Serious marketers know that the secret to successful campaigns is data. Lots of data! That’s the beauty of platforms such as Google Analytics and Google AdWords. They enable you to run highly targeted campaigns and immediately see what the heck is going on—and how you can improve. There’s just one catch.
For all the wonder of Google Analytics, there’s one additional data source that may be able to help you close the loop on conversions (and other unanswered questions): it’s call tracking.
Call tracking can lead to some interesting data. It allows you to get to know your customers—not just as numbers in a spreadsheet but as real customers—you know, human ones! You’ll be able to get answers about why they called and why they did or did not purchase (and the call tracking functionality is built right into MatchCraft advantage, should you wish to integrate it).
Why AdWords Call Tracking rocks.
You probably have a solid idea of who you’re selling to, even if you’re not using call tracking. You’ve probably put together an image based on buyer personas, purchase data, Google Analytics and more.
However, here are a few reasons why you may want to take your customer profile to the next level with call tracking:
- See where you can improve your services. By listening to customer calls, you’re able to be a fly on the wall with your customers, but also with your own business. Are customers frustrated with your customer service team? Is there confusion on the phone with their order look-up? Have a listen to find out, and then get to work on improving customer satisfaction.
- Perfect your buyer persona. Are you noticing that some customers need more attention than others? What do these and other customers have in common? Call tracking, combined with a bit of investigative work, can uncover new ways to qualify leads and generate increased customer loyalty.
- Understand your priorities. You may get an immediate impression on where you need to focus more attention. Does your ad copy confuse customers? Are people disgruntled over your actual product? Hearing what makes people pick up the phone to call you is a big signal to where you need to spend your time.
What you can do with AdWords Call Tracking.
Call tracking is more than listening to calls; you can choose to take a highly-targeted approach.
For example, features like keyword tracking and campaign tracking give you the ability to take a much more strategic approach.
- Keyword tracking: See which keywords are driving your phone calls—and conversions. When customers find your business from an online ad, they’ll call a specific number. This number will tell you how they found you, and which keyword was used in the ad they saw. Bam! You receive immediate insights into which keywords are driving your business.
- Campaign tracking. See which overall marketing campaigns are driving your calls and conversions. Know what channels—AdWords? Social media? Something else —are driving your business
- Multi-channel tracking: This gives you a tool to track a customer’s entire interaction with your business, even if it occurs through more than one marketing channel. In short, multi-channel call tracking will track every interaction, from the one that first generated interest to the one that ignited an actual phone call.
When to avoid AdWords Call Tracking.
While we’re huge supporters of call tracking, we do want to point out a few situations where it’s not appropriate. First, any business in the medical industry may need to rethink it. Patient privacy and HIPPA-compliance are a few obvious reasons call tracking may not make sense.
Second, there are some businesses that are so invested in the online world, that call tracking just isn’t practical.
In today’s digital age, many businesses don’t even have call-in hours, let alone a full customer service team. For these businesses where calls are likely extremely limited (or even discouraged), call tracking is difficult to justify.
Help advertisers understand the big picture.
The bottom line is that call tracking is another way to deliver exceptional service to your clients, by helping to better understand who their customers are and what their needs are.