6 Reasons to Invest in Call Tracking Software

Time to read: 7 minutes

One of the benefits we often tout about digital marketing is its trackability. Compared to TV and radio ads, billboards, magazine ads, and other traditional marketing channels, digital marketing allows you to see just how effective your campaign is, getting hard data on clicks and conversions.

And while we usually discuss this point relating to overall SEO and PPC campaigns, call tracking itself also delivers highly trackable information and intersects with both SEO and PPC, as well as other forms of marketing. So, let’s dig into the many reasons you need a viable call tracking campaign.

Defining Call Tracking

Call tracking is a process and form of technology that allows organizations to track and analyze calls that originate from diverse sources. With call tracking software in place, marketers can use unique phone numbers that connect to the real phone numbers of their organization. These numbers could be used for a specific campaign channel, such as a PPC ad, or multiple numbers could rotate moment by moment on a website to track customer interactions.

When a potential customer calls one of these unique numbers, they will be patched through to the official number of the organization, and the call will be carried out as usual. However, since the customer used the unique number to place the call, the information will be trackable, and the company’s marketing team can see how the customer found the number.

Why Call Tracking Is So Essential

1. Applications for Diverse Campaigns

Maybe you have a new marketing channel you want to test out, or you have a number of them and you want to keep all your information straight. Whatever the case, call tracking can be used to segment out your audiences. It can be applied to:

• Your website’s home page, services pages, landing pages, and more
• Your Google Business Profiles
• Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and other PPC ad types
• Billboards
• Flyers and mailers

On these last two points, call tracking can actually make traditional marketing approaches trackable in the same ways digital marketing does, because unique phone numbers can be included in those campaigns and you will be able to see that the billboard or the flyer or the mailer was responsible for inspiring the call.

2. Accurate Lead Tracking

When you have a call tracking system in place, you can accurately record every lead that comes in via phone and know exactly where it originated from. This information can help you make data-driven decisions that can truly impact your business, and not just for a given campaign, but going forward long term.

Compare this to the standard approach where you have no idea how someone was encouraged to call your business. They could have gotten your number from an online source, a TV ad, a billboard, or a mailer, or they could have even had it saved in their phone or they went old school and used the phone book.

Without call tracking, you’ll be kept in the dark and won’t be able to be as effective in your marketing, sales, or customer outreach initiatives.

3. Campaign Evaluation

Want to find out which of your marketing campaigns are paying dividends? Call tracking is one key way to do it. Maybe your billboard is doing gangbusters or your mailer is outperforming your expectations. Maybe the PPC ads you’re running aren’t connecting with your audience. Maybe your Google Business Profile could use a boost to get more interactions.

With call tracking, you can have the raw data you need to separate the wheat from the chaff, allowing you to make tweaks and improvements, focus on what’s working, and cut your losses for what’s not paying off.

4. A/B Testing

Another great benefit of call tracking is its use in A/B testing purposes. Imagine you have two PPC campaign approaches but you’re not sure which one will best connect with your audience. You could use separate call tracking numbers to see which campaign brought about the best results.

The same principle could also be applied to billboards or mailers, or could even be used when doing outreach in different markets or areas of a city, state, or country.

5. ROI Tracking

In any business venture, the name of the game is how much revenue it generates, and having call tracking software and other digital marketing tracking tools in place is one of the best ways to determine that.

When you have all the available data, you can:

• Allocate your budget more effectively
• Determine ways to boost profitability
• Enhance your marketing efforts
• Experiment with new channels to test efficacy

6. Improved Customer Experience

Through call source analysis, you can send your customers to the proper places and supply them with real-time support that will boost the likelihood of a conversion. This can in turn lead to improved customer satisfaction, increased customer loyalty, and a more favorable impression of your services.

What Call Tracking Metrics Should I Use?

Call tracking isn’t just about determining the point of origin, as these software platforms can give you a wealth of information to work with. Consider checking out the following in your campaigns:

• Call source – We know, we know – we’ve covered it. But it’s worth reiterating that knowing just where a call originates from can tell you so much about the viability of your campaigns.
• Volume – Going hand in hand with source is volume, because you don’t just want to know where calls are coming from, you want to get as many qualified ones as possible, so checking this metric is key.
• Duration – Depending on your business and its services, either long calls or short calls may indicate greater successes. For instance, a pizza chain’s calls would be expected to be quite short since customers make their orders and jump off the call, while other businesses might not secure a lead without a longer conversation. In any event, data on this point can help you to see how the human element of a call is or isn’t working.
• Frequency – Both first-time callers and repeat customers are desirable, since you want to appeal to as many people as possible and keep them coming back. Call tracking software can tell you who has called before and who is brand new so you can see how well your marketing efforts are working.
• Location – If you know where your potential customers are located you could learn about how effective your marketing initiatives are operating within certain areas, which can be very valuable, especially for companies targeting local markets or those looking to expand.
• Time of day – Call tracking software lets you examine the time of day that most calls take place, giving you a better idea of your customers’ habits and their engagement with your operations.
• Result – Not every call will have the same outcome, so call tracking software is designed to let you catalog each call’s results, indicating if it led to a lead, a sale, an appointment, a discussion, or anything else.
• Missed calls – While it’s understandable that you can’t always get to the phone, any time this happens can result in lost business. So keep an eye on this metric to help you determine why the disconnect is happening and how you can improve your processes.

Call Tracking Software Options to Consider

Need Assistance Setting Up Call Tracking? We Can Help!

At Sixth City, we use call tracking for the vast majority of our clients because we know how vital it is to success, and we have extensive experience setting up and monitoring call tracking systems.

Contact us today to discuss a project!