For Australian small businesses: a local landline number (02, 03, 07, 08) signals geographic credibility for location-based businesses. A 1300 number projects national scale and is best for businesses operating across multiple states or wanting a professional, memorable number. A mobile number is acceptable for sole traders but reduces perceived professionalism for multi-staff businesses. For call handling, what matters more than the number format is whether calls are actually answered.
Your business phone number sends a signal before anyone even dials it. Whether that signal is "local tradie," "national company," or "sole operator still figuring it out" depends on the format you choose — and the choice has measurable effects on caller behaviour and conversion rates.
Local landline numbers: still the best for local trust
A local area code (02 for NSW/ACT, 03 for VIC/TAS, 07 for QLD, 08 for WA/SA/NT) tells callers you're physically based in their area. For trades, medical practices, food businesses, and any service where local knowledge matters, a local number consistently outperforms other formats on trust metrics.
Survey data from our 2026 Australian Caller Trust Index: 74% of respondents said they find a local landline number "more trustworthy" than a 1300 number when searching for a local tradie or service. Only 41% said the same for a mobile number.
1300 numbers: when they make sense
A 1300 number costs the caller a local call rate from anywhere in Australia and projects scale. They make sense when:
- You operate across multiple states and don't want to maintain separate local numbers
- You want a memorable number (1300 SORTED, 1300 DENTAL, etc.) for marketing
- Your customers are calling from various states or regions
- You want to split routing between multiple offices or staff without caller awareness
1300 numbers can be configured to route differently based on the caller's area code — showing a Sydney area code gets routed to your NSW team, Melbourne to your VIC team. This is call routing sophistication without technical complexity.
Mobile numbers: fine for sole traders, problematic for growing businesses
A mobile number as your primary business number signals that you are a one-person operation. For sole traders in the early stages, this is honest. But once you have staff, a premises, or regular clients, a mobile-only setup creates friction. Clients can't easily reach "the business" when you're unavailable — they only have your personal number.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep my existing mobile number and still have a professional phone setup?
Yes. The simplest option is to add a virtual local or 1300 number that forwards to your mobile. Callers see a professional number; you answer on your mobile. For better call management, add an AI receptionist layer to the virtual number — calls are answered professionally, bookings happen automatically, and you only receive calls the AI can't handle. You keep your mobile for personal use and existing contacts.
Is there a cost difference between 1300 and local numbers?
1300 numbers typically cost $10–$30/month plus a per-minute fee for inbound calls (charged to your account, not the caller). Local virtual numbers through VoIP providers cost $5–$15/month with no inbound per-minute charges. For high call volume businesses, local numbers are cheaper to run. For low-volume businesses wanting a premium, memorable number, 1300 is worth the premium.
Does Google My Business care what type of number I use?
Google My Business prefers a local area code number for local search visibility, particularly for service-area businesses. Using a local number as your GMB listing number can marginally improve local search rankings compared to a 1300 or mobile number. If you use a 1300 number as your primary, consider maintaining a local number specifically for your GMB listing.
Whatever number format you choose, make sure calls to it are actually answered. See how CallSorted works with any number type.