If you’re like most people, chances are that your phone logs are filled with numbers that you don’t remember. Using a good reverse phone lookup service is a great way to figure out exactly who’s calling and get more information on that number. It could be an old friend trying to reach you, an important business contact, or even a sales caller. There’s three things to look for in a good online reverse lookup service. The service is called reverse lookup for a reason: instead of typing in a person’s name like in traditional lookup programs, you actually type the number in directly to perform a phone trace. Here’s what you need to know.

First, you want to find a site with the largest database possible. A small database will do you no good, especially if they only pull from a few local databases. These days, people are more and more mobile, which can make it difficult to find the person you’re really looking for.

Next, you want to look for ease of use — a site that has too many options for search will only slow you down and confuse you before you even begin! Ease of use doesn’t mean lack of features or shorter listings — on the contrary, the results these sites return can be very detailed indeed. Common results include the person’s name, their location, the type of phone it is (mobile or landline), and an address if one can be located. Make sure that the name record you’re looking for really matches the person you’re trying to find.

Finally, look for a site that lets you make as many reverse lookups as you want. Limits are nice in theory, but when you really need to locate someone, you want to be able to take as many attempts to find them as it takes instead of being limited.

Overall, the entire process can be likened to a good detective’s job: working backwards through clues to uncover the truth. In this case, that’s the identity of that strange number found. With these above tips, you’ll have all the information you need to make the search as smooth as possible!