Calls are generally the highest-volume source of leads for small businesses. The surprising part is that most small businesses aren't properly tracking where their leads come from.
They may use Google Analytics to track which referring channel drove an online lead submission, but for many local service-based businesses, most leads come from phone calls. If the business isn’t tracking those calls, it’s missing a major part of its marketing data.
At Rise Marketing Group, we specialize in local marketing, and a mandatory part of our playbook is setting up CallRail’s Call Tracking. This is a small investment compared to the true ROI that businesses can achieve when they finally understand which channels are driving real leads.
Most businesses advertising locally don't realize how important call tracking is. They may assume call tracking is only for large organizations with call centers. This couldn't be further from the truth. In this blog, we're going to detail the top three reasons why call tracking is important for local marketing.
Reason #1: You can’t trust leads to accurately tell you how they found you
Many local businesses don't believe they need to track calls because they simply ask every lead how they heard about them. This is a great practice, but there are massive holes in relying on this as your only source of attribution. Many times, leads give inaccurate or incomplete information.
For example, even if a lead gives the "right" answer and says they found your business on Google, we still need to know where on Google.
Did they call from your Google Maps placement?
Your organic search result?
A Google Ad?
Each of these sources is very common, and as data-driven marketers, we need to know where users are actually finding the business so we can refine our optimization efforts.
Another issue is that when users search online, they often assume they're on Google, but that's not always the case. In a recent example at Rise Marketing Group, through our tracking, I knew a lead came from Microsoft Bing. However, when I asked the lead where they heard of us, they said they searched us on Google. They were incorrect. They simply assumed they were on Google because most search engines look pretty similar. Further, on many non-Apple computers, the default search engine is Bing.
This is exactly why asking the lead is not enough. It can be helpful, but it is not reliable enough to make real marketing decisions.
Reason #2: You can finally prove which local marketing channels drive leads
Once Call Tracking is set up, you will have immediate insight into which marketing channels are actually driving phone calls.
When you understand the true ROI of your marketing efforts, you spend your budget better and grow faster. With call tracking, you'll be able to see which channels are driving the most efficient leads. Armed with this data, you can optimize your budgets based on what is actually working, not what you think is working.
Plus, this isn't just limited to search. Call Tracking can track all marketing channels, including but not limited to:
- Search ads
- Search engine optimization
- Social media
- TV
- Direct mail
- Billboards
This is especially important for local businesses because many of them are investing across multiple channels at the same time. Without call tracking, it becomes very difficult to know which efforts are actually producing leads.
Reason #3: You can improve lead quality, not just lead volume
With Call Tracking in place, you'll not only be able to see which channels are great at driving leads, but which channels are driving qualified leads.
Call Tracking includes call recording and transcripts, giving businesses visibility into what actually happened on the calls their marketing generated.
This is helpful for several reasons.
First, you can start optimizing your marketing budgets toward the channels that are driving the best leads. Not every lead is created equal, and profitable marketing campaigns means funding the campaigns that drive real business, not just generic inquiries.
A campaign may drive a high volume of calls, but if those calls are not qualified, it may not be the best use of budget. On the other hand, another channel may drive fewer calls but bring in higher-quality prospects who are more likely to become customers. Without Call Tracking (and call recording), it is very hard to know the difference.
Further, with call recording, the business owner can hear how the sales team is doing when fielding leads. Our team can often identify ways the business can drive more sales simply by improving the way calls are handled.
For example:
- Are calls being answered quickly?
- Are leads being asked the right questions?
- Are appointments being booked properly?
- Are good leads being lost because of poor follow-up or weak phone handling?
Call tracking gives businesses insight into both marketing performance and sales performance. That combination is incredibly valuable.
Final Thoughts
For local businesses, phone calls are often the most important lead source. If you are not tracking those calls, you are missing a major part of your marketing data.
Those investing in Google Ads, SEO, social media, print, direct mail, TV, or any other marketing channel, should not be view call tracking as optional. Without it, you are guessing.
Call Tracking helps you understand where leads are coming from, which channels are producing the best opportunities, and how your team is handling those opportunities once they come in.
With it, you can make smarter decisions, optimize your marketing budget, and drive more profitable growth.
