buyer’s guide to call tracking software for marketers · 2020-01-06 · buyer’s guide to call...

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Buyer’s Guide to Call Tracking Software for Marketers

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The role that voice and the phone call play in marketing

and sales success has never been bigger. There were 30

billion inbound sales calls made to businesses in the U.S.

alone last year, and thanks in part to the popularity of

smartphones, that number is expected to reach 70 billion by

2016.

This great news for marketing and sales, since studies have

shown that inbound calls are the most valuable type of

lead, converting to revenue 10 times more than web clicks.

However, this re-emergence of voice is forcing marketers

to acknowledge that they have a critical blind spot that is

costing them business.

Simply put, CMOs don’t know what marketing programs

make their phones ring, and they can’t attribute sales

opportunities and revenue from those calls to the right

sources. Without this data, marketing teams struggle

to optimize campaigns, content, and marketing ROI to

generate more of the phone leads that sales managers value

most.

This is why 2014 is expected to be the year for call tracking

in marketing. Analyst firm BIA/Kelsey predicts call tracking

will become a $1 billion market this year, and the technology

will take its place alongside marketing automation and CRM

as the critical tools marketers rely on to accurately prove

and improve campaign ROI.

If you are considering implementing call tracking, it’s

important to know that not all call tracking technologies are

created equal. This buyer’s guide will:

• Explain the benefits of call tracking

• Describe the different types of call tracking technology

• Guide you on what questions to consider when

selecting a vendor

• Highlight cost and pricing models

Introduction

© 2014 Ifbyphone, Inc. | (866) 263-3808 | www.ifbyphone.com | twitter.com/Ifbyphone | Ifbyphone.com/blog

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Call tracking is a form of lead attribution and marketing

analytics technology. Marketers and lead gen agencies

use it to track inbound phone calls back to the specific

marketing sources that originated them, and then follow

those leads through the sales cycle to revenue.

How It Works: Call tracking technology lets you insert

unique trackable phone numbers (local, toll-free, or vanity) in

your marketing material. When someone calls that number,

the solution knows exactly what source they’re calling from.

Call tracking technology enables you to track inbound

calls back to any marketing source: online, mobile, or

offline. You can attribute phone leads (and the pipeline and

revenue they generate) to specific ads, campaigns, keyword

searches, referring websites, mobile, email and direct mail

blasts, content, social media, or any other marketing source,

including Google and Bing PPC.

If that lead goes on to become an opportunity or a

customer, you can tie those events back to the original lead

source. This allows you to understand and prove how your

marketing is generating phone calls, so you can optimize

performance and spend and ultimately drive more high-

quality phone leads, opportunities, and revenue for your

business or clients.

What Is Call Tracking?

© 2014 Ifbyphone, Inc. | ((866) 263-3808 | www.ifbyphone.com | twitter.com/Ifbyphone | Ifbyphone.com/blog

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Tracking Inbound Calls Is Important, Especially in Mobile Search

70% of mobile searchers call a business directly from search results.

61% of mobile seachers say it’s important that businesses give them a phone number to call.

33% of mobile searchers said they would be less likely to refer a brand to others or use the brand if it didn’t offer an option to call.

Source: Google and Ipsos Research Study, September 2013


Simply put, call tracking technologies have become popular

because inbound calls are the most lucrative type of lead.

They are the leads sales team most want to receive, and

therefore the ones marketers most need to generate and

track.

Consider the following stats about inbound sales calls:

• Inbound sales calls are booming: There were 30 billion

inbound sales calls made to businesses in the U.S. alone

last year, and that number is expected to reach 70 billion

by 2016, according to BIA/Kelsey.

• The impact of mobile: The surge in mobile device

adoption and the continued growth in mobile advertising

are partly responsible, driving an influx of sales calls into

businesses. A 2013 study by Google found that 70%

of mobile searchers call a business directly from search

results. It makes sense: tapping a click-to-call link on your

smartphone is much easier than trying to fill out a web

form on your device’s tiny screen.

