Before you can reap the benefits of call tracking, first you need to understand what it is and how it works.
What is Call Tracking
Call tracking is a technique used in digital marketing to track which marketing channels generate calls. Call tracking is not unique to online marketing and originated in offline media marketing such as, TV ads, direct mail, etc. so that the success or failure of campaigns and marketing efforts could be tracked through the use of unique phone numbers.
Call tracking works by setting up a unique phone number used exclusively for particular ads that are tied directly to the online or referring source. These trackable numbers redirect to the company’s usual phone numbers but provide important data to marketers such as how many calls were made as a result of a particular marketing campaign
Call tracking on a website allows companies to track online referring sources (PPC ads, SEO presence, affiliates, etc.) and offline sources generating a call after a website visit. According to the technique applied, it could also track which ads or which keywords have provoked a call.
Why is it important?
Basic call tracking is relatively easy to set up on your website. It’s done by inserting a javascript code provided by the call tracking service provider that allows for dynamic number insertion. Once call tracking is added to a web-page, it lets you follow a customer’s journey as they move between the online experience and the phone call.
That’s important information. This technology delivers valuable insight about the customer’s online browsing activity that led up to the phone call. You can identify information such as:
- the customer’s ISP
- the referring URL
- their location
- time of call
- keyword used
- length of the call
- caller phone number
- geo-location
- ad element
The information provided lets you understand which online channels yields the best results in your marketing campaigns. This knowledge provides information to improve and optimize future campaigns to yield even better results. It also gives you a way to track sales, the value of the sale, and client contact information for follow up calls.
If marketers don’t use call tracking they’re not getting the credit they deserve for the work they’re doing. For many businesses–particularly local businesses–a call is the predominant lead channel. In fact, 64% of local businesses say calls are the best leads they receive. Don’t you want to learn more about the person who called and how they got from your website to your phone?
If you’d like to know more about how call tracking can transform your marketing efforts, let’s talk. Contact Us