A local phone number can help a business grow its credibility with customers on their own turf. It helps you stay accessible to customers who are more likely to answer your calls, and who feel confident they’re reaching a trusted partner — and not an anonymous national corporation. A local number can be the key to loyal customers in area code 863.
If you’re targeting local customers, developing your presence in an area code is the start of your business journey. Are you just getting to know the lay of the land? Here are some important facts about area code 863:
This area code covers cities including: Lakeland, Bartow, Sebring, Winter Haven in south-central Florida. Its major city is Lakeland, which has a population of 112,641 people.
The 863 area code touches 7 other counties: Polk, Highlands, Okeechobee, Hendry, DeSoto, Hardee, and Glades.
You’ll find other area codes nearby including area codes 239 (Cape Coral, FL), 321 (Orlando, FL), 352 (Gainesville, FL), 407 (Orlando, FL), 561 (West Palm Beach, FL), 754/954 (Fort Lauderdale, FL), 772 (Port St. Lucie, FL), 813 (Tampa, FL), and 941 (North Port, FL).
With a local 863 phone number, you can effectively get in front of the right people and establish a foothold in the Lakeland, FL area.
Any good snapshot of area code 863 includes details on its economy and business climate. From population change to new business starts, the story of an area is told by who stays, where they work, and how often they start new businesses. We were curious about the biggest players and the people they serve, so we collected some statistics to help you get to know the area. Here’s what we found:
Area code 863 is in Eastern Standard Time. Its major county is Polk County, FL which has an unemployment rate of 9%. In Lakeland, the average household makes $71,464 annually. The city’s population has risen 0.63% from 2019 to 2020.
New businesses are sprouting up everywhere. New business applications were up 43.00% from 2019 to 2020. Of those who launch a new venture, an estimated 75.80% will survive in the state of Florida.
New businesses are part of industries like the top ten employers in Lakeland: Polk County School Board, Publix Super Markets, Walt Disney World, Walmart, Baycare Health System, Lakeland Regional Health-Florida, The Walt Disney Company, Gieco Insurance, City of Lakeland, Amazon.
Existing industries build on a rich history in the area. According to census.gov, the top three industries for the city of Lakeland are:
New businesses can join them with a virtual phone number from OpenPhone. Start calling and texting in a few minutes from area code 863 when you sign up for a free trial of OpenPhone.
Try out calling and texting with an area code tied to this flourishing region and confirm OpenPhone is a great fit for your business by starting a free seven-day trial of OpenPhone.
See which specific 863 phone numbers are available and claim your own Lakeland, FL number by signing up for a free trial. Here’s how it works: using our service, you can easily set up your local phone number without the need to install any additional hardware. Easily download and install our app, and find the right numbers for your business.
Use the OpenPhone browser, desktop, or mobile app.
Activate a new 863 area code phone number in 863, 863, in just a few minutes. Your existing number won’t see any service interruptions, and we do all the work. Get more than one number to use for people, teams, or locations immediately. There are no waiting periods, no stores to navigate, and no hidden fees.
Once you’re here, calling and texting to the US or Canada is free. You can use your local number anywhere, even if you work outside of 863, Lakeland and the US.
You can use your number on a smartphone or computer since all you need is an internet connection. Manage conversations in your inbox wherever you work using your preferred device; OpenPhone works with your laptop, computer, tablet, and smart phone
OpenPhone lets business owners take control over how and where they work while staying local for their customers. Personal numbers remain private and your favorite device is ready to call using your new work phone number.
Stay professional at work, but mute notifications after hours. Your personal calls come through on your personal line, but that doesn’t mean you have to be on-call for business at all hours.
When you sign up for multiple phone numbers using OpenPhone, you’ll always see which calls are coming from your personal line and which are from specific business telephone numbers.
OpenPhone’s modern business phone features give you powerful tools to do more business in area code 863.
OpenPhone’s modern app gives businesses the features they used to get from a complicated PBX system. You can use phone menus so customers can direct their own calls to team members that can help best. Setting up or updating a phone menu as needed is simple.
And getting your team on board is just as easy. You can activate new numbers instantaneously, assign them to teammates, and even share a main phone number. With shared numbers, your team can:
To help provide a professional presence with your new number, you can customize your caller ID. Plus, easily set up separate voicemail greetings for when your team is working and off.
Michael Seibel CEO at Y Combinator
Jason Ovryn Co-founder & COO at Carry