Why Should I Use an Area Code Number?

Aside from being an essential part of your phone connectivity, the three digits before your area code also carry a cachet. Like designer labels, a desirable area code number can elevate your status within the community.

Initially, an area code designated the geographic location from which a call originated. As technology progressed, so did the number of available area codes.

It Identifies Your Business

When you choose a local area code for your business, people who call will be charged only local rates. This makes them more likely to reach your business and helps you build trust with local customers.

Local numbers are usually reserved for specific regions in a country or state, like a town, neighborhood, or even an entire city. The area codes, like when you purchase a 561 area code number, are typically assigned based on the population size in each region or how easily they can be dialed using old-fashioned analog phone systems.

Occasionally, a local area code will run out of available prefixes for new telephone numbers. This can happen for several reasons, including increased demand from telecommunications service providers, the proliferation of cellular phones and other mobile devices, or the rapid expansion of Internet-based communications services. When this occurs, the NANPA, which manages the allocation of area codes, holds a series of public meetings to discuss possible options.

The digits that make up an area code can seem insignificant, but they have become part of our identity. For example, Californian Megan Garber has had the same cell phone number for five years despite several interstate moves. This shows how important those three insignificant digits have become to our lives and why giving them up is so difficult. For small businesses, an area code can help identify your brand and add a sense of familiarity to your customer base.

It Helps You Stay Organized

As we live more mobile lives, we move around the country, changing homes, cities, and even states for work or personal reasons. When we get a new number, we should keep our old area code so that we can be reached easily by friends and business associates and stay connected with a place that means something to us.

The North American Numbering Plan was initially designed to make sense geographically, with each state getting one area code for its entirety. But as populations grew, along with technology like fax machines, pagers, and cell phones, that system was quickly stretched to capacity. New area codes are added to the United States when a geographic region reaches its maximum number of available phone numbers. This is determined by the numbering authority NANPA, which conducts meetings with representatives from local and long-distance telephone companies and affected local communities.

When a new area code is needed, either through an overlay or a geographic split, the NANPA will propose a solution to the PUC, which then approves it. Then, the new numbering authority will start distributing new numbers with the desired area code. Once a new area code is used, existing phone numbers will remain the same as before, but local calls within the new region require dialing ten digits.

It Helps You Market Your Business

Your area code is integral to your brand identity as a business owner. It’s a key factor for local customers to identify and trust your business, but it’s also an effective marketing tool for new prospects. By choosing an area code that matches your location, potential clients will instantly know you’re a local company.

An area code is the first set of digits in a phone number identifying a geographic region when calling within North America. It’s sometimes called a country-calling or international subscriber-dialing (ISD) code.

When deciding on an area code, choosing memorable and easy-to-remember is essential. A short and easy-to-recall prefix will make it easier for people to recall your phone number, increasing their likelihood of reaching out to you.

You should also choose an area code that reflects your business’s work. For instance, if you’re a tech company, it might be best to use an area code such as 650 or 408 because these numbers have come to represent the tech scene in Silicon Valley. This is an excellent way to position your company as a tech industry leader and help build a trusting connection with local customers.

It Helps You Stay Safe

Whether you’re a business owner, freelancer, or entrepreneur, your area code is one of the most important details about your phone number. It’s not only what people see when they call you, but it can also help to build trust and familiarity in your local community.

As mobile phone technology has progressed, so has the importance of area codes. A single area code once represented an entire state, but that became less practical as the population grew and technology developed (faxes, pagers, modems, cell phones). As a result, some states are now using two different area codes to cover the same territory!

This means getting a local area code is essential for cold calling as part of your marketing strategy. This way, your potential clients will recognize the number and be more willing to answer. However, they may grow suspicious and decline your call if the number is unfamiliar.

For this reason, getting a 212 area code is essential for any business or freelancer working with clients in the New York City area. This iconic number is associated with prestige and sophistication and will convey the same message to your customers. Plus, a 212 area code number can be easily integrated into existing phone systems, meaning changing your old numbers and devices is unnecessary.