A Complete Guide on Getting a Virtual Phone Number for Your Business

If you run a business, phone communication is vital, yet handing out your personal mobile number for business calls just feels plain wrong. A professional business phone number lends credibility, and helps separate work from personal life. But traditional phone lines are clunky and expensive.

This is where virtual phone numbers come in – an online business phone number that can be managed easily via the internet. Intrigued? Read this detailed guide that covers everything about getting and using virtual numbers.

Overview – What is a Virtual Business Phone Number?

A virtual phone number works just like traditional phone number, enabling you to receive calls over the internet, rather than a physical telephone line. It provides great flexibility – you can direct incoming calls intelligently while keeping personal numbers private.

With easy set up requiring only an internet connection, virtual numbers are used extensively by modern businesses. They lend a professional front, while saving costs and adding capabilities like tracking analytics and call recordings.

As per stats, over 60% of small businesses in the US use virtual business numbers, and find it provides numerable benefits discussed next.

Key Advantages of Virtual Phone Numbers for Businesses

Here are some of the biggest reasons virtual numbers are indispensable for any business:

Helps Deliver Professional Customer Service

A proper business phone number, instead of relying purely on mobile phones, makes true customer service possible. Features like intelligent call routing to different departments, order tracking numbers, and even multi-language IVR menus transform the customer experience from plain vanilla to exceptional.

As per a study by Broadsoft, over 75% customers consider phone calls vital for customer satisfaction. A feature rich virtual phone system helps achieve that differentiation.

Significantly Lowers Telecommunication Costs

With Virtual phone numbers, all calling is routed over the internet rather than traditional phone networks. There are no additional costs for long distance calling. For a business handling large call volumes or international clientele, this leads to massive yearly savings.

An analysis by RingCentral showed their clients saved an average of 50% yearly on telecom costs after switching to their VoIP based system. Those are savings that directly help a business’ bottom line.

Keeps Personal and Business Communication Separate

Giving out personal or home numbers for business communication ultimately leads to unwanted distractions and interruptions to personal life. For solopreneurs juggling client commitments all day long, maintaining that separation is vital.

Virtual phone numbers deliver flexibility to dynamically configure work hours and on call routing. Outside designated hours, calls are automatically directed to voicemails. Stats show over 80% small business owners rate this flexibility to be a lifesaver!

Enables Multi-location Coverage

With virtual phone systems, you can get phone numbers from any location of choice, even while operating from a single office address. This helps project national or global presence for the business without requiring physical infrastructure everywhere.

As your business expands, you can instantly get additional virtual numbers across new locations. This agility and flexibility puts traditional phone systems, requiring hardware installations, to shame.

Provides Powerful Analytics and Insights

Sophisticated reporting around call volumes, wait times, missed calls etc. helps businesses gain actionable and impactful insights. Bottlenecks in customer communications like long waiting times can be easily identified and rectified before customers drop off.

Integrations with CRM and marketing platforms take this intelligence to the next level. Over 85% of virtual phone providers in 2022 provide reporting and analytics as a core part of their capabilities.

I hope these convincing benefits help set the right context on why your business should get its own virtual phone number. Let’s move on to discuss what factors to evaluate while choosing a provider.

Critical Capabilities to Evaluate When Selecting a Virtual Number Service

With dozens of providers marketing slick capabilities, it can get overwhelming for a business trying to determine the ideal virtual phone solution for their needs. Let me outline the most crucial factors you should evaluate:

1. Call Management and Routing Features

This forms the core set of capabilities on offer. Assess and compare providers for:

  • Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system – auto attendant to direct calls
  • Intelligent call routing basis time of day, wait times etc.
  • Transferring calls across locations and departments
  • Conference calling ability
  • Call forwarding flexibility – provision for alternate numbers when unreachable
  • Visual voicemails and transcription ability
  • Powerful analytics for insights

The more routing flexibility and management features available, the better it would fit growing businesses with complex needs.

2. Reliable Uptime and Call Quality

Unlike traditional public switched telephone networks (PSTN), VoIP solutions can suffer when internet connections have issues. Make sure to evaluate a provider’s system redundancy, emergency calling capabilities etc.

