Using Lifelong Telephone Numbers and Email Addresses
Why should I consider a Lifelong Telephone Number?
If you've been browsing some of the prices on our site,
you'll no doubt have realised a common theme: larger quantities of print
are relatively much, much cheaper than smaller quantities.
This raises a dilemma. Doubtless, it is a good idea to have
a larger quantity of letterheads printed to save money in the longer term.
But what if you have a new business telephone line installed with a different
number? Or your decide to switch to a different internet service provider
which gives you a new email address?
This is a particularly difficult decision for startups,
who frequently have only the vaguest idea of where their business might be
in 12 or even six months' time. Any unforeseen changes in circumstances could
well result in the large quantities of print — a bargain at the time — being
binned.
What are Lifelong Telephone Numbers?
These are simply numbers which you buy from a provider which
then 'points' your new Lifelong number at any telephone number you tell them.
If you change your number at any time there is no need to
reprint all of your stationery and promotional material. You simply contact
the provider of your lifelong number and ask them to 'point' it to your new
number.
Types of Lifelong Telephone Number
0870 and 0871 National Rate
Many startups choose these numbers because they
are frequently offered free of charge. People calling 0870/1 numbers are
charged 'national' rate, which can be around 8p per minute during weekdays.
Since
it costs less than this for the lifelong number provider to divert the
call to your landline, they collect a penny or two for each minute that the
call lasts, which is how they can afford to offer the numbers free in the
first place.
The downside of 0870/1 numbers is that there is an increasing
awareness amongst consumers of the added expense of calling them.
Additionally,
regulatory changes due to be implemented in 2008 could mean the charge
for calling these numbers falls, wiping out the call providers' means of
making
money from them with the possibility you will be charged for receiving
incoming calls.
0845 and 0844 Local Rate
These cost less for customers to call so the number provider
has to top up the amount the receive by charging you a fee.
Sometimes this can be a straightforward per-minute amount,
but more commonly providers are offering packages of so much per month with
a quantity of inclusive minutes.
0845 numbers are a very popular choice with startups but
again, regulations timetabled for the beginning of 2008 could see 0845 and
0844 numbers being reclassified to cost more than they do at present.
0800 and 0808
Although these are the most costly to the owner, they are
free for customers to call. Public awareness of numbers is very
high and many surveys report customers will call numbers first.
Like Local Rate numbers, numbers can be charged
per minute or as part of a package. Look carefully at different providers
and try to estimate your monthly call volumes to decide whether you would
better suit 'pay as you go' per-minute billing or a package.
What about a lifelong email address?
A lifelong email address is arguably more important than
a lifelong telephone number, since you are far more likely to switch internet
service providers (ISPs) than you are to acquire a new telephone line.
As price wars between ISPs continue, the temptation to switch
to a lower-priced package may be hampered by the prospect of paying for reprinted
stationery with your new address.
Email forwarding using MailForward
Our solution, MailForward, is incredibly simple to set up
and use:
There are other advantages to using MailForward too:
Looks more professional. Which looks
better for the owner of a greetings card shop? An ISP address such as mail@berrysgreetingscards.freeserve.co.uk or
an address you choose yourself, for example jane@berryscards.co.uk?
Track the source of enquiries. With MailForward, you
can put anything at all before the @ symbol. The message will still be
forwarded to you intact but you will be able to see which address was
used. If you put an ad in the paper for example, you might use a reply address
of gazette@berryscards.co.uk. The address you put on a leaflet for
distribution in July could be july@berrscards.co.uk and so on.
Easy to change at any time. A simple phone call or email
is all that is needed to change where your MailForward address points to.
The change occurs within 8 hours.
Expand to a website if you need to. If you decide at
a later stage to invest in a website, whether provided by us or someone
else, your MailForward address can also be your website address (in the
example above, www.berryscards.co.uk).
