Virtual geographic phone numbers are telephone numbers with no directly associated phone line, but they do have an association with a specific town or city. The numbers start with the prefix '01' or '02'. Not all 01 numbers or 02 numbers are virtual, but an increasing number are. Virtual calls can be re-routed to any phone number so a business can appear to have a local office without needing to have any physical presence in the corresponding town or city. Telecoms supplier Windsor Telecom has seen a dramatic rise in the number of businesses using virtual numbers and expect to see this trend rise.
“In the last year, we have seen a 25% increase in the number of businesses that want to use virtual geographic numbers to market themselves locally,” says Neil Sherring, CEO. “With the economy as it is, businesses cannot afford to miss marketing opportunities and it seems that local is the way forward,” he adds.
“Virtual numbers are really useful for any business. Incoming calls are instantly re-routed to a nominated landline or mobile number and this can be quickly and easily changed at any time so you need never miss calls, even when you are on the move. Additionally, virtual 01 and 02 numbers can be yours for life, so there is no need to print new stationary should you move offices. Inbound call-handling technology is also available with every number, allowing customers to check live call statistics, route calls out of hours and get voicemails by email.”
With the need for new markets to be explored, businesses need to look at all the options available to them, and virtual phone numbers could just be the answer for many growing companies.