All businesses need multiple ways for their customers to contact them. When you first start a business, your mobile number may function well enough as a means for your customers to contact you. However, as your business grows you ought to consider a Freephone 0800 number. 

These Freephone 0800 numbers give your customers the option to call you for free from both landlines and mobile handsets.

History of the Freephone Number
Freephone numbers were initially introduced to the UK with the 0800 prefix. In 1997, the 0808 prefix was introduced to add to options simply to make more numbers available. In 2001 six digit 0800 ranges were withdrawn by Ofcom, meaning BT were no longer able to offer 0800 with 6 digit, they all had to be 7 digit 0800 numbers – like all the other new number range holders whom had applied for UK ranges alongside BT.  

Freephone numbers were introduced with description of "free to call" numbers so that customers could contact a business completely free of charge, making these prefixes a great decision for business wanting to get the phone ringing.

Before July 2015, Freephone numbers had call charges for mobile & pay phone customers. In 2015, telecoms regulator Ofcom introduced a new regulation to remove these charges, making Freephone numbers finally ‘free to call’ for everyone in the UK including from all mobile and payphones.

Why does my business need a Freephone Number?

0800 Gives a Professional Image
Freephone numbers give your business an expert look and feel, if you’re working from a home office or shared working space you can create the perception of being a much larger organisation than you actually are. Get a Freephone 0800 number for your business today and generate more sales enquiries as a result. We have many highly memorable 0800 Freephone numbers available at 08UK.

080 is Free for Customers to Call
Unique to other non-geographic numbers (NGNs), 080 numbers are free to call, so your customers won't need to pay to call you. No customer wants a large phone bill as a result of calling your business and a 0800 Freephone number can help prevent this.

Promote a National Presence
0800 Freephone numbers are non-geographic numbers (NGNs), which means they're not related to a specific region within the UK. Your business immediately becomes a nationally branded presence.

Track Marketing Campaigns
Your business can utilize 0800 numbers to track marketing campaigns. In case you're running multiple campaigns simultaneously, you can use different numbers to track how individuals are contacting you. You can put one number on your website and another on your Google pay-per-click ads. This strategy will help you calculate where your sales and conversions are coming from.

Entice & Convert Customers
All customers like to see Freephone numbers from the businesses they work with, as it demonstrates that the businesses are serious and value their customers enquiries, even if they’re small. Many of 08UK’s customers have reported increases in conversations after adding a 0800 freephone number to their website, email signature or pay-per-click ad.

How do you get a Freephone Number for your business?

You can get a new 0800 number from any telephone service number provider, however, it’s important to note that different number suppliers will take numbers (use different networks) from a range of networks to deliver the number call solutions. The nature of these networks in terms of robustness and call quality can be compromised on lesser networks leading to voice distortion or in the worst cases a complete loss in service. 

It’s imperative that you check with the Number provider that the calls are being delivered using only major tier 1 networks e.g BT, Virgin, Vodafone, Gamma, and Global Crossing. You should also check that the number can be ported away from the provider should you wish to move the number to another network in the future.

Many companies offer additional call handling features such as call-forwarding, voicemail, and caller presentation. Some providers offer these features for free and others charge so it’s important to look at these commercials when taking a new 0800 number service.

How much do they cost?

Getting a 0800 Freephone number is more reasonably priced than you might think. The cost of these numbers varies depending on your provider, the plan you choose and the amount of minutes you use per month. 

At 08UK, you can get a Freephone 0800 number for free on a rolling 30 day contract starting from £15 per month with usually no rentals or feature charges and no hidden costs (unlike many of our competitors).

With 08UK experience tier1 network quality with service levels that meet yours and your client’s expectations. Our dedicated operations team are available to support your business day to day requirements, if you went directly to the major tier 1 network eg. BT for a number service where you would pay more for the number and have insufficient support when changes are required.

What call handling features do the 0800 numbers come with? A Freephone number is great but many providers have additional features. It’s important to note that not all of the call handling features are available from 1 network alone and you may have to port the number to another network in order to have those features available to you.

At 08UK we’ve got that covered, if you’re already with us we can simply move you from one network to another as and when alternative call handling features are required.

What phone numbers are available from 08UK?

08UK offers local 01 & 02 numbers, Freephone 0800 & 0808, revenue generating 084 & 087 as well as national 03 numbers. Here at 08UK we also have the very best Gold memorable 0800 numbers available on the market today.

Helpful tips:

1) The placement of your number is imperative, it should feature in a prominent place on your website and should also appear on any printed material, business cards, flyers, vans or branded cars.

2) Some businesses supply Freephone numbers so customers can call and get any information they require through a recorded message. (An estate agent may have a message with regards to a particular property for instance).

3) Many 08UK customers go for regional numbers and NGNs, so they can cater to customers on a local and national level at the same time.

If you would like to talk to one of our team to get any point clarifying please do not hesitate to contact us. Call us now for free on 0800 408 0807