveraging cloud telephony.

The virtual telephone numbers work just like conventional telephone numbers. But they are more flexible and versatile than real telephone numbers. They enable business owners like you to manage incoming calls and deliver customer service anytime and anywhere, including through business text messaging. You have the option to convert their local phone numbers or toll-free telephone numbers into virtual telephone numbers to receive calls and messages via text.

Your business can use a virtual telephone number as a powerful tool to facilitate seamless customer connectivity and improve customer experience. The sophisticated virtual number services allow you to implement interactive voice response (IVR), generate call details report, and maintain a local presence of your business. There are also various reasons why your business needs a virtual telephone number.

1. No Need to Pay for Multiple Telephone Lines

Each conventional telephone number is associated with a specific phone number. Your business has to purchase multiple telephone lines and telephone devices to use multiple business phone numbers.

The virtual phone numbers transfer incoming calls to landline, mobile, and VoIP phones. Hence, you can easily divert incoming calls to your home number or cell phone number. The providers even allow you to greet customers in a number of ways to customizing voicemail messages.

2. Expand Your Business’s Virtual Presence

The virtual numbers help you to enable international calls in the price of local calls. Also, you can use the DID number as a powerful tool to enhance your business’s virtual presence.

For instance, you can purchase a virtual number in the targeted market to provide your business with a local presence in the foreign country. The virtual number will make it easier for the local customers to connect with your business seamlessly.

3. Manage the Numbers Effortlessly

The virtual numbers are easier to configure and manage than standard telephone numbers. You can purchase and cancel a virtual number almost instantaneously. The providers allow you to use your existing toll-free or local phone number as virtual numbers.

Some providers even allow you to change the virtual numbers in a quick and straightforward way. Many businesses these days opt for virtual numbers due to their versatility and flexibility. So that if they move their base from one place to another, they could maintain the same number throughout.

4. Avail Additional Features

The sophisticated virtual number services help businesses to streamline call center operations by providing additional features. They allow you to customize incoming call handling according to your precise needs using a control portal.

They further allow you to monitor incoming calls, check call details, and block unproductive calls. These additional features help your business to improve customer connection and accelerate customer service delivery. You cannot avail these business-oriented features while using a standard telephone number.

5. Allow Customers to Call Free of Cost

The customers nowadays call businesses collect a variety of information. Many customers even call businesses while conducting a pre-purchase information search. But each customer wants to interact with the business without incurring any call charges.

You have the option to use a toll-free number as the virtual number. Hence, you can enable customers to gather relevant information and resolve various issues by interacting with your business free of cost.

6. Distribute Incoming Calls Efficiently

The virtual numbers help you to handle incoming calls proactively by routing them directly to the right department. The even help you to keep the callers engaged by availing options like music on hold.

At the same time, the virtual number services allow you to set up ring groups. The ring groups enable you to distribute incoming calls based on pre-set strategies. You even have the option to set up notifications for various incoming calls according to your needs and preferences.

7. Implement IVR

Many cloud telephony service providers these days allow clients to implement IVR solutions along with the virtual telephone numbers. The IVR solutions enable customers to gather relevant information or resolve simple problems by interacting with live agents and using self-service options.

Many customers nowadays use self-service option to consume customer support more quickly without interacting with live agents. Your business can take advantage of the IVR solution to accelerate customer service delivery and improve customer experience.

8. Streamline Call Center Performance

The leading  virtual number service providers these days allow you to avail sophisticated features like better call routing, on-wait music, customizable voicemail, call blocking, and call details report.

They allow you to distribute incoming call efficiently by creating ring groups and routing calls to the appropriate departments. You can further monitor and assess the performance of the inbound call center by checking details of an incoming call in real time.

9. Reduce Upfront and Ongoing Expenses

Unlike standard telephone numbers, virtual phone numbers do not require you to invest in multiple telephone lines and devices. They are fully compatible with smartphones and tablets. Hence, you can easily avail the benefits of business on the move strategy and allow employees to handle incoming calls using their personal mobile device. This strategy helps you to avoid purchasing and maintaining an expensive business phone system.

10. Keep Your Personal Phone Number Private

Often owners of small businesses and start-ups use their personal phone numbers for business or professional purposes. But they still explore ways to keep their personal phone numbers private and separate personal and business communications. The virtual telephone numbers help entrepreneurs to handle incoming calls proactively without revealing their personal phone numbers. The callers will see the caller ID instead of the entrepreneur’s personal phone number.

You have the option to choose from a wide range of virtual telephone number services. Hence, you can easily purchase a virtual number that comes with features to improve customer connections and experiences. You can opt for a virtual telephone number that enables you to accelerate customer service delivery using IVR. Some providers even allow you to customize the virtual telephone number services according to your precise communication needs.