5 Reasons You Should Have An 0800 Number in 2019
In economics, there’s a term called ‘Catch-Up Effect’. The theory speculates that the imbalance between richer and poorer nations will converge over time, as powerful and advanced societies enable the world to benefit greatly from global improvements and investments.
As we enter 2019 – now more than 20 years since a fully formed Internet – we’re seeing a similar effect in digital marketing. Pioneers of the Internet will claim it is purely background SEO, keyword density, and unwavering content delivery that will drive your business above another in search results; for the most part, they’re right.
One of the things they don’t talk about, of course, is how nice it would be to go back in time and claim one of the most popular domain names in history – how they would jump at the chance to own Google.com or Ask.com or Yahoo.com – which brings us to the undervalued nature of business 0800 numbers.
The benefits of an 0800 number for your business
An 0800 number is – for most people – a way to create a memorable connection to their business. This isn’t a theory – it’s a fact. Mnemonics is the technique we use as humans to recall lists and numbers through a collection of mental imagery and encoding, and it’s something we all do subconsciously whether we are aware of it or not.
The important thing to note is that many of us don’t know why or how we do it. We aren’t memory geniuses, we don’t engage in daily memory competition, but almost all of us can remember the 0800 number for Pizza Hut because, in our minds, it made sense when we heard it sung on a television advert (apologies if that is now stuck in your head).
From a customer or consumer perspective, an 0800 number makes things easy. It helps skip the step of mentally cataloguing your business number amidst thousands of other pieces of information we now receive on a daily basis. This is something we rarely talk about in marketing – the background, subconscious influence you can have on someone’s memory, and the permeating effect of that.
The business benefits of an 0800 number
Of course, the underlying reasons behind why an 0800 number can be so successful are just as crucial as the direct, tangible business benefits you’ll receive:
- The first thing is that it’s free for the customer or user to call you. Free: the ultimate price for any potential customer. Free for them to enquire, making a purchase, contact customer service – it’s free for them to connect with your business, from any phone in New Zealand.
- Opening another location is remarkably simple. Phone calls coming through to an 0800 number can either be directed to a secondary location, or can use geo-routing to redirect the call to a specific area. If your customer is calling from Wellington, your 0800 number can use location information to divert that call to the most appropriate business.
- You don’t have to change anything. This is one of the important points we rarely see discussed. Using an 0800 number doesn’t require you to change your marketing collateral unless you choose to. It works as its own conversion funnel, and can be directed to another landline or your mobile instantly.
- A single number demands very little of your customer base. One number to remember makes it easier for your salespeople to share contact information, and for your customers to tell someone about your business. It’s also a comforting element of your website – with so much information on a page, a clear 0800 number is a guiding light for a lost customer.
- Your 0800 number can be used to complement your digital marketing strategy. By associating your 0800 number with only one area – say just on your website – you can measure how well that strategy is performing. You can use an 0800 number to provide greater information about customer behaviour; where they need help or where they wish to make a purchase.
Do you need an 0800 number in 2019?
Do you need one? Some will say no, but only in the sense that nobody needed the Google domain name until everyone wanted it – until we realised the scarcity of uniqueness on the Internet and it became too late for everyone else.
An 0800 number is unique, it is yours, and a reminder of investing early for long-lasting success. It’s now more than 20 years since Pizza Hut first used their 0800 number in a jingle, one that has a permanent fixture in many of our heads. Eagle Boys Pizza tried to copy this but, as we see in digital marketing every day, it’s not enough to just have the power of potential in your hands; you have to know how to use it.
Check out our previous blog on How 0800 Numbers Help Brands.
At Cloud Edge, we can show you how to get an 0800 number. Call us today on 0800 302 302 to see how we can help, or send us an enquiry.
