How to Buy a Vanity Phone Number: A Comprehensive Guide (2024)

By Naveed Ahmed, an expert in digital marketing with 15+ years of experience.

Looking for a business phone number that’s as memorable as your brand? Many companies use custom phone numbers to make their business easier to remember and promote. Vanity phone numbers are easy-to-remember business phone numbers, like 1-800-FLOWERS for a popular flower delivery service. The unique sequence or spelling of these numbers makes them perfect for creative promotions and building brand recognition.

In the past, vanity numbers were often considered expensive. But today, you can get a vanity number without spending a fortune or needing advanced technical knowledge.

In this comprehensive guide, I’ll show you how to easily buy a custom phone number for your online business or WordPress website.

What is a Vanity Phone Number?

A vanity phone number is an easy-to-remember phone number that has a unique sequence. For example, 1-800-TOYSRUS (1-800-869-7787) or 1-800-GoFedEx (1-800-463-3339). You can also find numbers with unique combinations like 800-333-4444 or 800-000-3333.

These phone numbers are more eye-catching and easy to remember than random phone numbers. This makes them ideal for marketing and building brand recognition.

You can also get them as toll-free numbers or local numbers.

Most toll-free numbers are available on a first-come, first-served basis. This means your custom number is subject to availability, regardless of the business phone service you buy it from.

What Do I Need to Get a Vanity Phone Number?

You’ll need a business phone service to buy a vanity phone number. Unlike traditional landlines, business phone service works over the internet. This is why it’s sometimes called business VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service.

By using the internet for phone calls, companies can offer lower rates/fees, cheaper international calls, and advanced call management features for business owners. These call management tools allow you to maximize the potential of your business calls. You can monitor/track/oversee calls, analyze them, set up voice greetings, set call forwarding rules, etc.

To use a modern business phone service, you only need an internet-connected device. Basically, a computer, laptop, tablet, or mobile phone will work. This means you don’t need to buy any special equipment. You can forward calls to your landline or mobile number, share the same number with your team members, and set up automated operator messaging.

Now, let’s take a look at some of the best vanity phone number providers you can use to easily buy a vanity phone number for your business.

Best Vanity Phone Number Providers (Comparison)

Don’t want to read through all the vanity phone number providers? Here’s a quick comparison:

Phone Service	Best For	Pricing
🥇 RingCentral	Small businesses	$20/mo + additional fees
🥈 Nextiva	Professional business phone numbers	$21/mo
🥉 Ooma	Business phone numbers and toll-free numbers	$19.95/mo
🏅 Grasshopper	Virtual phone numbers	$14/mo
🎖 Phone.com	Business phone numbers	$12.74/mo

Top 5 Vanity Phone Number Providers

Here is a detailed review of the top 5 vanity phone number providers:

1. RingCentral

RingCentral is one of the leading providers of business phone systems. They offer an affordable VoIP service for small businesses with local, toll-free, and vanity phone numbers.

First, you need to sign up for a RingCentral plan. Their pricing starts at $20 per month per user, which gives you a local or toll-free number. You can add a vanity phone number to your plan for $30 (one-time setup fee) and $4.99 per month.

Once you’ve signed up, you can immediately access a local and toll-free number from your account dashboard. However, if you’re looking for a unique vanity phone number, you’ll need to request it. It can take up to 10 business days to set it up for your account.

Once approved, you can use a vanity number generator to generate ideas for your easy-to-remember business phone number.

Pricing: Plans start at $20 per month. To get a vanity phone number, it costs an additional $4.99 per month + $30 one-time setup fee.

2. Nextiva

Nextiva is one of the best professional business phone service providers on the market. We use their platform at WPBeginner for our professional phone number, and our experience has been excellent.

By default, Nextiva doesn’t offer vanity phone numbers. Instead, they get their numbers from their partner carriers, which limits their ability to offer this feature. However, if you already have a vanity phone number, then you can port it to Nextiva and start using it with their superior platform that includes all the call management features you need, CRM software integrations, and much more.

Each Nextiva plan includes a free local number for any area code in the United States. You can also get a toll-free number with all area codes except 800.

Pricing: Starting at $21 per month with our Nextiva coupon.

3. Ooma

Ooma is a popular VoIP phone provider for businesses offering business phone numbers and 1-800 toll-free numbers at affordable prices. Customers can add a toll-free or local phone number to any Ooma Office plan. By default, they will pre-select a toll-free number for you, but you also have the option of choosing a vanity phone number. The Ooma Office platform comes with all the powerful features you’d expect, including a virtual receptionist, extension dialing, music on hold, smartphone apps, call logs, and much more. Best of all, setup is very easy and can be done in minutes.

Pricing: Starting at $19.95 per month per user.

4. Grasshopper

Grasshopper is one of the leading providers of virtual phone numbers for businesses. They offer local, toll-free, and vanity phone numbers.

During the signup process, you can easily check the availability of the vanity number you want. You can also port your existing local number and set up call forwarding to your new phone number.

Grasshopper offers all the standard features of a business phone system. You’ll get text messaging, call forwarding and routing, extensions, custom greetings, and more.

Pricing: $14 per month with 1 number and 1 extension.

5. Phone.com

Phone.com is another popular provider of business phone numbers. They offer local, toll-free, and vanity phone numbers. However, they charge a one-time setup fee for a toll-free number. This fee starts at $49 and can go up depending on the toll-free number and area code you choose. Phone.com plans have a monthly limit on call minutes, and you’ll have to buy additional minutes if you exceed those limits. Each plan also includes a generous number of SMS messages.

You’ll get the phone number you want and all the standard features to manage business calls. This includes call routing, auto-attendant, custom greetings, voicemail, call logging, business text messaging, etc.

Pricing: Starting at $12.74 per month.

