Make my day and call me

The telephone is still a very effective form of communication. There is an awful lot you can do online but if you have question a then a quick call can be far more effective.

So just suppose you have a potential customer what is almost ready to buy but just wants to check delivery or weight or some other detail. You could of course have a contact form or live chat or some other means of contact but the good old phone call is fast cheap and very quick.

Don’t make me pay

Unless of course you have an 08 number. According to some reports up to 80% of all telephone calls are made from a mobile phone. Even the more conservative estimate still have the figure above 50%.  08 anything isn’t generally free from a mobile phone. So the wavering customer will no doubt think twice about calling you. Even worse are the premium 08 numbers – not even cheap from a landline they cost a fortune when dialed from a mobile phone. So the number one rule if you want to get telephone leads is to get rid of your 08 number.

The alternatives

03 is a great choice. It’s a low cost alternative to the 08 number that is included in the mobile packages and is equivalent to a local call for everybody else. The only problem is that it doesn’t tell me where you are. If I wanted a local plumber then an 03 number leaves me guessing.

Mobile numbers are great for people on the move. Tradesmen, delivery services, dog walkers and all manner of people are more likely to be out and about so a mobile number makes sense. Just explain why you have a mobile number on your website so you don’t seem like a dodgy operation.

Best of all choices is the local number. It’s a great trust builder – it means you have a real address, tells people where you are in the country and is virtually free for all callers.

So have a good think about your customers. What is their expectation and how are you going to meet their needs. The right phone number on a website, flyer or some other marketing material can be a real boost.