• Phone numbers encourage trust: That same Google

study also found that 61% believe it’s important that

businesses give them a phone number to call, and 33%

would be less likely to use and refer brands that don’t.

Consumers see phone numbers as a sign that a business

is trustworthy.

• Inbound calls drive revenue: According BIA/Kelsey,

61% of businesses consider inbound phone calls to

be excellent leads, more than any other type. It’s why

marketers are spending $68 billion annually on ads to

generate those sought-after inbound sales calls: phone

calls mean revenue.

This re-emergence of voice is forcing marketing and sales

teams to acknowledge that they have a critical blind spot

that is costing them business. The problem is twofold:

• First, CMOs don’t know what marketing programs are

making their phones ring, and they can’t attribute sales

opportunities and revenue from those calls to the right

sources. Without this data, marketing teams struggle

to optimize campaigns, content, and marketing ROI to

generate more of the phone leads that sales managers

value most.

• Second, marketing and sales teams can’t control how

inbound calls are routed and managed. They spend

resources and budget trying to generate high-value

calls, but then are forced to cross their fingers and hope

calls get routed to the right person right away and are

handled correctly.

Why Are Marketers Adopting Call Tracking?


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Calls are undoubtedly critical to marketing and sales

success, but neither marketing nor sales have the right

tools to measure, optimize, and control them. Call tracking

technologies are the solution. They can eliminate this blind

spot by tracking phone calls back to their source and

through the sales cycle to revenue. That means you can:

• Calculate ROI and Other KPIs: You no longer have to

guess which campaigns are driving sales calls – and

you no longer have to bicker with sales or with your

agency clients about which phone leads you brought in.

Instead, you get a complete, detailed understanding of

which campaigns are generating calls and how those

leads are impacting pipeline and revenue.

• Optimize What Works: Even better, you can use call

tracking data to pinpoint which activities are working –

and which aren’t – and make improvements. You can

focus resources and budget on the campaigns, ads,

keywords, and content that are actually driving leads

and revenue while eliminating those that aren’t.


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Even Online Shoppers Want to Talk

77% of online shoppers say they would be interested in getting help from a real person before making an online purchase.

82% say there have been times when they have not been able to get help from a real person.

58% have a question that cannot be answered by information on the web site.

52% of those who have not been able to get help from a real person say it has affected their decision to not purchase the product.

Source: IMShopping and Harris Interactive Survey, August 2009



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While call tracking is a relatively new technology, it has

evolved quickly. And the truth is that not all call tracking

technologies are created equal. There are currently

three different “generations” of call tracking available for

marketers to use: first, second, and next – with each new

generation building on the previous one’s functionality.

In order to help you make an informed decision about what

kind of call tracking will work best for your needs, let’s look

at the types available.

About First-Generation Call Tracking

First-generation call tracking is the most basic and can be

used for offline advertising (such as print ads, direct mail

campaigns, TV or radio spots, billboards, or trade show

materials), some content marketing (like tracking calls from

eBooks, presentations, webinars, and brochures), or email

blasts.

You can use first-generation call tracking software to

procure unique phone numbers to manually insert in your

marketing materials. You then attribute those numbers in

the call tracking software to their respective sources, and

configure, schedule, and generate real-time and historical

web-based reports on phone leads.

What first-generation call tracking can’t do, however, is

track calls from online and mobile ads (including Google

PPC search ads), SEO terms, banner ads, and web pages.

It also lacks tools to help you optimize conversations by

scoring, routing, recording, and managing inbound calls.

About Second-Generation Call Tracking

Second-generation call tracking software gives you all the

abilities and functionality of first-generation call tracking,

but it also enables you to track calls from online and

mobile sources. This is important if you run lead generation

campaigns using Google, Bing, or other PPC ads, banner

ads, social media ads, and other campaigns that send

people to online or mobile web pages. It’s also important if

you want to understand which SEO terms people used to

find you before they called, and what web page they called

from.