How to Promote a Vanity Phone Number on Your WordPress Website

Today, most website traffic comes from mobile devices. This means your users don’t need to pick up the phone to contact your business because they’re already on their phone. You need to make it easy for them so they can simply tap your business phone number to make a call.

Adding Click to Call to a WordPress Website

If you’re using WordPress, the best website builder on the market, you can easily add a call button to your website using a plugin.

First, install and activate the WP Call Button plugin on your website. For details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Once activated, you need to visit the Settings » WP Call Button page to configure the plugin settings.

It offers two types of call buttons.

• Fixed Call Button: This button remains visible on your website as users scroll down a page.
• Static Call Button: This button doesn’t move, and you can add it to any part of your website using a shortcode.

After choosing the button type, you’ll need to enter your phone number and choose the button appearance style. Don’t forget to click the “Save” button to set the settings.

For detailed instructions, see our step-by-step tutorial on how to add call buttons in WordPress.

Adding a Click-to-Call Button Using HTML

If you’re not using WordPress and want to add a call button to your website, you can do that as follows.

Basically, you can add phone numbers as links using the specific phone number format:

tel:+15555555555

Depending on the website builder you’re using, click the “Link” button and add your phone number using the tel: prefix.

If you’re familiar with HTML, you can also use it to add a clickable phone number:

Click here to call us

Just replace the phone number with yours and save the changes.

FAQs About Choosing a Vanity Phone Number

Choosing a toll-free number or a vanity number can raise many questions. We’ll try to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about toll-free numbers.

How to Choose a Vanity Phone Number?

Finding a unique idea for a vanity phone number can be a little tricky. Here are some tips for choosing a vanity phone number:

• Include your company name or benefit in the word or phrase.
• Compared to famous 800 prefixes, you may find more numbers available under less popular prefixes like area code 833.
• Choose a number that’s simple and easy to spell; avoid unusual spellings as they can be hard to memorize.
• Keep it clean by avoiding hybrid numbers (a mix of letters and numbers).

What’s the Difference Between a Vanity Phone Number and a Toll-Free Number?

A vanity phone number is a sequence of numbers that spells out your company name, product, or service. It can also be simply a memorable sequence of numbers. Your vanity number can be a toll-free number or a local number with a memorable numeric sequence.

On the other hand, toll-free numbers are those with specific dialing codes that can be dialed at no cost to the caller. Toll-free codes in the United States are 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 844, and 833.

Toll-free numbers are available on a first-come, first-served basis, which is why most toll-free numbers are also vanity free.

Do I Have to Pay More for a Toll-Free Number?

No, you don’t. FCC rules prohibit the hoarding, trading, and reselling of toll-free numbers. Some phone services may charge you a setup fee for a toll-free number, but it’s not the price of the number.

Can I Sell My Toll-Free Number?

No, you cannot. FCC rules prohibit the sale of toll-free numbers, and anyone attempting to sell a toll-free number may face legal trouble.

Can I Use My Vanity Phone Number with My Local Number?

If you’re using a business phone service provider, you can easily forward incoming calls to your existing local number. You can also set up forwarding rules based on the time of day or set up an IVR to connect with the right person on your team.

Conclusion

We hope this article helped you buy a vanity phone number for your website. You may also want to check out our expert picks on the best live chat software for your business and our guide on how to get a free business email address.

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FAQs

What are the benefits of using a vanity phone number?

There are several benefits to using a vanity phone number, including:

• Increased brand recognition: A memorable phone number can help your business stand out from the competition.
• Improved customer engagement: Customers are more likely to remember a vanity number, leading to increased calls and inquiries.
• Enhanced marketing campaigns: Vanity numbers can be easily incorporated into marketing campaigns to increase brand awareness and drive sales.
• Easier to share: Vanity numbers are easy to share with customers through social media, print materials, and other channels.

How do I choose the right vanity phone number for my business?

When choosing a vanity phone number, consider the following factors:

• Relevance to your business: The number should be relevant to your brand, products, or services.
• Memorability: Choose a number that’s easy to remember and spell.
• Availability: Check the availability of the number before you commit.
• Cost: Consider the cost of the number and the monthly fees associated with your business phone service.

Are there any legal restrictions on using vanity phone numbers?

Yes, there are some legal restrictions on using vanity phone numbers, especially in the United States. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has rules regarding toll-free numbers, including the following:

• No hoarding or reselling: It’s illegal to hoard toll-free numbers for the purpose of selling them later.
• No misrepresentation: You cannot use a toll-free number to misrepresent your business or services.

It’s always best to check with your local telecommunications authority for specific regulations in your area.

How do I set up a vanity phone number with my business phone service?

The process of setting up a vanity phone number with your business phone service varies depending on the provider. Typically, you’ll need to follow these steps:

• Choose a provider: Select a business phone service provider that offers vanity phone numbers.
• Check availability: Search for the vanity number you want and check if it’s available.
• Sign up for a plan: Choose a plan that includes vanity phone numbers.
• Order your number: Order the vanity number and pay the associated fees.
• Configure your phone system: Set up your phone system to use your new vanity phone number.

What are some examples of successful vanity phone numbers?

Here are some examples of successful vanity phone numbers:

• 1-800-FLOWERS: This memorable phone number is synonymous with flower delivery services.
• 1-800-CONTACTS: This number is instantly recognizable for its association with contact lenses.
• 1-800-CALL-ATT: This is a classic example of a vanity number that uses a common word.
• 1-800-GOT-JUNK?: This number is memorable and clearly conveys the service it offers.

These examples demonstrate the power of vanity numbers to build brand recognition and make it easy for customers to remember and contact your business.

If you’re interested in learning more about tech news, feel free to visit my website: www.naveedahmed.me.