Business Phone Numbers
What is a Business Phone Number?
A business phone number is your official and direct link for clients, partners, and others to reach and identify your business.
More than that, business phone numbers help solidify your company brand, establish your identity, and enhance your network, whether you're a small business or an enterprise.
When you have an official business number, you don't need to give out your personal phone number. Your business phone number becomes your direct inward dialing (DID) number, and it’s easier to maintain a work/life balance.
If you choose a virtual business phone number—as part of a VoIP-based telephone system—,you can even use it on several devices and in different locations— even while on the go.
How to get a business phone number
Getting a business phone number is easy when you choose a trusted service provider like RingCentral.
All you need to do is select a pricing plan based on what you need, and pay (generally every month).
When you sign up for any RingCentral plan, you need to indicate the type of number you need (toll-free number or local phone number), so you can choose from those available. It’s just a matter of choosing what most appeals to you and finishing the sign-up process.
Once you have an account with RingCentral, you can add more business phone numbers by simply going to your dashboard. You can then go to Phone Numbers, and choose the Add Number option. From there, you can choose from the available business phone numbers and assign them as a company number or to an individual through their extension.
But which type of phone numbers for businesses should you choose to maximize their benefits? Your main business phone number allows your clients to reach you faster and helps you maintain a professional image. However, as your company scales, you may find you need some additional business phone numbers to cater to your client's needs. Learning how to choose a phone number for your business starts with understanding the types available:
Why get a free business phone number from RingCentral?
Your company telephone number is the number one point of contact customers have with your company.
While there’s been an increase in the use of other point-of-contact channels like email, videoconferencing, and chat, there is nothing more reassuring than having an actual person answering your call.
Having business phone numbers, such as dedicated toll-free phone numbers, for your company and its branches also adds to your credibility as an organization.
Conventional landlines, however, have limitations. You’d need to spend more on features like SMS text messaging, MMS, fax, voicemail-to-email, and call forwarding options to get the most out of them. Having an on-premises PBX could help, but it would require you to set up on-site hardware that will cost you thousands upfront. You’ll also have to handle time-consuming and costly maintenance and upgrades.
That’s where virtual phone services—and their many advantages over regular landlines come in:
Regular landlines
- Expensive on-site hardware paid up-front
- Complex implementations mean additional fees
- Early termination fees for required contracts
- Service and hardware upgrades come at a price
- Premium technical support calls for additional fees
- Maintenance requires specialized manpower
- Service changes require lengthy processes
Virtual phone service
- Does not require on-site hardware
- Quick and easy implementations
- No long term contracts that tie down your business
- Upgrades and updates are rolled out for free
- Free 24/7 technical support
- Configure and manage the system from anywhere
- Easily add or re-assign digital lines and extensions
RingCentral: Far more than just a business phone number app
Auto-attendant and call-routing
Handle all incoming phone calls with an automatic answering service and route them to the right person or department. When you customize this feature, you can even hire professional voice artists to give your callers the best first impression.
Business phone system’s answering rules
Change how your company answers incoming phone calls. If you want, you can set your business hours where all calls during your 9-5 shift will be answered and routed, while calls outside those hours can go straight to voicemail.
Hold music or messages
Reduce the stress of waiting for a response when a client calls your business phone number. Play music or broadcast business communications like new promos or new policies while the caller is on hold. You can modify your on-hold music or messages in cloud telephony.
Call forwarding
Let your employees take their calls from wherever they are. With RingCentral, you can forward business calls to their personal cell phone, home phone, or any other telephony device.
Employees can even customize how they forward calls to different phone numbers for business departments, colleagues, and more. Calls forwarded can be sent to different numbers chronologically, simultaneously, or a mix of both.
Call screening
The best app for business phone number management gives you complete control over who can reach you. Accept calls, ask callers to identify themselves, or block specific numbers or unwanted callers.
Users can even send calls directly to voicemail and use the voicemail-to-email feature from RingCentral.
Caller ID
RingCentral gives your employees control over caller ID for both inbound and outbound calls. Inbound caller ID lets them see who’s trying to reach them and set up answering rules to prioritize VIP contacts. For outbound calls, meanwhile, they can customize the caller ID for different recipients and circumstances—to boost pick up rates.
Why customers choose RingCentral
Specially made for business
Access features and functionalities designed to help your business and your workforce communicate better. Get unlimited VoIP and conferencing with features like SMS, faxing, and team messaging, straight from your mobile phone.
Mobile and flexible cloud-based system
The modern business phone system not only provides a reliable telephony solution but also includes VoIP features like caller ID, video conferencing, SMS, and faxing to help businesses communicate better.
Quick and convenient installation
No need for complicated business phone system installations for your local business. Have your phone service up and running in minutes . Easily configure and manage your phone system with an online dashboard, accessible from both your desktop or mobile apps.
Secure and reliable cloud phone system
RingCentral provides you peace of mind knowing that all your business communications are protected during the entire transmission journey. Data travels through encrypted networks with layers of authentication for additional security.
Premium technical support
From day one, RingCentral will assist you in setting up and configuring your business phone system. Our award-winning customer support team will provide you with expert technical business phone service support, consultations, and best-practice recommendations.
Great value with no hidden costs
Get a single, all-inclusive bill with no hidden costs. RingCentral even provides both small business owners and local business enterprises with a powerful cloud communications system for one affordable price.
RingCentral Business Communications plans for your small business
Frequently asked questions about business phone numbers
- Local Numbers - A local number would cost $4.99 plus state and local taxes.
- Toll-Free Numbers - A toll-free number would cost $4.99 plus state and local taxes.
- True Toll-Free Number (1-800) - A true 1800 toll-free number would cost $4.99 plus a one-time $30.00 setup fee and state and local taxes.
- Vanity Number - A vanity number would cost $4.99 plus a one-time $30.00 setup fee and state and local taxes.