The use of local numbers by businesses and organizations is gaining popularity. More and more organizations are registering local numbers in their own country, but also abroad. How are these numbers used, and how do organizations benefit from them? In this article, we answer the most frequently asked questions about local numbers.

What Are Local Numbers?

Local numbers, like regular landline numbers, use geographic area codes. Callers recognize these numbers as belonging to a local organization. Calling a local number feels familiar. And yet, local numbers have something very special.

At Belfabriek, you can connect your local number as a virtual number on our platform. This means that, just like other virtual numbers such as 0800- or 0900-numbers, you have access to all the extra features you already use for your service or business number.

For example, you can equip your local number with a welcome message and a menu, get detailed call statistics, forward calls to another destination at any time, and much more. Check out our features page to get an idea of what’s possible with a virtual number.

What Are the Benefits of Local Numbers?

Local numbers are ideal for organizations that want to emphasize their proximity to customers in a specific region, even if they don’t have a branch everywhere. Local numbers are used by both small and large companies.

By connecting a local number as a virtual number on Belfabriek’s platform, incoming calls can be routed to destinations worldwide. So, if your organization is based in Utrecht, you can handle calls to your local numbers in Amsterdam, Berlin, London, and New York from your own office. With a welcome message, you greet the caller in their own language, and by using a menu or a virtual call center, you can direct calls straight to the right person.

How Do I Register a Local Number?

Registering a local number with Belfabriek is not much different from registering a service or business number. Thanks to our international partner network, we can provide local numbers in more than 26 countries worldwide. An overview of the most requested countries can be found on our Numbers Abroad page. If the country or city of your choice is not listed, please contact us.

Some Successful Examples

How do organizations use local numbers in practice? Here are a few examples.

A flower wholesaler wanted to be reachable via a local number for its customers in southern France. Its customers, mainly hoteliers and restaurateurs, are now kindly assisted in French by their contact person in the Netherlands without having to make an international call.

An import-export company looking for new markets wanted to be reachable for potential customers via a local number. In the target country, a local number was registered. Callers to this number were greeted with a welcome message in their own language and then connected to an employee who spoke the customer’s language. That employee worked from the office in the Netherlands.

These are just two examples of organizations successfully using local numbers. Would you like to know more or get advice on how a local number can help your organization? Feel free to contact us via our free number 0800-BELFABRIEK.