Importance of Business Phone Numbers for Online Businesses

Online businesses are on an upward trend that does not seem to be slowing down any time soon. Statistics show that over 70% of US businesses are started online from home. That is a large number of people running a business remotely on the World Wide Web. Avenues for communication with clients always seem endless when running an online business. Not only can you contact your clients via social media, you can contact them on email or even for some people, on a live chat right on the website. These are all perfectly viable modes of communication that work effectively. The obvious question on many online business owners’ mind is often, with all these avenues of reaching their clients; does an online business need a phone number?

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Here are some great reasons you should consider getting one if you don’t yet.

Human experience

The virtual world has consumed a lot of people’s time as well as their lives. Everyone is on his or her phones and people are missing the human experience that so often lacks in the virtual world. Talking to bots is convenient for business but it does not even come remotely close to the results a real conversation would have. A customer service survey revealed that 70% of Americans find that calling is the fastest way that issues can be resolved. This applies to all businesses including online business. A survey by Oracle also revealed that the most preferred mode of contacting a company or business is by the use of a business phone number. This was data based on a whopping 71% of the total customers who gave their feedback to this survey. People prefer to talk to other people when they are carrying out transactions and bots make this experience more virtual as opposed to human as most people prefer. This is precisely why you should consider a business phone number for your online business.

Trust

It is always said that trust is earned. An online business definitely requires a lot of trust from the customers for them to buy from your store or pay for the services that you offer. There are many ways that a business owner can foster trust in their customers. One easy way however is by ensuring that your customers have a direct line to you the business owner. Putting your cell phone line is dangerous to your cyber security for many reasons and also, it will affect your private life to some degree. This is exactly why a business phone number is required. There is no better way to get your customers to trust that your store will deliver than if they know they can easily reach you to clarify things when needed. This is why having a dedicated business number should be a priority for all online business owners.

Legitimacy

You probably know all about online scammers and con artists who portray themselves in a wildly professional manner. With the freedom that online businesses have in terms of how to start and putting yourself out there, then it is a no brainer that people are extra careful where they put their money online. Many new online businesses may not be immediately affected by not having a call toll free number. However, they end up suffering to some degree in the long run. Careful customers prefer a one on one conversation with someone to feel like they can trust what you are offering. Having that phone number available is definitely important for appearing legitimate when running an online business. Just because you have many other communication avenues does not always translate to trustworthy to a more traditional shopper. It is therefore important that you avoid the risk altogether by getting your professional business number.

More sales

If you want larger orders, then you need a phone number that is exclusive to your business ventures. How is this possible? Well, it is a vicious cycle that can definitely be leverage for the benefit of your business. When customers trust your store, they feel more confident to entrust their money with you. That means that the orders you get will be larger and the frequency of your sales will be higher. That equals higher margins and that is every business owner’s goal. Having a customer following that believes you will deliver on what you are promising duly will positively benefit your business and this is a matter that can easily be achieved by adding a business phone number where your customers can easily reach you.

So, do online businesses really need a phone number?

Absolutely, they do. It is better after all to ensure you have all your loose ends tied when running a business either online or the brick and mortar way. It is not worth your while to lose even a single client because you simply didn’t add a phone number. There are numerous benefits to having a dedicated line and they need to be take advantage of by any entrepreneur hoping to scale. Adding this to the ways that your potential buyers can contact you will add a lot of value to your business and you can lead from the front when other business owners wonder why they are not making as many sales as they should.