Second-generation call tracking works by using a technique

called dynamic number insertion (DNI). DNI automatically

displays a unique call tracking phone number on your web

pages based on how that visitor came to your site. However,

it also lacks the tools marketers need to control what

happens to calls when they come in.

The Different Types of Call Tracking Technology


About Next-Generation Call Tracking

The latest evolution of call tracking is called next-generation

call tracking. It gives you all the abilities and functionality

of first- and second-generation call tracking, but it also

has tools that enable marketers to optimize conversions by

controlling what happens to phone calls once they come

in, including automated call scoring, routing, and recording

functionality. And it includes tools that work with the phone

to help you generate more leads.

Phone Lead Scoring: Qualify and Filter Inbound Calls with an IVR

Chances are that not every inbound call you generate will be

ready to engage with a sales rep. Many might not be. And

you don’t want to waste a sales reps’ time by having them

field incoming calls from leads that aren’t sales-ready.

Next-generation call tracking makes it easy to filter your

inbound calls from any source automatically using an IVR.

IVR stands for interactive voice response. It is a telephone

technology that people interact with using their voice

or phone keypad to answer questions or acquire data.

Marketers can build their own IVRs (see Figure 1) that they

can direct callers to from their campaigns to be qualified.

The IVR can answer calls and ask callers the questions

you determine work best to qualify them for that particular

campaign.

For example, if you are using the BANT (budget, authority,

need, timeline) model to score leads, you can pose those

questions to learn if callers are really qualified. Leads that

score high enough can be passed automatically from the

IVR to a sales rep for an immediate conversation.


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Figure 1: Example of post-support customer satisfaction IVR survey built using Ifbyphone.



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It’s the same principle you use when inserting qualifying

questions on your web forms. But the IVR results are often

better because leads can be passed to sales right away to

have a conversation. With web leads you have to wait for a

sales rep to view the lead, dial their number, and hopefully

get the lead on the phone. That could take several call

attempts, if it happens at all. With IVRs, the conversation is

instantaneous, and the lead doesn’t grow cold.

Phone Lead Routing: Forward Phone Leads in Different Ways

Next-generation call tracking enables you to control not

only which callers get passed to sales, but also where and

to whom they get passed. Because next-generation call

tracking can tell which ad, search keyword, web page,

content, marketing campaign, or other source a person

is calling from, you can route calls differently for different

clients, campaigns, and marketing sources.

Call routing options include:

• Route by schedule: Create call routing based on a

business’s office hours, time zones, weekends, holidays,

and more.

Beacon Technologies Sees Over 400% Higher ROI with Call Tracking

Beacon Technologies is a web technology and marketing agency. Beacon uses Ifbyphone as the critical link between online marketing spend and offline phone call conversions.

For one client, Beacon used unique phone numbers from Ifbyphone to track call activity from sites like Lawyers.com, FindLaw.com, Google Local, and social media outlets. They now understood which channels were working and adjusted spending accordingly. The end result was a significant increase in ROI.

“A lot of companies don’t just get leads that take place on the web. Consumers often pick up the phone and call,” said Brad Henry, Director of Web Marketing at Beacon. “It’s important to know where that lead originated, particularly if the web is involved, in order to optimize marketing initiatives moving forward.”



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• Route by agent: Ensure that the best performing

sales reps receive the most calls by routing a certain

percentage to specific agents.

• Route by geography: If a business has multiple

locations or assigns leads based on territory, set up

incoming phone calls to be routed based on the caller’s

location.

Record and Transcribe Inbound Calls to Prove Quality

Next-generation call tracking software can also record

and transcribe inbound calls from your lead generation

campaigns. If you do lead generation for clients, call

recordings and transcriptions can help you verify and prove

the quality of phone leads. But even if you do lead gen

for your own company, these records provide a wealth of

information for marketing and sales to mine, including:

• What terminology leads use

• How they describe their pain points

• The sticking points sales have to overcome

• The sales approaches that work best to close deals

Lead Generation: Convert Web Form Leads into Instant Sales Calls

If you do lead gen campaigns where leads need to be

contacted fast, next-generation call tracking can help. It

has web form triggering functionality that can help generate

a phone conversation between a sales rep and a web lead

seconds after they fill out a web form. Here’s how it works:

1. Whenever a lead completes a web page form and clicks

submit, next-generation call tracking immediately calls

your sales rep and “whispers” the lead’s information in

their ear. This can include the name of the form that was

downloaded, the lead’s name, and their phone number.

