The concept of tracking calls actually started with traditional advertising. Print ads, direct mail, and billboards generated leads through phone numbers. Marketers assigned a phone number extension to particular publications, mediums, or campaigns.
Then, they reviewed the calls on that extension. This helped marketers understand how many leads and sales each advertisement generated.
Benefits of Call Tracking
With digital marketing, new methods of tracking developed. Users click on links, including payment buttons or email addresses. Analytics tracks those interactions.
However, many digital strategies forget to account for calls 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 tracking calls helps you improve your strategy. A strategic digital plan benefits from four main call tracking 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 call tracking 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: Calls come in from various sources. Sales teams enjoy knowing as much as possible about the incoming contacts. Planning your campaign around tracking calls prepares your salespeople for the current offer. Let your team know the current promotion. Let your team know the 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 incoming calls for sales. Below are the ones that benefit the most.
- Automotive Sales: Automotive sales already relies on call tracking for their traditional advertising. Similarly, the automotive sales sector benefits from call tracking with their digital marketing. 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 and negotiate a sale.
- Home Services: Are you a contractor, cleaner, or care provider? 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 calls 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 into both your promotional plan and your website’s UX. You may end up changing or improving your forms.
- Real Estate: Real estate is a personal business that rarely slows down. Calls generate much of the business for realtors. If you work in real estate, you advertise. Some people may convert to your website. Many will pick up the phone when they see your smiling face on an advertisement. If you don’t track your calls, 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 call tracking, you are left with an incomplete picture of where you get clients.
Start Call Tracking
Call tracking allows you to determine ROI by generating more data related to your digital marketing. First, call tracking 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, call tracking 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. Call tracking will clearly indicate which strategies work and which do not.
Finally, call tracking 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. If you aren’t tracking 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 up call tracking today! You won’t be disappointed.
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My name is Danielle and I have a Lynchburg marketing agency. I’ve brought together a small team that specializes in marketing services for makers, eStores, and retailers. We’ll make sure your products are online and ready to sell. And you can get back to the parts of your business that you love.
Working with us is simple. I am the main point of contact on all my accounts. I visit in person or schedule phone calls to discuss your projects. My team members are all located in Central VA and we work together closely. (No passing you off to a junior coordinator after you sign!)
If that interests you, please reach out to me at danielle@theshopshop.co.