The research, which was based on a survey of over 1000 consumers, confirmed that consumers judge the size of a business depending on the dialling code associated with the business line. The research showed that consumers perceive a mobile number to be linked to a small business or sole trader, as 67% of respondents stated that if a contact number for a business is a mobile number, they would automatically think the business was small. Additionally, over one third of respondents stated that they considered a standard geographical number to be linked to a medium or large business with over ten employees.
When coupled with the statistic that 50% of those surveyed would call a landline number first compared to just 6% of respondents claiming they would call a mobile number first, it is clear that businesses with a landline number have an advantage.
“Consumers’ perceptions of businesses with mobile numbers cannot be ignored,” comments Steve Smith, Founding Director of Virtual Landline. “It is extremely important for both small businesses and sole traders to recognise the attitudes that consumers have towards different dialling codes, as well as the thought process they go through before dialling a business number. The research also shows that consumers associate different dialling codes with the size of a business, so for a small business or sole trader looking to appear bigger, this is something they should take notice of.”
The connection between dialling code and business size is not the only key theme taken from the research. The perceived costs associated with various dialling codes were also investigated; with 37% of surveyed consumers stating that they assumed mobile numbers would cost the most to dial. When compared to a mere 1% of consumers expressing that standard geographical numbers would cost the most to dial, the case for small businesses to adopt a geographical number is unarguable.
Steve Smith adds, “The research is conclusive, having a mobile number as the main point of contact for any business simply won’t attract high volumes of consumers. When looking for a tradesman in particular, consumers will look for someone both reliable and local, which is reflected by having a standard geographical number as the main point of contact. For small businesses and sole traders looking to escape the constraints of a mobile-only business, there are plenty of cost-effective alternatives available that can also scale with the business as it grows. With such a range of flexible solutions available, it is time that small businesses and sole traders looking to succeed in 2015 start to move away from using standard mobile numbers and recognise the possibilities available.”