2. If the rep decides to accept the call, the software will

automatically call the lead and connect both parties

over the phone.

Web form triggering can work for any type of web form,

including Request a Demo forms, Contact Us forms, or the

forms on any of your Google PPC landing pages. It can

be a very effective strategy for improving the number of

Google PPC leads and other web form leads that convert to

opportunities and revenue.



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Next-Generation

Call Tracking• All the functionality of first- and

second-generation call tracking

+ Clean toll-free, local, and vanity phone phone numbers

+ IVR for capturing and scoring phone leads

+ Custom call routing

+ Call recording and transcription

+ Advanced call analytics reports

+ Web form triggering

+ Voice broadcasts

Summary of Call Tracking Types

First-Generation Call Tracking

• Trackable toll-free, local, and vanity phone numbers

• Call tracking for offline ads, content marketing, and email

• Web-based reports on call volumes

• Manager dashboards

Second-Generation Call Tracking

• All the functionality of first-generation call tracking

+ Call tracking for online and mobile ads, SEO, and web pages

+ CRM and Salesforce integration

+ Google Analytics, Universal Analytics, and Google Adwords integration

+ Integration with bid management software



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Implementing the right call tracking solution can help you

optimize your marketing efforts, shorten your sales cycle,

and drive more revenue. In order to select the right vendor

for you, here are some important questions to consider

asking:

Does Your Call Tracking Software Integrate with Salesforce and Other CRMs?

While call tracking software can be used as a standalone

platform, some technologies also integrate with CRM

systems like Salesforce. All call tracking data is passed to

the CRM, so you can generate reports that include phone

lead data along with the web leads and other lead types you

generate for clients.

If you use a CRM system, be sure to inquire about

integration options with each call tracking vendor you speak

with. CRM integration enables you to follow each phone

lead through the sales cycle so you can understand how

each of your marketing sources is driving opportunities and

revenue from phone leads.

Also, ask if data is passed to the CRM in real time so sales

managers can see lead source data before they answer

calls, or if it is only done via a data dump once a day?

Can You Include Call Data in Google Analytics and Universal Analytics?

Many companies use Google Analytics to better understand

activity on their web site. In 2013 Google took their analytics

platform to the next level with the release of Universal

Analytics, which gives businesses the ability to view not just

web activity, but also data on offline interactions, mobile

app traffic, and other sources – all in the same interface.

A few call tracking vendors can integrate their call tracking

data with both Google Analytics and Universal Analytics

and add the critical phone data piece to Google’s marketing

analytics puzzle. Be sure to ask vendors if they integrate

with both, as Google is pushing most Analytics users to

move to their new Universal Analytics platform.

What to Consider When Evaluating Call Tracking Technologies



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How Clean Are Your Call Tracking Numbers, Really?

Many call tracking vendors sell phone numbers that are

“dirty,” meaning they receive calls from past advertising

campaigns with other businesses. If you use one of these

dirty numbers to track marketing, it can ruin the validity of

your data. Ask the call tracking vendor how they clean their

numbers. Do they put their phone numbers through rigorous

call “cleansing” processes before they give them to you,

ensuring the accuracy of your data? If so, how?

Can Your Call Tracking Software Automatically Route Calls to the Right Sales Rep?

Generating a higher volume of inbound calls is fantastic,

but as a marketer, what you really want to do is drive

opportunities and revenue. That means you need to be sure

inbound calls are getting sent to the best people to convert

them. Few call tracking vendors offer intelligent call routing

options, so be sure to ask what they provide.

