mobile number or landline number?

[Lizzy C]

Hi everyone,

Just wanting to know what peoples' opinions are on the following:

I use a mobile number as my business number,mainly becasue:

* I am out and about
* There is no chance I'll have to ever change the number
* I don't need to have a landline
* I feel people don't feel they have to call me in "business hours" I do a lot of outside business hours work.

I want to know, when a mobile number is listed as a contact number does that put you off, becasue of cost or does it feel less legitimate etc?

How do you feel as a client and how do you feel about it for your business?

I do get alot of my initial enquiries by email

Cheers,

Liz

[Dardee]

I think it depends on the type of business. I only have a mobile number for my bookkeeping business but its the type of business where people are always out and about so having a landline is very difficult.

These days mobiles are such a big part of our lives a lot of people do not have a landline even for their homes. They only have a mobile.

[peppie]

Just as he says, it all depends.

Maybe you need to ask your clients, or potential ones. I do think it depends on a persons age, if you grew up without mobiles and even STD was considered a bit expensive then you will hesitate to call a mobile. And correct me if I am wrong, but I think the ones who have ditched their landline in favour of a mobile are probably more the younger age bracket.

There is an alternitive, some time back I would have liked to have had a landline as well as a mobile, but a bit extravagant. Then more recently I looked at a 1300 number and the cost to have that redirected, hmmm. But then I started to look at internet (voip) phones. It is possible to set it up so that you have 1 line at your home/office and another come in via internet on a 3G mobile. You can then redierct the first to the second free. I am doing it now and it costs me about $8/month including 100 calls nation wide untimed.

If your interested I'll tell more.

[paul]

Depends on the business type I would say.

If you are a photographer, and you are the business, then a mobile number would be expected, even demanded (given that the expectation is that a photographer would during the normal course of a day be away and taking photos - I would also imagine that most customers would also want to talk directly with the photographer even for bookings, as part of the briefing process).

If you are an IT business, but still the primary asset of the business, I think a landline is worth it to appear not only legitimate, but long term (and the issue of not personally manning the land line isn't relevant as it is a simple process to redirect a land line to a mobile).

[Lizzy C]

Thanks everyone for your replies,

I agree that it does depend totally on your business.

Peppie, thanks for the tips on the internet phone, they are probably the way I'd go if I was to get a landline. The expense is not really the issue.

My thinking is that people expect a landline to be answered during business hours but as you pointed out Paul it is expected I'll be out and about and if I don't answer my mobile, people will assume I am working with clients etc.

I agree Paul, clients do want to speak directly to me even for booking enquiries. I offer a personalised service so this is really important.

Thanks, your comments have helped me clarify my thoughts on this.

Cheers,

Liz

[peppie]

I guess I wasn't only thinking of the cost of extra phones (although I do try to be careful with spending more than I need to, a bit hard in my sort of line of work because technology just takes off with you), but I find that the extra options can make things so helpful and convenient.

For instance, my wife and 3 kids and I have been getting to know a small community where it is still very much a country atmosphere. Trouble is that the big communications companies have also forgotten them to some degree. There is very little mobile phone service and only recently have they gained a half reasonable internet service.

Now when we visit we do have access to low speed broadband and because of the way we have our phone services set up I can have all redirected to one voicemail that will email to me a sound file of the message. Then with the laptop I can phone someone back via a software phone over the internet. Not ideal, still workable, but only possible because of the technology designed to overcome a slightly difficult problem.

The funny thing is that I can conduct my business sitting on a farm veranda 5 hours from Sydney, and unless you manage to detect the bell bids in the background,,, you just wouldn't know.

Now, if we can manage to put in a wireless point on that internet I will be able to use my mobile phone via the connection as well, hmmmm.

[KarenC]

I agree it depends on the type of business - but also what areas you wish to access too. I have both landline and mobile as some customers are national and do not have mobile nor wireless nor 3G access. Many also will not call a mobile number at all. Most of my initial enquiries are via email.

Even in our own area on the Blue Mountains - if you drive more than 3km from the exchange or tower you are out of area on the mobile (incl 3G), so many people just give up. The same with broadband. If you are more than 3km from the exchange you only get dial up. Our home is within 2km of the exchange so we are ok for broadband, but edge that little bit farther and the other homes are out of range. With the mountains and valleys it just makes mobile and broadband access difficult. None of the Telcos or govt has addressed this problem although they have acknowledged that mobile and wireless won't work in those areas and that we need the fibre optic cables. Sometimes we or visitors still have to walk around various areas of our home or backyard just to get reception on our 3G mobiles as reception fluctuates.

Landlines and broadband go best together here and are the most reliable for us.

With my landline phone I have a monthly package that includes all local and std calls so I don't worry about calling customers all over Australia. Mobile calls are extra. Anyone else with similar packages is more likely to want to call landlines because the calls are included in the package.

[marvelit]

I dont think a mobile number for advertising is a good idea.

I guess in my industry its not anyway.

I have a 1300 number, which is backed onto a VOIP line, which is then diverted to my mobile phone. No one knows that beofre calling, and 1300 numbers make you look bigger than you actually are.

The 1300 number + the voip line costs me $32.95 a month. I get unlimited llocal calls, unlimited national calls, and 11 hrs to mobiles.

Since I would usually pay a MASSIVE diversion fee for the 1300 number, I got it tacked onto my voip line and use up my free mobile hours for the diversion

Its sort of complicated but once it was setup and the bugs (the stupid voip company) were ironed out I havent had a problem since. the only downside is if that your internet goes down your 1300 number goes with it.

Most people thing I am a large company, or part of a franchise, which is just want I want. Then when I say I am the owner they are quite impressed! hehe.

[col roaming]

Can I ask what company you are using for this service - I need 1300 to Mobile and the call redirect costs via MYNETFONE are killing me

[marvelit]

im using go talk. Their customer service us horrible and their bills are hard to read but once you get it up and running there isnt much you need to do.