A question we often get from clients is how to track which marketing campaigns have the best return on investment. Tracking the completion of online forms such as requests for more information or whitepaper downloads is simple using Google Analytics. Tracking phone calls that come in is slightly more complicated, but getting easier today with custom hosted phone numbers and pay-per-click marketing campaign features such as Google custom forwarding numbers offered in Adwords.
First let’s consider the Google custom forwarding number option offered in Adwords pay-per-click campaigns. When you choose to use this feature, Google assigns and displays a unique Google forwarding number with your ads on both mobile and desktop devices. This phone number is automatically generated for each ad group. Whenever a customer calls this number, the call will be rerouted to a business phone number you select. In ads on high-end mobile phones with full browsers, users can click to call the number. It’s free to add call extensions with Google forwarding phone numbers to your ads. For the new enhanced campaigns. Google does not charge a fee for this service.
Adwords Insider Alert
There is a 20-30 click “threshold” that must be reached before Call Extensions will display a Google forwarding number. Once an adgroup reaches 20 – 30 clicks all time, it is then eligible to display a Google forwarding number in the Call Extension for that adgroup. Each adgroup must achieve the 20-30 clicks on an individual basis. It’s important to note that we only learned of this click threshold after talking with an AdWords rep at Google – it’s not public knowledge.
Secondly, you might also want to track calls that come in after prospects view your website, sprint ads, press releases, email blasts, etc. Now this can be done with several systems starting at about $100/month. Most systems charge for the number of unique phone numbers you want, the number of visitors that hit online properties using one of these numbers and the duration of calls to these numbers.
Mongoose Metrics has a $120 package that includes 20 unique phone numbers, up to 1300 unique visitors, and 200 call minutes.
To learn how we can help your company to track leads that come in via phone calls, contact us today at 877-887-7611 or complete our online request form.