Call Tracking Helps WiderFunnel Show a 42% Increase in Phone Calls for Client

WiderFunnel, a marketing optimization agency, was engaged by Saint Jude Retreats to increase phone leads from their web site, since phone inquiries were more likely to convert into sales.

To do it, WiderFunnel designed several web landing page variations optimized for phone call inquiries and used Ifbyphone to track calls from each page. The result: WiderFunnel measured a 42% increase in phone calls from their landing pages, demonstrating a significant boost in business for Saint Jude Retreats.

“Ifbyphone’s call tracking tools and customer support is second to none. Ifbyphone played an integral part in measuring the success of our landing page optimization efforts, and we couldn’t be any happier

with the results,” said Daniel G. Hidalgo, Marketing Director of Saint Jude Retreats.



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How Reliable Is Your Call Tracking Platform’s Infrastructure?

Once you start using call tracking in your campaigns, the

last thing you want is for the software to fail and your phone

stops ringing completely. Some call tracking vendors are

extremely reliable and have processed hundreds of millions

of inbound calls successfully, but many others have not. Be

sure to ask what carrier supports their platform and how

many calls their call tracking software has successfully

processed.

Will You Have the Proper Support to Help You Along the Way?

It’s important to ask potential vendors what kind of support

they offer, how much it costs, and if you will able to get

them on the phone and get help when you need it. When

working with a call tracking solution, proper implementation

is key to getting the most value. This is true especially when

you are tracking digital campaign sources like online and

mobile PPC search ads, as they can be complex and require

specific expertise to configure.

A vendor who has Google-certified call tracking specialists

on staff and available to take your call will be a big benefit to

you and to the overall value you receive from implementing

call tracking.

Some Other Questions to Consider Asking Vendors

• Do you specialize in mobile or online call tracking? Can

you track calls back to specific search keywords and

PPC ads?

• Can you include your call conversion data in Google

AdWords?

• Do you offer negative match, where you can identify

and exclude chosen sources like SEO or PPC branded

searches, specific keywords, and domains?

• Do you offer “whisper” messages to announce how

each caller found you to your agents before they accept

the call?

• Do you offer a call recording option?

• Can I route callers to sales agents who are travelling or

working from home? Can they answer get those calls on

their home or mobile phones?

• Do you offer both toll-free and local phone numbers?

Do I own these numbers?



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• What tools are available for an agency managing call

tracking for multiple clients?

• Can you generate reports on call activity for each sales

agent?

• Does your software integrate with bid management

software like Acquisio and Kenshoo?

• Does your software integrate with the business

applications I already use? Are there API integration

capabilities and how do they get data out?

• Is there the option of custom integrations?

Be Sure to Get a Personal Demo

After you’ve done preliminary research, you should sign up

for product demos, talk to sales reps, and take notes on

features that you are interested in. Comparing features can

help you understand what you’ll be able to achieve and how

the solution capabilities align with your goals. Remember

that not every vendor can do everything you want, so it’s

important to determine your priorities upfront so you do not

have to select multiple ad-hoc vendors later.

Some Final Items to Consider Before Making Your Decision

After looking at the technology, you may wish to consider a

few other things before making your final decision:

• Trust: Do they have references? What other businesses

in your industry are using their solution? How are they

using it? What results have they experienced? Are there

tips you can use to help maximize ROI?

• Implementation: Will they help you get started? If you

decide to go with a vendor, do they have programs in

place to help you get started? How long will it take to

get up and running? You should also consider testing

calls before your launch to insure reliability and detect

any potential problems.

• Scale and Flexibility: One of benefits of a purchasing a

call tracking solution is that it can be applied to virtually

any form of marketing scenario. Even if all you want to

do is call tracking for a simple print campaign where the

calls go to one sales agent today, you might optimize

your marketing to do digital ads and expand your sales

force to include many agents working in many locations

tomorrow. You want to select a call tracking vendor that

can meet the needs you have today, as well as those

you will need tomorrow as you continue to evolve.



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Most call tracking solutions are delivered via the cloud and

sold as a recurring subscription. Some offer their services

as a monthly subscription that can be cancelled at any time,

though you should inquire about their cancellation policies

before you sign up.

