Inbound Calls Are Still Your Best Source of Leads
While developing your marketing strategy, don’t fall into the trap of prioritizing your digital marketing over traditional methods, and especially for inbound calls. While a good portion of your leads these days find you via a website or search query, studies show that most still prefer to complete the sale over the phone.
Google found that seven out of every ten mobile searchers have used click-to-call from their device to connect to a business. Given that inbound calls convert ten times more often than clicks, businesses who rely completely or primarily on digital communication will have far lower conversion rates.
1.
Place your phone number prominently on the home page, and in key positions during the customer journey. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes: when would you reach out for help? At a minimum, your phone number should be “above the fold” when the customer first loads your page and within sight as the customer checks out.
2.
Make it mobile friendly. Hyperlink your phone number so that customers only need to tap or click to call you. Make it a part of your call to action.
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Track your progress. Have a method in place to not only track where the calls are coming from but also whether or not they convert. You will be able to figure out what works and what doesn’t, and change accordingly.
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Consider testing multiple phone number placements and calls to action. A/B test various combinations of placements and wording to see what works best. While your phone number should always be “above the fold” like we’ve said, exact positioning for maximum impact varies based on the design of the page itself. The words you use in your call to actions make a difference, too.
5.
Once they call, make sure it’s a positive experience. Arm your representatives with the information they need to provide your customer with the information they’re looking for. No one wants to sit on hold, and regular customers should feel like you ‘know’ them. After all, it’s much cheaper to attract return business than obtain new business.
6.
Consider a local number rather than a toll-free one. Consumers respond more favorably to a local number. While toll free numbers can give you the appearance of being ‘international,’ at the same time it can trigger negative preconceptions and create barriers to an otherwise easy sale.
Inbound Call takes care of many of the above with just a few lines of code on your website. Our technology displays a local number based on your visitors location, and provides tracking to see what works and what doesn’t. This allows you to focus on your customer, and provide the best possible customer service when he or she calls, turning leads into sales.