If you’re running a business, then generating leads is likely one of your top priorities. And if you’re generating leads through phone calls, then call tracking is essential for understanding how well your lead gen efforts are working.
In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of call reporting for lead generation, and we’ll look at some of the benefits that call tracking can provide. But first, let’s review what call reporting really is.
What is call reporting?
Call reporting — also known as lead tracking and scoring — is the process of recording and analyzing phone calls for the purpose of understanding which marketing campaigns are generating leads, and which ones are falling flat.
With call tracking, businesses can assign unique phone numbers to each of their marketing campaigns. This allows them to track which campaigns are driving phone calls, and also to measure the quality of those calls.
For example, if a lead generation campaign is driving a lot of phone calls but few of those calls are turning into sales, then that campaign may not be as effective as it could be. On the other hand, if a campaign is driving only a few phone calls but most of those calls are resulting in sales, then that campaign may be more effective.
In either case, call tracking can provide valuable insights that can help businesses improve their lead-generation efforts. If you’re looking for an affordable call-tracking solution, consider availing free call reporting with Simple1300 Numbers.
What metrics should you collect when tracking calls?
There are a number of different metrics that you can collect when tracking calls, but 3 of the most important ones include:
- Call source: This refers to the marketing source a call is coming from (e.g., Google Ads, Facebook Ads, etc.). This is important to track because it allows you to see which campaigns are driving phone calls, allowing you to direct your marketing efforts in the right direction. Of course, you won’t be able to track call sources if you use the same phone number in all your advertisement material. To get around this, you can use a call tracking service that will automatically generate unique phone numbers for each of your campaigns.
- Call duration: This refers to how long each call lasts. This is important to track because the longer the call, the more likely it is that the caller will convert into a paying customer. This means channels that drive longer-lasting calls are more effective than those driving shorter calls. It also means that if you reach out to callers who were on the phone with you for a long duration, you’re highly likely to close the sale.
- Call timing: This refers to when the call takes place. This is important to track because it can help you determine whether your marketing campaigns are reaching people at the right time. For example, if you’re running a campaign to promote your winter products but most of the calls are taking place in the summer, then that campaign is likely not very effective.
Call timing also refers to the time of the day when the call takes place. This can be important to track if you’re trying to reach people in a different time zone, or if you want to know the best time to post new ads, for example.
How important is call reporting for lead generation?
You’ve already seen what call reporting is and why it can be helpful. But why is it so important to lead generation? Well, there are several reasons behind this.
For starters, the popularity and number of inbound calls is increasing, and there can be several reasons for this.
For example, people may feel more comfortable speaking to a person on the phone than they do send an email or filling out a web form.
Additionally, people are increasingly using their mobile devices to search for products and services, which makes it more likely that they’ll place a call when they find what they’re looking for.
And finally, businesses are starting to see the value in using call tracking to improve their marketing efforts, so they’re more likely to include their phone number in their ads and other marketing materials.
But whatever the reason behind this trend, the point is that since inbound calls are likely to increase in the future, it’s important to track and analyze them. If most of your leads will reach you via a call, then you need to know how effective your campaigns are at driving those calls, and how to improve the quality of those calls.
Then, phone calls are the highest quality leads that you’re going to generate. That’s because when someone calls you, they’ve already shown interest in your product or service and they’re ready to buy. In comparison, web forms and email lead generation require more effort on the part of the lead, and they’re often not as interested or ready to buy.
So if you’re not tracking your phone calls and optimizing your campaigns with the data you get, you’re missing out on a lot of high-quality leads.
For example, you might be ignoring repeat callers. Repeat callers are some of the highest-quality leads you can get, yet they often go unnoticed because they don’t fill out web forms or click on email links. But if you’re tracking your phone calls, you can see how many times a particular caller has called, and you can prioritize them accordingly.
Finally, without call tracking, you might simply lose out on leads due to carelessness. For example, let’s say you receive a burning hot lead over the phone call. You note down their information on a notepad, but when you go to call them back, you realize you’ve misplaced the notepad.
If you had call tracking in place (especially a system that integrated with your CRM), you would have had their information stored safely and securely, and you could have followed up with them without any problem.
Keep in mind that data suggests that it takes approximately 8 touches to get a conversion. If you lose prospect data just after one touchpoint, you’ve basically lost a potential customer.
But with so many benefits, why aren’t all businesses using call tracking?
Well, the answer is that a lot of businesses simply don’t know about it, or they don’t think it’s necessary. Others might be put off by the cost (which is a myth), thinking that it’s not worth the investment. And finally, some businesses might not have the technical expertise to set it up and use it properly.
Final Words
So, if you’re serious about generating leads, then call tracking is an essential tool that you need to be using. It’s not expensive, it’s easy to set up, and it provides valuable insights that can help you improve your lead-generation efforts.
Not using call tracking? Now is the time to start. You’ll be glad you did.