03 numbers the UK’s most popular number
posted in Off-line Marketing |Find out whether 03 numbers will steal the crown from 0845 numbers..
According to a recent news article (July 09), 03 numbers look set to overtake 0845 numbers as the UK’s most popular business phone number. The article quoted a leading telecommunications company who cited that over 50% of its connections between February and July 2009 were 03 numbers, compared to 31% being 0845 numbers.
0845 numbers have long been the phone number of choice for UK organisations since they were introduced in 1996. However, it seems that the popularity of the mobile phone is dramatically increasing the uptake of the newer 03 numbers launched in 2007 (Ofcom state that 40% of all UK calls are now made from mobile phones). This is because 03 numbers are included in people’s free minutes on their mobile which means that businesses that use them are likely to encourage even more calls and even more sales or enquiries.
Here are 5 more reasons why 03 numbers are a contender for 0845’s crown:
1. Like all non-geographic numbers, companies with 03 numbers have a national presence and are not judged on their location. So, if a company is based in Dorset they can advertise online and get calls from outside of their region and from across the UK.
2. 03 numbers can have intelligent call systems added to them easily. For example, welcome messages and caller options. E.g. “Welcome to the ABC business press 1 for sales, 2 for enquiries etc.)
3. Thousands of large and small organisations now use 03 numbers, including Pioneer, Legal and General, the BBC and Oxfam.
4. The public trust 03 numbers because of their transparent call costs. This makes 03 numbers ‘caller friendly’.
5. 03 numbers can often be inexpensive to run if you seek out the provider with the most competitive offering in the market.
There is no doubt that 03 is becoming an increasingly popular choice for UK businesses. Not only do 03 numbers offer exactly the same benefits as 0845 numbers, but they also offer many consumers a free call (and if they don’t have any free minutes it’ll only cost them the same as a normal 01/02 landline number). For these reasons alone, there is a strong chance that you’ll see an 03 number on a business card or three in the very near future..