The main factors determining the cost of a subscription are:

• Functionality: Call tracking software is often sold in

different tiers or packages, where you pay more for

advanced features. You should discuss this with your

vendor to ensure you get the best package for your

needs.

• Phone numbers and usage minutes: Many packages

include a certain number of phone numbers and calling

minutes per month, and then charge extra when you

exceed that amount. It’s important to determine your

estimated tracking volume so that you’re not surprised

by the cost.

• Customer support: Some providers have free customer

support, but others will charge you extra.

One final note on cost: some vendors also have monthly

minimums built into their contract which you must pay

regardless of your usage level that month, so it’s wise to ask

about those as well.

Cost and Pricing Models

Not All Call Tracking Providers Are Created Equal

Not every call tracking provider has the technology to properly track every type of marketing source. And many also lack the technology to route and manage inbound calls.

When talking to a call tracking vendor, be sure to ask if they offer the following functionality:

• Full attribution down to the keyword level

• The ability to track SEO as well as PPC

• Customizable session times

• Negative keyword matching

• Real-time reporting

• Customizable phone routing options once the call comes in

• Dynamic whisper messaging

• Integrations with web analytics, CRM, and bid management technologies

• Support from Google-certified experts



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The value of fully understating the call tracking

implementation process and ownership cannot be stressed

enough. A solution is only effective if you use it, and

implementation is just the starting point on the road to

success. A call tracking playbook that is tied back to your

business goals and objectives will allow you the ability to

discover real value out of what you purchased and help you

assess and adjust your strategy along the way.

Develop a Call Tracking Playbook

Tips for Selecting the Right Vendor

• Carrier Support: The carrier support behind the call tracking technology is critical. Think of the impact on your business if the call tracking technology goes down and calls stop coming in.

• Call Management: True marketing ROI is measured in opportunities and revenue. You don’t want to just lob inbound calls over the fence at sales and hope everything magically works out. You should be able control call routing to ensure the best possible outcome for those phone leads.

• Integrations: It is important to know how you will be able to get your data out of the call tracking solution. Do they have an API? Custom integrations? This is especially true if you are also using a CRM solution like Salesforce.



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Summary

Inbound calls have re-emerged as the most effective

channel for generating high-quality leads and closing

business. Smart marketers are looking for a call tracking

solution that allows them to effectively measure, optimize,

and control inbound calls, get credit for the phone calls they

generate and identify which campaigns are making their

phones ring.

There are many call tracking options and the decision-

making process is often complicated. This guide is intended

to ease that process by helping you understand the benefits

of call tracking, the types of technology available, and

questions and tips to help you make an informed buying

decision for your business.

Next Steps

Call Ifbyphone today at (866) 263-3808 to learn how Ifbyphone can help you grow your business. You can also request a demo of Ifbyphone’s call tracking solution at www.ifbyphone.com.

About Ifbyphone

Ifbyphone, the leader in voice-based marketing automation

(VBMA), connects, measures and optimizes sales and

service calls for businesses and organizations. Ifbyphone’s

VBMA solutions capture and manage phone leads and

information that often slip through the cracks of traditional

marketing automation and CRM software solutions.

The Ifbyphone product suite is a set of software-as-a-service

applications including call tracking, hosted IVR (interactive

voice response), call routing, virtual call center and voice

broadcasting. Organizations of all sizes in all industries use

Ifbyphone, including marketing agencies, lead generation,

e-commerce, direct response, financial services and

insurance, health care, retail and logistics, and SaaS and

technology. For more information, visit www.ifbyphone.com

© 2014 Ifbyphone, Inc. All rights reserved.

www.ifbyphone.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ifbyphone

Facebook: http://facebook.com/ifbyphone

(866) 263-3808

300 West Adams Street, 9th Floor

Chicago, IL 60606

www.ifbyphone.com

buyer’s guide to call tracking software for marketers · 2020-01-06 · buyer’s guide to call...

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