The concept of tracking calls actually started with traditional mediums. Print ads, direct mail and billboards generated leads through phone numbers. Marketers assigned a phone number extension to particular publications, mediums or campaigns. Then, marketers reviewed the contacts on that extension. This helped marketers understand how many leads and sales each advertisement generated.With digital marketing, layers of info developed. Thank you big data and analytics! Users click on links, including payment buttons or email addresses. Analytics tracks those interactions. Many digital strategies forget to account for messages coming from online sources. This leaves you with only part of data. You need more to understand the success of your strategy. Smart marketers know that seeing the source helps you improve your strategy.So you may be wondering:
“Why Track Calls Out Of All Things?”
Any data-driven plan relies on lead sources. Add this to data about form conversions and online purchases. A strategic digital plan benefits from four main deliverables.
Collect Valuable Metrics
If your team only focuses on clicks, then you will miss part of the data. During the sales process, user behavior can include calling. This creates a subsection of your ideal buyer. This is someone who prefers to speak with a person. If you ignore this buyer, misinformation will guide your decisions. Adjust over Time Tracking calls allows you to adjust your strategy over time. Knowing how many leads come through the phone can help you plan sales scripts. Additionally, you may find that buyers who prefer calling also prefer different mediums. You can simplify your message. Highlight a phone number as the call-to-action on those platforms.
Data Integration
Most CRMs have options to link incoming phone contacts with other sales tools. This can give you end-to-end data integration. Don’t rely on your salespeople to identify the source of the call. Now, you can collect and review those numbers. With time, you can adapt your strategy for a stronger sales funnel.
Train Your Employees
Contacts come in from various sources. Sales teams enjoy knowing as much as possible about the incoming contacts. Planning your campaign around phone leads prepares your salespeople for the current offer. Let your team know the current promotion. Let your team know source of the incoming call. Then, your sales team can better use their training to close the deal.
Which Industries Benefit Most?
Several industries rely on phone contacts for sales. If you are asking, “why track calls?” read about the industries that benefit most below.
Automotive Sales
Automotive sales/dealerships already relies on tracking calls for their advertising. Similarly, the automotive sales sector benefits from phone leads with their digital marketing. The automotive market is tough. Dealerships run so many different offers, between new and used vehicles. Salespeople need to know the source of a call. Then, they can jump into action
Drug Rehabs
Addiction treatment marketing always relies on phone calls. And it makes sense. A 30 day inpatient treatment can range from $30,000 to $150,000. And have you ever seen anyone making such a large purchase by not discussing it? Addiction treatment saves lives. Knowing the marketing source of these calls is critical for optimization and increasing the calls for inquiry.
Home Services
Are you a contractor, cleaner or care providers? Everyone in the services industry should know the source of their customers. Many prospective customers will call for these services. They want to vet the professionalism of the service provider. If you don’t track these incoming leads, you will lose valuable metrics about the source of your clients.
Medical Professionals
Most of the time, people call for their medical needs. These messages are urgent or complicated. Your practice may have created online appointment forms. But, patients will call with questions. You can track their behavior while noting the call source. This can give insight to both your promotional plan and your website’s UX. You may end up changing or improving your forms.
Real Estate & Mortgage Lenders
Real estate is a personal business that rarely slows down. Phone messages generate much of the business for realtors. If you work in real estate, you advertise. Some people may convert on your website. Many will pick up the phone when they see your smiling face on an advertisement. If you don’t track the source, you won’t be able to determine which mediums and publications perform best. You need to know which ones offer the greatest return on investment (ROI).
Legal Services
The urgency of legal situations usually compels people to call a law office. Most firms advertise. Knowing the sources for clients allows you to adjust your ongoing digital strategy. Without this information, you are left with an incomplete picture of where you get clients.
Call Tracking and ROI
Measuring phone leads allows you to determine ROI by generating more data related to your digital marketingFirst, it provides a complete picture of your lead and sales sources. Do you only track clicks and conversions? You may attribute phone calls to the wrong source. Don’t make that mistake.Second, it creates accountability. Do you use an in-house team or use an agency? You can use this data to check your return on investment. Don’t review confusing data. A comparison phone leads and form conversions will clearly indicate which strategies work and which do not.Finally, it allows you to focus your budget over time. Incoming calls will fall into cycles. You will be able to evaluate the effectiveness of your sources over time. Review six month’s data. It should be obvious to determine which sources generate the most leads.Here’s the bottom line:If you aren’t recording your calls, you are missing out on valuable information! In fact, you might be wasting both time and money by allocating your resources incorrectly. Set tracking up now – you won’t be disappointed.