Your phone number is essentially a part of your identity. You use it for everything, and it’s one of the main ways that people are able to contact you. With that in mind, it’s pretty strange that you’re assigned a random phone number that you're stuck with for the rest of your life.

With that said, there are ways to have some control over the digits that make up your phone number. Plus, this can help you out in more ways than one. Here’s how you can create a custom phone number in 2023. Here are some answers to all of your custom phone number FAQs.

Getting a Second Phone Number

One of the easiest ways to get a custom phone number is by getting a secondary number outside of your primary one. You can do this through an app like Burner.

With Burner, you can have the freedom to choose whatever area code you desire for your secondary phone number. This lets you have some control when it comes to choosing your new number.

Benefits of a Second Custom Phone Number

There are plenty of benefits to getting a secondary custom phone number outside of freedom in regards to your digits (and call forwarding). One of the greatest benefits of this phone service is that it can also protect your privacy.

Hackers and scammers can learn a lot about you through your personal number. For that reason, it should only be reserved for the people you trust. 

Having a second Burner number acts as a shield between strangers and your primary number, as they’ll only see your secondary number whenever they make an incoming call. Plus, they’ll only see your Burner number on the caller ID if you ever try to make outgoing calls or send text messages.

Additionally, a custom phone number can help you gain more traffic near the location of your small business. People are more likely to answer phone calls from an area code that they recognize. So, if you move to a new state to open up a new business, getting a custom secondary number helps you stand out, have a better chance of reaching clients, and actually get them to answer the phone.

A secondary telephone number can also give you the ability to achieve a better work-life balance through call management. You can use the Do Not Disturb feature to turn off notifications while still allowing people to make business calls, leave voicemails, and send SMS text messages to your Burner number. Activation is easy, and routing calls to your business phone system is a breeze.

Getting a Vanity Phone Number

With all of that said, you might need a bit more customization outside of setting your area code, especially if you’re a local business. 

Have you ever seen those custom vanity phone numbers that spell out words, such as 1-800-BUILDER for a construction company? These easy dial phone numbers might be more in line with what you’re looking to get for your business.

Vanity numbers are specific phone numbers that can stick in your client’s heads a bit better than a random scramble of numbers on your keypad. So, how can you go about getting a new phone number like this? Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting a local vanity phone number.

1. Get a Business Phone Number

First thing’s first: You’ll need to get a business number. The main difference between a business number and a traditional landline number is that business numbers run on the internet. For that reason, they are sometimes called VoIP phones (Voice Over Internet Protocol). 

Traditionally, VoIP phones are cheaper than plans from traditional phone companies, and they give you the ability to create vanity numbers in a way that service providers typically don’t.

2. Find a VoIP Phone Plan

Next, you need to find a phone plan that will actually allow you to make phone calls from your virtual phone number. Most number providers offer a basic membership package that is billed monthly. However, you can typically add a custom vanity number for just a one-time fee.

3. Apply For Your Vanity Number

Through your phone carrier, you’ll need to apply for a vanity number before it gets approved. The reason for this is that the number cannot already be taken. Additionally, it must be checked to ensure that the number is appropriate and does not contain foul language.

This process can take around 10 business days. Once it gets approved, you can use your custom vanity number to make it easy for potential customers to remember your business.

Do I Need to Pay a Premium for a Toll-Free Vanity Number?

In the past, if you wanted to use a vanity number that didn’t charge your clients when they gave it a call, you’d need to pay a premium each year to keep the number in service. However, the FCC has since outlawed this practice. While a provider may charge you a setup fee for your number, this is not the price of the toll-free option.

Can You Forward Calls to Your Vanity Number?

If you receive a call on your vanity number, you might also want it to be routed to your personal cell so you never miss a thing. The good news is that most VoIP providers allow you to set up forwarding rules that can make it easy for you to get call and text notifications on your personal device and your work phone.

In Conclusion

A custom phone number can let you reach new clients and customers while also making you feel more comfortable in a new community. If you’re looking to get a second custom number, you can use the Burner mobile app to choose your own area code and receive a second, private number that protects you from hackers and spam.

However, you can also get a vanity number that allows you to use any set of digits that you want. Most companies use it to turn their number into a catchy slogan — like 1-800-FLOWERS — to make the brand easily recognizable. No matter what you choose, a vanity number or custom phone number can have tons of benefits following an easy setup process.

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Sources:

Stop Unwanted Robocalls and Texts | Federal Communications Commission

Most Americans don't answer cellphone calls from unknown numbers | Pew Research Center

Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) | Federal Communications Commission