What the best vanity toll-free numbers have in common

Newer methods of marketing might get all of the hype — but some of the tried-and-true methods actually bring more value to the table, especially when they are upgraded in a smart way. The best vanity toll-free numbers can take the faithful phone sale takes to a new level of efficiency and power. These are the toll-free phone numbers that spell out relevant, easy-to-remember phrases to supercharge your small business marketing efforts.

Characteristics of the best vanity toll-free numbers

Let’s take a look at 10 characteristics of the best vanity toll-free numbers:

1. They get results.
2. They are an affordable upgrade.
3. They stay memorable and top of mind.
4. They give your business exclusivity.
5. They provide self-evident and recognizable advertising.
6. They enhance status and reputation.
7. They serve as natural word-of-mouth-advertising.
8. They are easy to remember.
9. They put your business in an instant advertising network.
10. They make sales promotions easier.

Ready? Let’s dial it in.

1. They get results

The best vanity toll-free numbers became popular when some of the biggest companies in the world — such as FedEx, UPS and MCI — starting using them.

One company, 1–800-FLOWERS, has even named their entire company after the concept of the toll-free vanity number!

Research has shown that consumers have 45-percent higher recall of toll-free vanity numbers than web addresses. And it’s just plain easier to remember a phone number when letters are used rather than numbers. It is also difficult to believe that the industry leaders who have embraced toll-free vanity numbers would continue to use a strategy that did not produce some major results.

2. They are an affordable upgrade

Marketing that sticks can be difficult to afford. TV and radio ads have only a limited lifespan. Even marketing with social media influencers begins to exhibit diminishing returns after time — although the video with your ad might stay up indefinitely.

A toll-free vanity number is unique in that it only costs a one-time, upfront fee for a complete facelift of your image.

Then it stays in the same place for as long as your company remains in business — and that numbers is yours to keep.

3. They stay memorable and top of mind

If the modern consumer has to look up your number in order to find it, then you have probably already lost the sale. Your competitors are definitely finding ways to remain top of mind with your target market. The best vanity toll-free numbers cut out the steps between your customer desiring to reach you and actually reaching you. If a customer remembers your number, they are more likely to contact you after watching an ad.

4. They give your business exclusivity

Once your company has a toll-free vanity number, it is the only entity that can use it. The geographic location of your consumers does not matter — every single call that comes from your selected territory will come to you, directly to the telephone line that your company already controls.

5. They provide self-evident and recognizable advertising

There is no confusion about what a company stands for if it has one of the best vanity toll-free numbers. Is there really a way to confuse 1–800-FLOWERS, 1–800–800-CARS or 1–800-EYESIGHT with any other type of business?

With this kind of number, you basically advertise yourself without being a pushy salesperson.

You are also easier to reach, and you know that the customers who call the number are looking for services that your company actually provides. Pair that with a proper click-to-call campaign, and you will might your conversions accrue in short time.

6. They enhance status and reputation

You look like a bigger business than you are when you use the best vanity toll-free numbers. Remember that no one outside of the company knows how much you paid for the service. Your customers will naturally assume that customization is expensive.

Think about yourself as a consumer. Before you knew the actual price of a vanity number, you probably thought that it cost much more than it actually does! Your competition simply cannot compete when your number comes up in print or through audio spelling out exactly what and who you are.

7. They serve as natural word-of-mouth advertising

Every time a current client passes the word about you to a friend or business associate, you gain name brand recognition through the toll-free vanity number that you own. If your number is random and normal, even your best customers will have a hard time passing the word along to friends and family.

Which scenario would you rather play out?

8. They are easy to remember

MCI took only one year to take the top spot in the collect call market with 1–800-COLLECT. In contrast, Tide and Crest took decades to become the №1 brand in their respective industries. MCI did not even promote itself as the carrier for the service — it put 100-percent of its branding effort into the toll-free vanity phone number.

9. They put your business in an instant advertising network

The best vanity toll-free numbers give you an opportunity to become a part of an advertising network without the need to become a franchise. Taking away the overhead of a franchise can save millions of dollars per year, as will the consolidation of multiple businesses all promoting a single, centralized vanity number.

Regardless of location, if a customer can dial the same number to reach your service through a local agent, your company stands to profit handsomely.

10. They make sales promotions easier

Any business owner worth their salt will tell you how difficult it can be to get people to trust a company long enough to participate in a sales promotion. In order to get the job done, it is always best to make the customer’s job as easy as possible.

If a prospect has trouble even remembering the phone number to redeem a 20-percent coupon from a receipt, they are less likely to do it.

This means less loyalty, and wasted money on the marketing effort.

The best toll-free vanity numbers make the first connection a simple one, which encourages the prospect to continue on down the sales funnel until the final conversion!

Closing thoughts on the best vanity toll-free numbers

If you have been looking for a new way to reach your customers, you might be overlooking the most obvious solution. The advantages mentioned above are just a few of the best reasons to invest in vanity toll-free numbers — there are many more. If you have an audience that is looking for an easier way to remember and reach you, this might just be the solution that your business is looking for, so keep it in mind if you are on the fringe of starting a new business.

Editor’s note: Want to get a new toll-free number up and running for your business in about five minutes? Check out GoDaddy’s SmartLine, which provides a toll-free number that you can manage from an app on your smartphone.

Originally Published on GoDaddy.com