800 Vanity Numbers are Scarce But There Are Alternatives

Because so many businesses have turned to using 800 vanity numbers to help them become successful, they are becoming scarce. Thankfully, there are plenty of alternatives available. Other prefixes allow complete customization of vanity numbers and help to improve their availability. Popularity and Scarcity of Vanity Numbers Vanity 800 numbers started making a huge impact a few decades ago when businesses realized that they could ingrain their telephone numbers into the minds of consumers by incorporating words and phrases. This led to a huge influx of business owners who wanted their own vanity numbers, and as the years went by, the availability of 800 numbers grew scarce. Over time, the telephone companies and government officials realized that they needed to come up with additional options in order to satisfy demand. For this reason, additional prefixes that could be used with toll free numbers began to spring up. Alternatives These days, there are several prefixes available for toll free numbers, including the standard 800 vanity numbers, 888, 877, 866 and the newer 855. While it is possible for business owners to select their word or phrase and then contact their providers to check availability with different prefixes, choosing the exact same word or phrase as a competitor can have drawbacks and repercussions. For one, if a customer dials the prefix incorrectly, they will find themselves on the telephone with a competitor. This provides the competition with an opportunity to win over the customer and can be detrimental to the success of a business. Choosing a Number Choosing vanity 800 numbers can be difficult these days, primarily because there are very few 800 numbers left. Once business owners have chosen several words and phrases that are related to their business or industry, they can combine these with different prefixes and create a memorable number. For instance, if a business exists to clean homes, a number like 1-877-CLEAN77 may be a great option. This is because the sevens in the prefix are repeated at the end of the word ‘CLEAN’, making it more likely that consumers will remember the entire number, including the correct prefix. Marketing Campaigns When 800 vanity numbers are not available and another prefix must be selected, the best way to ensure that consumers do not confuse the telephone numbers is to use a very effective marketing campaign. Many business owners even opt to rhyme the word or phrase with the prefix in order to make it more memorable. Another way to make sure that consumers associate the correct prefix with the chosen word or phrase is to incorporate it into a jingle that plays on television and radio ads. While visual marketing such as that used on billboards and flyers can be effective, it is often best for consumers to hear the number repeated often in order to remember it. Although it is true that the available 800 vanity numbers have grown scarce, this should never deter business owners from obtaining the number they want. Other prefixes are available, and if they are clever enough and use effective marketing campaigns, great things are possible.