Tampa’s New 656 Area Code Will Provide Local Area Marketing Opportunities for Businesses

If you run a Tampa, Florida business and are looking for new ways to expand your marketing reach locally, we have great news! The new 656 area code will bring with it many local area marketing opportunities once it goes into effect and the numbers are released to phone carriers. We’ll update you as soon as they’re ready to be released to the public – sign up here to be notified.

Business owners and the public in general will have to take note of various changes that will impact such things as signage, online listings, and the way phone numbers will be dialed on keypads.

The New 656 Area Code Will Necessitate Various Changes

There will be a few changes that businesses have to adapt to and make going forward(¹)  including:

• When calling a number within the 813 region, ten-digit numbers must be dialed: 1 + (813) then the seven digit telephone number. The 1 is optional when calling from a cell or mobile phone.
• Calls placed between area codes 813 and 656 will also require dialing ten digit numbers.
• It’s important to note, though, that the TeleVoIPs platform will still set 813 as a default area code for any 7-digit numbers dialed for our Tampa-based clients.
• For non-TeleVoIPs clients, reprogramming equipment that stores frequently called numbers will be necessary so that it dials all ten digits. This includes life safety systems or medical devices, PBXs, fax machines, dial up internet modems, alarm and security systems or gates, speed dialers, mobile phones, call forwarding settings, voicemail services, and others.
• Websites, stationery, advertising materials, bank checks, contact information, and your personal or pet ID tags should be updated to include the area code.

Recommendations: Use a Local Number and Implement an SEO Campaign

Having a phone number with a local area code that you can use in your marketing campaigns, websites, and as a call extension in advertisements can impact how customers perceive your business. People tend to shop for products and services on a local basis, so it is important to have a local presence. 

The new area code opens a range of possibilities for unique vanity numbers businesses can use that make it easier to recall and remember the phone number. Easy to recall numbers, such as 656-DENTIST, 656-LAWYERS, or 656-555-LAWN can improve ad response results. 

Additionally, having a local SEO campaign with a website fully optimized for search is very important. To illustrate that fact, consider that almost half of all Google searches seek local information via phrases like “near me, close by,” or with various local area codes and zip codes. This trend also lends credence to potential customers in local areas looking for specific businesses in specific industries, so it’s in your best interest that they are able to find you.

Local SEO refers to the process of improving a website’s rankings for searches related to a specific geographic area. While traditional SEO is similar, the biggest differentiator between traditional SEO and local SEO is the localized search intent of the latter. It’s important to note that all the tactics of traditional SEO still apply. These include the following:

• Keyword search
• On-page SEO
• Backlinks
• Mobile-friendly text
• Consistent website updates
• Local name, address, and phone number

TeleVoIPs Provides Valuable Services

TeleVoIPs provides business phone solutions, advanced call management, and other helpful services to businesses seeking to capitalize on new marketing initiatives.

For example, we can program your phones to forward calls to your central office, no matter the location, and provide the following services:

• Local, in-person phone set up and support
• A scalable phone system that grows with your business
• Caller ID, voicemail, call forwarding and transfer, and conference bridging
• Advanced features including call stats, virtual switchboard, advanced call routing, voicemail to email transcription, CRM integration, and more
• TeleVoIPs can program a default area code anytime a seven-digit number is dialed, so Tampa based clients can still set 813 as the default – only requiring 10 digits to be dialed when calling a 656 number.

If your company needs assistance getting set up for the new Tampa area code 656, contact us and one of the TeleVoIPs technology experts will schedule an initial consultation.