Inevitably, when asking for phone numbers on a registration page, some will put in a fake phone number.

It's impossible to avoid getting any fake phone numbers, however, there are some ways to reduce it:

1) Make Your Offer Compelling & Trustworthy

Make it so that they want to give your their real number. If you're getting lots of fake numbers, try building more trust before asking for it.

With cold traffic (the hardest to get real numbers) you can do this by adjusting the language on the landing page, adding in social proof, trust symbols (and using the tips below too).

On warm traffic, the buildup and context before asking for a number will help as well. For example if you send a series of emails warming them up to a registration / opt-in, they will be more likely to input their number.

This is easier said than done, but it's true.

2) Tell Them WHY You Need Their Phone Number

Without a reason, your prospects will default to thinking the worst-case scenario with what you will do with their phone number.

By giving them a reason, they will be more inclined to understand the expectations and give a real number.

You can even add a bonus or a special incentive for the contact when providing a phone number.

In e-com, a typical way to collect SMS is by offering an additional discount for providing a phone number.

For example, you might say:

  • "We'll send you SMS reminders about the upcoming webinar so you don't miss it!"
  • "Get an SMS reminder when the event is about to start"
  • "Join our VIP text list for exclusive access"
  • "You'll receive 1 text per month about our free training and special deals"
  • "Get a BONUS training via SMS"

Put this right on the landing page right by the SMS optin.

Being specific about what they can expect will reduce fake phone numbers.

3) Remind Them That They Can Opt-out At Any Time.

This is required compliance text, but make it obvious that people can always opt-out.

What Happens In Roezan If You Get A Fake Phone Number

Roezan has automatic systems in place to help reduce sending to bad/invalid numbers (and helps reduce costs!)

We do some automatic validation on numbers on import as well as while sending.