Does your business track incoming phone calls from potential clients? If not, then it is advisable to implement a strategy for doing so as soon as practicable. As an advertising expert, I see companies waste money on ineffective lead-generation strategies every day. In many cases, tracking phone calls the right way can enable businesses to increase sales while decreasing the money they spend on ads. Below, I explain which phone calls your business should track, as well as why to track phone calls and how.
Which Phone Calls to Track
Many businesses record the volume of calls they receive each month. This metric only has limited usefulness, however. While it provides a rough estimate of the effectiveness of the business’s various outreach efforts, it cannot distinguish between them.
In addition, the volume of calls is not everything. I would rather have one solid lead than 25 tire-kickers. One campaign, platform, or channel may drive a high volume of calls, but not be nearly as profitable as another that brings in fewer, higher-quality calls. If the second campaign is less expensive than the first, then all the better. Therefore, more important than tracking the number of calls is identifying the sources that attract prospects who convert into customers.
Why to Track Phone Calls
The ability to make wise decisions about your business’s marketing efforts is the primary reason to track where calls are coming from. Without this data, it becomes difficult to determine the success (or lack thereof) of advertising or other marketing campaigns. When you do not track where incoming phone calls are coming from, you can only guess what future marketing efforts or ad spend might lead to more phone calls.
However, with this data, leadership can make informed decisions about where marketing dollars may best be spent. While market changes can sometimes occur and new patterns may emerge, a database of past phone calls usually presents a reliable baseline. In this way, it helps leadership make decisions in the present about future advertising and marketing campaigns.
For example, consider a company that spends $1,000 on two different Google Ads campaigns. If they track their incoming calls correctly, then they can determine which campaign has been more effective. If one generated 50 calls per month, and the other led to 25 calls per month, then their money is clearly better spent on the former.
Alternatively, if a business identifies that 75% of their calls are coming from Google Organic searches, they should increase spending to improve their Search Engine Optimization (SEO) rankings. Numbers like those signal that tremendous opportunity exists in that direction.
How to Track
To track phone calls in your business effectively, consider using a call-tracking system such as Call Tracking Metrics or CallRail.
It is also a good idea to set up unique phone numbers for different channels. In other words, your outreach in Google Ads would get its own dedicated phone number. Google Organic would get another, and so would the print advertisement in the local newspaper. Different phone numbers would also appear on the website, billboards, email blasts, and social media posts. That way, the number being called already tells the business which source should get credit for generating that lead.
Nevertheless, using multiple phone numbers can sometimes cause technical errors. If you go this route, establish Quality Control processes to ensure your various digits route customers to the correct recipients. Also, make sure to record your phone calls. This is an invaluable tool for training employees and spot-checking the quality of service you provide to customers.
Bear in mind that recording phone calls can raise legal issues. If either your business or caller resides in a two-party notification state (i.e., California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Washington), make sure to include the following statement at the beginning of the call: “This call may be recorded for quality and training purposes.”
Phone Calls in the Digital Age
While phone calls may seem old school in our digital age, do not underestimate their continued power. Many people still find it necessary to pick up their phones and call businesses for a variety of reasons.
As an example, let us take a local business that offers services, like a plumber. When your pipe breaks, it is a disaster, and you want to get fast service. You are going to call the first phone numbers you can find for plumbers until you engage someone to get to your house quickly.
On the other end of the spectrum, let us take an e-commerce company. While businesses like these may have extensive online presences and employ sophisticated automation, they can also still benefit when they track phone calls. People often have questions about products. This is especially if they command high prices or involve any level of customization, and they want their questions answered by a real person.
Final Comments
What is most important is that your business does more than just track phone calls. Make sure to analyze the data and assess your cost per call, then take action to decrease expenses while increasing revenue.
