What is An Online Phone Number & How To Get One?

Fri, 02 Aug 2024
online phone number

The future of communication is not in sim cards or landline phones. It’s in online phone numbers.

Yes, you read that right – online phone numbers are improving the way we connect, especially interactions between businesses and their customers.

But what exactly is an online phone number, and how can it transform your business calls?

 

What Is An Online Phone Number?

An Online Phone number, also known as a virtual number, is a number you can use to make and receive calls from any device with a working internet connection. You can use it on your phone or even make calls from your laptop. It doesn’t require any physical setup and it has so many business features.

An online phone number is also a single phone number that can be shared among multiple users, making it a suggested solution for businesses. You can use an online phone number as your official business number. This makes communication with customers easy and removes the need for multiple phone numbers.

 

 

How Does An Online Phone Number Work?

An online phone number uses voice technology to allow you to make and receive calls over the internet. Unlike a sim card or physical landline, it does not require any physical setup and you can get it in minutes. All you need to do is select a monthly subscription that fits your business size, and make the payment.

A service provider like PressOne has made it affordable for African businesses, so you don’t have to worry about huge costs.

 

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What Are The Features of An Online Phone Number?

An online phone number helps to transform your business because it comes with so many great features designed to make you connect better with customers and sell easily to them

 

1. Makes you Look Professional & Trustworthy

Let’s use an example:

Mrs Amarachi owns a store that sells wedding dresses in Lagos. A potential customer searching for a wedding dress calls her business number.

Mrs Amarachi is busy offloading some new textiles with one of her staff, she grabs the phone and answers with a hurried “Hello?”

On the other end, the potential customer immediately gets the feeling that not only is she busy, she sounds like she doesn’t want to be disturbed at the moment regardless of who is on the call.

Now, whether or not we think Mrs. Amarachi needs to work on how she answers customers, it boils down to the fact that an automated welcome greeting message would have made the customer feel like she’s calling a business that sounds trustworthy and looks professional.

The point is, human beings are subject to be in varying moods and it’s only necessary that customers are first greeted by a welcome greeting that makes them feel they are talking to a business that can be trusted and sounds professional.

First impressions matter to potential customers

Without an online phone number, Mrs Amarachi may continue to lose customers if the first impression they get is an unprofessional one.

 

2. Remember Every Detail with Call Recording

Ever missed an important point made by a customer during a call with? With an online phone number, you’ve got it covered!

Replay conversations to jog your memory or fill in the gaps. But that’s not all.

Recordings can also be used to train your team. Listen back and coach your staff, identifying areas for improvement in their customer interactions.

Call recordings also protect your business They act as a clear record of conversations, valuable in case of any misunderstandings.

Recordings turn every call into a learning and improvement opportunity for you and your business. You can do all this, with an online phone number.

 

3. Easy Call Transfers

“SafeGuard Insurance” is an insurance company in Lagos . They have a team of agents in different types of insurance: auto, home, and life.

A customer calls their business number with a question about their auto insurance policy. The call is answered by a general customer service agent, who then asks questions to determine the customer’s needs.

If the agent can’t assist, they put the customer on hold for so many minutes, waiting to manually transfer the call to an auto insurance specialist, or in some cases, tell the customer to call them back

However with a PressOne online phone number, when the customer calls, they select the auto insurance option from an IVR (Interactive Voice Response) also known as call menu.

The call is automatically transferred to an available auto insurance specialist. If the specialist is unavailable, the call is transferred to another available specialist or placed in a queue with an estimated wait time.

This helps with faster response times as calls are transferred directly to the right specialist, reducing wait time and improving customer satisfaction. It also helps with easier connections

Customers are connected with the right agent for their needs, eliminating manual transfers and reducing errors. Agents can focus on their specialty, handling more calls and resolving issues faster.

By using call transfers with an online phone number, SafeGuard Insurance can provide a more efficient and customer-friendly experience, leading to increased satisfaction and loyalty.

 

4. Analyze Your Calls For Better Performance

Let’s say we have a diagnostic lab in Nigeria called “HealthCheck Diagnostics”. They offer various medical testing services and want to improve their sales and customer support processes.

Without call analytics, they rely on manual tracking and agent feedback to understand how their calls perform.

They struggle to identify trends, how many calls bring in sales, how many calls lead to a complaints, conversion rates, and areas for improvement. This can be a big problem for them because they would never know how to improve without a clear way of measuring how their calls perform.

However, with a PressOne online phone number, they get access to call analytics which shows them the call volume (number of calls) and duration of these calls, and how many calls brought in sales (e.g., appointments scheduled).

They also understand the satisfaction rate of customers (e.g., surveys, feedback), how their team performs (e.g., sales, resolution rates) and the outcomes of these calls (e.g., abandoned, transferred, resolved)

This call analytics feature helps them make data-driven decisions. HealthCheck Diagnostics can now analyze their calls to identify trends, improve their sales scripts, and improve customer support.

