Getting the Most Out of Pay-Per-Call Advertising
Pay-per-call is rapidly gaining ground on its more popular cousin, pay-per-click, in the world of performance-based advertising. A pay-per-call campaign requires only a phone and the ability to close a deal, giving businesses without a strong online presence a unique way to tap into search engine strategies. Pay-per-call providers sometimes play up the simplicity of this strategy to make it sound like all you have to do is place an ad to see sales spike, but there’s more to the story.
The Basics
The process of setting up a pay-per-call campaign is simple. A provider creates online ads that appear in the results page of keyword-specific search queries, and the merchant decides on the geographical range of the ad (local, regional, or national).
There are two common types of pay-per-call ads:
- A 1-800 number is provided to link the buyer directly with the advertiser.
- The buyer enters their phone number. The ad network then provides a real-time phone connection between the buyer and advertiser, eliminating any call fees for the buyer.
Some ad networks offer pay-per-call advertisers a splash page that provides further details about the company such as merchandise sold, business hours, ordering and shipping information and the company logo.
Why Pay-Per-Call?
Pay-per-call is ideal for leveraging the power of search engines without having to build a website, or invest in optimizing a website. Even businesses that do rely on websites for generating leads can benefit from the direct connection created between buyers and sellers through pay-per-call. Calls give merchants the opportunity to provide insight into product and pricing information, answer buyer questions and overcome objections, and build customer relationships. Also, some buyer needs just don’t mesh with communicating via a website. If your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, you want a phone number and a human response, not an email address.
Compared to pay-per-click, pay-per-call has a low probability of being tainted by fraudulent activity. Some providers will classify hang up calls and calls that last less than a pre-determined time as nuisance calls, and do not charge the advertiser for them.
Finally, pay-per-call conversions are easy to track. Many small businesses can’t even estimate their web conversion numbers, but keeping a reasonably accurate tally of call conversions isn’t difficult.
Is Pay-Per-Call Right For Your Business?
Products and services that are traditionally sold through person-to-person communication are ideal candidates for pay-per-call. Examples include mortgages, legal services, debt settlement, automobile, financial services, and insurance. Businesses with a longer sales process, such as travel agencies, are also likely to benefit. At the other end of the spectrum, pay-per-call is usually not a good choice for retail and niche businesses.
Be aware that rates are higher for pay-per-call than for pay-per-click, with typical fees ranging anywhere from $2 – $20 per call. However, this premium in price is often worth the payoffs of generating a personal connection with a buyer.
Advertiser Beware
Pay-per-call campaigns can fizzle for a number of reasons. Look out for these trouble spots:
- Lack of ability to convert calls to sales. Generating calls is your provider’s responsibility. Having skilled people available to turn calls into sales is your responsibility.
- “Dirty” numbers. If your campaign kicks off with a bunch of “wrong number” calls, your provider has probably recycled your number too quickly. Ask your provider up front if they test numbers before assigning them to see if they are still getting traffic.
- Not enough data. Your provider should provide you with enough data about the numbers and patterns of calls so you can determine if you’re meeting your goals.
- Nobody home. Pay-per-call is meant to facilitate a live discussion. If callers are dumped into a voicemail system with a promise of a callback, you run the risk of them having a frustrating experience and moving on to a different merchant.
Pay-per-call campaigns can yield good return on investment if used effectively. Like any campaign, it’s wise to set some performance goals beforehand and measure your results early in the process. Using a mix of pay-per-call and other strategies can help you determine if pay-per-call belongs in your overall marketing plans.
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