Cisco reports that as businesses become highly dependent on cloud communication platforms, even minor issues like call quality can have huge business impact.

3. Security Safeguards

Phone hacking incidents and spoofing risks are on the rise. Evaluate what safeguards a provider implements like call encryption, fraud detection etc. to keep communications secured.

Go through the fine print to check compliance claims and audit certifications around security and data privacy.

4. Mobile App Capabilities

Seamless mobile capabilities are a must have in 2022. You should be able to route calls, access voicemail, set availability status etc. on-the-go via iOS and Android apps.

As per Statista estimates, over 68% of US small businesses name mobile capabilities for call management as ‘extremely important’ while selecting providers.

5. International Coverage

For globally distributed teams and international clientele base, there is no alternative to extensive country coverage. Research supported destination lists, number provisioning capability worldwide and rates for overseas calling.

6. CRM and Helpdesk Integrations

If already using platforms like Salesforce, Zendesk etc. check for tight integrations by leading providers to sync call information. Deeper the integration, better it is for connecting sales and service.

7. Scalability

Evaluate available plans for number of extensions and simultaneous call volumes. Storage for call recording data and conference call participant limits should suit short term and long term needs.

8. Trial Periods and Switching Ease

Most established players offer trial periods, some over a month long. Use them fully to test capabilities versus your specific needs before committing.

Also, check porting facility to transfer existing business numbers, as well as contract lock-in clauses for risk free switching.

Phew! That was a long yet important checklist to assess virtual phone system providers. Now comes the cherry-picked list of top recommendations promising excellent business phone functionality.

Top 10 Virtual Phone Number Services

Here are my top picks for reliable, feature rich virtual phone services for your startup or growing business:

1. Nextiva

The #1 ranked solution provider with exceptional call management and analytics.

Key Strengths:

  • Intelligent call routing features
  • Real time analytics dashboard
  • High reliability 99.999% uptime SLA
  • Mobile apps with full functionality
  • Over 40 country coverage

Pricing:

$25 per month per number

Best For:

Mid to large businesses looking for scalable and reliable system

2. RingCentral

Enterprise grade phone system with one of the broadest feature set.

Key Strengths:

  • Cloud PBX functionality
  • Deep CRM, helpdesk integrations
  • AI powered real time analytics
  • Geo-location based auto call routing
  • 5000+ local number availability in US & Canada

Pricing:

Starts at $24.99 per user per month

Best For:

Larger businesses needing advanced capabilities

3. Ooma

Reliable small business focused solution with great value

Key Strengths:

  • Intuitive web interface
  • Integrated auto attendant
  • Unlimited US calling
  • Number porting capability
  • 99.999% financially backed uptime SLA

Pricing:

Starts at $19.95 per month

Best For:

Growing SMBs wanting reliable phone system

4. Grasshopper

Leading virtual phone number for solopreneurs and very small teams

Key Strengths:

  • Easy admin portal
  • IVR menus and extensions
  • Voicemail transcription
  • Integration with business apps
  • Mobile apps for call management

Pricing:

$26 per month annually for 1 number

Best For:

Startups, solopreneurs, small teams

5. Aircall

Fast growing provider focused on SMBs looking for simplicity.

Key Strengths:

  • Intuitive call flows builder
  • Answering rules automation engine
  • Salesforce, Zendesk integration
  • Custom analytics dashboards

Pricing:

Starts at $30 per month per user

Best For:

Startups who value simplicity and productivity

6. Telzio

Cost effective, hassle free solution great for very small teams

Key Strengths:

  • Low hourly rates for US and Canada
  • Basic call analytics reports
  • Custom voicemail rules
  • Easy number porting in minutes
  • Dedicated US based customer support

Pricing:

Starts at $10 per user monthly

Best For:

Solopreneuers, very small teams

7. Dialpad

Leader in AI innovation for actionable speech analytics.