Their staff then receive targeted training and coaching based on their performance metrics. insights from call analytics help HealthCheck Diagnostics address customer pain points and improve satisfaction.

For You:

 

Example insights from call analytics:

  • 30% of calls are abandoned during peak hours; consider adding more agents or optimizing IVR menus.
  • 25% of customers schedule appointments after speaking with Agent A; identify best practices and train other agents.
  • 40% of calls relate to billing inquiries; consider implementing a self-service portal or automated billing system.

By making the most of call analytics with their online phone number, HealthCheck Diagnostics can make informed decisions, enhance their operations, and improve customer satisfaction, ultimately driving their sales.

 

5. Understand Your Customers Better

Mr. Daniel owns a big store in Nigeria, “TechHub”, that sells phones and electronic gadgets. TechHub doesn’t have an online phone number that has an integration with a customer relationship management platform such as Hubspot

They rely on manual notes and their workers’ memory to keep track of customer interactions. They struggle to understand customer behavior, preferences, and purchase history.

However, with PressOne, they can use a CRM system integrated with their online phone number to track and analyze customer interactions, including call history and recordings, purchase history and preferences, customer feedback and surveys, agent notes and interactions

This helps TechHub analyze customer behavior, preferences, and complaints to tailor their sales approach and improve customer satisfaction. Agents can access customer history and preferences to offer personalized recommendations and support.

This way, TechHub can identify loyal customers and reward them with exclusive offers and loyalty programs.

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Example insights from CRM:

  • Customer A has purchased three phones in the last year and always asks about new models; offering them exclusive access to new releases.
  • Customer B has called three times about a specific gadget; offer them a loyalty discount or bundle deal.
  • 50% of customers call about warranty and support; consider implementing a self-service portal or automated support system.

By making use of CRM with their online phone number, TechHub can know what their customers want even before they ask for it. This helps them satisfy the customers and sell more to them easily.

 

How To Get An Online Phone Number

  1. Read reviews about different brands
  2. Compare the features to see which is best
  3. Identify the one that meets the dynamic demands of your business
  4. Make enquiries about live demos
  5. Choose a plan that suits your business

 

Before buying an online phone number, consider which brand (service provider) is right for you. Look for things like customer reviews. See what real businesses say about the service and features. Explore the features. Pick a provider with features that match your needs (call recording, call transfer, etc.).

Also, examine the security of the brand. Choose a brand that meets international security standards for data privacy and protection. For example, PressOne Africa prioritizes these aspects, earning the trust of over 2,200 businesses. Their commitment to quality service and secure solutions ensures peace of mind when using their online phone numbers.

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Benefits of Choosing A PressOne Online Phone Number

  • Pro Look, Pro Trust: PressOne has professional, easy-to-remember numbers that create a strong first impression. Customers see you as reliable and established, building trust for long-term success.
  • Happy Customers, Happy Business: Understand what your customers want with our call recording and analytics features and attend to their requests
  • Be Top-of-Mind: Customers will pay you what you are worth based on the quality of service they get when you call them with a PressOne number. This brand recognition keeps you at the front, improves repeat business and valuable word-of-mouth referrals.
  • Work Smarter, Not Harder: Stop guessing and understand how to satisfy your customers easily based on our customer relationship management feature. This helps you learn their purchase behaviour and sell more to them

 

Now, here’s how you can get your online phone number in minutes!

What is an online phone number

1. Visit https://pressone.africa/pricing and subscribe to your preferred plan.

2. The ‘Buy now’ button under your selected plan will take you to a signup page. Fill in your details accordingly.

3. A suitable plan will be recommended to you after you fill in your details. Click on “Subscribe to plan” to make payment.

4.Upon making your payment, you will be redirected to sign in to authenticate your account. An OTP will be sent to your registered number.

5. After you sign in, you will be given a list of numbers to select from.

6. Complete your setup and you are good to go.

 

Still in doubt? Get a free demo with us here

 

FAQs About Online Phone Number

1. How much does an Online phone number cost?

Pricing for a PressOne online phone number depends on the plan you go with. The standard plan is #6,000, the Growth plan is #10,000 and the International plan is #15,000. Click here to understand it better

2. Do I need another device to set it up?

No, there’s no physical setup and you do not need another device. You get your number and you begin to make calls immediately

3. Does it take long?

No, it only takes minutes to set up, then you bring your team on board and you’re good to go

4. Can I make calls only from my phone with the business number?

No, not your phone alone. You can easily make calls from your laptop also

5. Are there hidden fees?

No, you only get charged for a service if you demand to subscribe to it

Ready to take your business to the next level with a Online Phone Number? Try PressOne Today

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