Do 08 numbers have a place in today's market?

Here at Brayford Numbers we frequently get asked what type of non-geographic number should a company go for: an 08 or an 03. 

There is no cookie-cutter answer for this question unfortunately, as no two businesses operate identically - but here are our thoughts:

Many companies come to us initially with an 08 number in mind as they, just like most consumers, are really familiar with the range. We all know 0800s are free to call from landlines. 

Although we like to take the time to get to know each business by asking a lot of questions, the most important one we always ask in today's market is: How many of your customers are using a mobile phone when browsing your website? 

I can definitely say that, like the majority of the UK, I use my mobile for everything: shopping, googling, calling my friends and family, sat nav, finding recipes, reading blogs... the list goes on. I don't even know my landline number at home. It's just the thing that comes with broadband. 

Google Analytics is the best place to look at your customer's age demographics and the device they are using to browse your site. The lower the age of your average customer, the higher the chances are that they are using a mobile. If that percentage of mobile users is relatively high (20-30%) then you should definitely consider an 03 number.

Why? Simple. 03 numbers cost the same as calling an 01/02 UK local number from a landline and a mobile, which means they are inclusive in mobile minute packages. 

If a customer is confronted with an 08 number on a website chances are they will not click to call it on a mobile phone because they know it will be really costly (in some cases it can cost up to 35ppm!). 

You do need to consider though that 03 numbers are a newer range and therefore your potential customers may be unaware of their costs. That's why we suggest making it really easy by specifying the cost to call the number right below it (in any case, really). 

All of this consider, do 08 numbers still hold more value because of their familiarity? We aren't so sure.