Which Phone Number to Use Where — the Allocation Matrix
One number or several — the allocation question decides which number goes on which surface. The matrix, the rules that survive it, and the honest limits.
Businesses with more than one number eventually face the allocation question: which number goes where? The answer is a small matrix — surfaces down one side, numbers across the top — governed by three published rules. This page is the matrix, worked through.
The surfaces, and what each needs
| Surface | What the surface needs | Best published fit |
|---|---|---|
| Website header | The permanent public face | The main number — the constant |
| Campaign materials | Attribution per campaign | A dedicated number, or the Call Tracking add-on ($5 per month) |
| Support pages | Nothing discouraging the call | The caller-free arrangement (1800, in the Australian context) |
| Vehicles and radio | Recall from one hearing | A word — the Phoneword shelf, from $40 per month |
| Invoices and quotes | Legibility and permanence | The main number, in plain digits |
The matrix in motion: reallocations that work
The matrix is not set in concrete — reallocations happen when jobs change, and the published structure makes them painless. A campaign ends, so its dedicated number retires from the campaign surfaces and the main number returns. A support function outgrows the shared line, so it takes the caller-free arrangement and its own row. The published facts that matter — caller cost, plan, answering point — travel with each number, so reallocating is an editing exercise on the matrix, not a repurchase.
The three rules that govern the matrix
- One number per job: each allocation should trace to a function — the public face, a campaign, a support line. Numbers without jobs are subscriptions without benefits.
- The main number is the default: any surface without a specific need carries the main number. The matrix adds exceptions, it does not replace the default.
- Consistency beats cleverness: the same number in the same style on every instance of the same surface — the matrix is not an excuse for variety.
Where each number's published facts come from
Whatever the allocation, each number's terms are the same published ones: caller cost by base (1300 shared cost, 1800 caller-free in the stated Australian context), plans from $10 per month on the pricing page, and the terms and conditions governing each. The matrix allocates numbers; it does not change their facts.
What the matrix does not do
It does not decide how many numbers the business needs — that is the jobs list. And it does not promise outcomes per surface — allocation is about findability and measurement, and the published material attaches no calls to any placement.
Related reading: the number on display, getting numbers plural on purpose, or the 1300 numbers overview.
Allocation questions
Can one number cover every surface?
Yes — for a business without campaigns or split caller promises, the main number everywhere is a complete, published answer. The matrix exists for when the jobs multiply.
Should the campaign number go on the van?
Only if the van is the campaign. Campaign numbers live in campaign materials, so the attribution stays clean — that is what they are bought for.
How do I know when the matrix needs a new row?
When a new job appears with its own need — a caller promise, an attribution requirement, a brand. The matrix grows one row per job, and the jobs list is its gatekeeper.
Does reallocating a number change its plan?
Allocation is about where the number is published; the plan and its rates are unchanged. What the published tables govern is the number's operation, not its placement.
The allocation matrix
Allocate your numbers properly
Search available 1300 and 1800 Phonewords, or compare the published plans first.