Does your company rely on phone and display advertising to generate business? If so, you should consider getting a vanity number.
For years, savvy companies have used custom 1-800 numbers to leave an impression on consumers. These businesses know it’s not reasonable to expect people to remember a 10-digit string of numbers when they want to contact a company. That’s why they use unique 800 numbers that feature words instead.
With vanity 800 numbers having an average recall rate that’s 75 percent higher than numeric phone numbers, a catchy 800 number for your business can make your phone number unforgettable, making it more likely for consumers to contact your company when they’re ready to make a purchase.
But while having a vanity number can increase your bottom line, all custom 1-800 numbers aren’t made equally.
How to Make a Memorable 800 Number
The point of a vanity number is to make it easy for consumers to remember and relay something about your company. In general, you have two choices when you’re choosing what you want your custom number to communicate: You can relay the name of your business, or you can describe a benefit that your company provides.
One business that successfully uses its custom 1-800 number to communicate a benefit it provides is 1-800-FLOWERS. Conversely, Federal Express communicates its abbreviated name and encourage people to use its services with the unique toll-free phone number 1-800-GO-FEDEX.
Tactics to Avoid Once you decide what you want to communicate, it’s time to create a catchy 800 number for your organization. As you’re doing this, it’s critical for you to avoid using:
- Hybrid Numbers: A hybrid number combines letters and numbers, after the area code. This will make it harder for people to remember your number. If you own a car dealership, for instance, you may want to make the following your custom number: 1-800-FOR-CARS. That number will be much easier for shoppers to recall than if you replaced “for” with the letters’ numeric equivalents of “367.”
- The Letters “Q” and “Z”: These letters only appear on newer keypads. If you use them in your vanity number, you run the risk of people with older phones not being able to dial your number accurately.
- Possessive Pronouns: Avoid using a possessive pronoun before a word that starts with the letter “S”. Doing so will prevent people from being confused about whether they should dial “S” once or twice.
- Insulting Slang: Finally, you should make sure your vanity phone number doesn’t include slang that might be misinterpreted or offensive to some consumers.
Contact 800response
If you’re looking for the best toll-free numbers for your company, contact 800response. We have the largest amount of true vanity numbers available anywhere, and we’ll help you select custom 1-800 numbers for your business. Contact us online or give us a call at 1-800-NEW-SALE to talk to one of our friendly, knowledgeable customer service representatives.