Key Strengths:

  • Voice intelligence gives real-time insights
  • Slack integration built-in
  • Amazon Alexa capability
  • Custom analytics reporting

Pricing:

$15 per user monthly for annual contract

Best For:

Growing startups who value AI based automation

8. Exotel

Reliable, easy to use system great for Asia-Pacific usage

Key Strengths:

  • Local number provisioning across SE Asia
  • Unlimited local and national calling
  • Call forwarding, recording capability
  • CRM integration plugins

Pricing:

500 minutes free per month

Best For:

Startups and SMBs in SE Asia / India

9. Line2

No frills reliable small business phone solution

Key Strengths:

  • Low sign up and usage costs
  • Unlimited US calling bundles
  • Custom voicemail greetings
  • Easy porting of existing numbers

Pricing:

$9.95 monthly, no contracts

Best For:

Solopreneuers, very small teams

10. Phone.com

Cost effective solution great for micro and small businesses.

Key Strengths:

  • Low international calling rates
  • Basic call forwarding, recording
  • Mobile apps with effortless tethering
  • Number portability across 55 countries

Pricing:

Starts at $12.99 monthly

Best For:

Freelancers, solopreneuers, under 5 person teams

I hope this curated list of top providers across tiers helps identify the perfect small business phone solutions matching your requirements and budget. Let’s address some common concerns next.

Overcoming Common Pain Points and Concerns

Here are some quick tips to address frequently faced challenges:

How to evaluate and pick the best virtual number?

Start by listing must have features vs. nice to have capabilities. Next, shortlist 2-3 providers in your budget with highest rated reliability record. Sign up for a trial run to experience the admin interface and actual call quality. Make an informed pick based on ease of use and functionality matching business needs.

How to seamlessly transfer existing business numbers?

Most leading providers have online portals to electronically transfer your current business numbers. For traditional landlines, coordinated paperwork may be needed for completing the porting. Count 7 days minimum for complex porting cases. Maintain number continuity by leveraging call forwarding in the interim period.

How can number downtime be minimized if any?

Go with providers that offer financially guaranteed uptime SLAs like Nextiva (99.999%) and Ooma (99.999%). Have backup numbers provisioned for critical lines, and set up call forwarding to avoid missing anything.

Does call quality actually match PSTN networks?

Top providers utilize optimized VoIP protocols rivaling landline call quality. Look for providers using HD audio codecs with mechanisms to gracefully handle packet loss and jitter for smooth call quality. Ask about quality commitments.

I hope these practical tips help you overcome any reservations in switching to virtual phone numbers. Now on to some quick fire FAQs:

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can you receive text messages on virtual numbers?

Most providers allow associating SMS/MMS enabled virtual mobile numbers along with toll free numbers. Some may charge additional fees for messaging capability.

Q: Does it require special phones or hardware?

For the most flexible browser based administration, use general VoIP deskphones. However, virtual numbers can work with your regular mobile or landline phones as well in most cases.

Q: Can virtual numbers facilitate fax as well?

Definitely. Options range from traditional analog telephone adapter (ATA) fax capability to online faxing integrations that work over email.

Q: How to manage multiple virtual numbers?

Admin web interfaces by top providers make managing multiple lines across locations and departments a breeze compared to traditional systems.

Q: Is auto attendant/ IVR system included?

Yes, components like greeting messages, dial by extension menus, waiting queues etc. are available out of the box with leading solutions nowadays.

I hope these common question answers help clarify any lingering doubts.

Now to quickly recap –

Quick Recap – Key Takeaways

  • Virtual phone numbers enable managing business calls professionally via internet
  • Save costs, while maintaining personal number privacy
  • Critical enabler for multi location coverage and scalability
  • Packed with advanced call routing, tracking features unavailable in traditional systems
  • Carefully assess technical reliability, security safeguards before choosing provider
  • Strongly consider mobile app capabilities, integrations with existing business software
  • Shortlist suitable service from this curated list of highest rated providers across tiers

Conclusion

I hope this detailed guide covered everything you need to confidently get started with virtual phone numbers. They deliver such game changing flexibility, cost savings and insights that no modern business can afford to ignore them.

It’s truly exciting to see providers pack so much punch with easy to use administration interfaces these days. Do share what feature or recommendation appealed the most to your needs. I look forward to your comments!