There is nothing flashy about Pay Per Call marketing campaigns. Not only do they lack the flair of other affiliate marketing campaigns, many people do not fully respect the value that PPC campaigns can have for small businesses. The popularity of call monetization platforms is on the rise, with mobile call volume for SMBs expected to hit 65 billion by the year 2016. Believe it or not, there is a great deal of value in Pay Per Call for SMBs. However, small businesses, especially those in specific industries, need to learn how to maximize the effects of these marketing campaigns.
Professional service industries, such as automotive services, plumbers, and roofers, have the greatest potential to maximize the effects of a PPC campaign, but also tend to miss out on that opportunity more because of their small business stature. The following tips can help these SMBs in specific industries get back on track and take full advantage of Pay Per Call marketing.
Track All Marketing Channels to Understand Customer Journey
It is not always easy for SMBs to see the return on investment from marketing dollars. The marketing solution a small business chooses needs to track all sources and marketing channels in order to accurately determine the effectiveness of the overall campaign. This means tracking a customer’s journey to the SMB by watching channels such as paid media, ad displays, social media, organic searches, and even referrals.
This will help the small business understand the customer’s journey to its doorstep, and at the same time evaluate the effectiveness of the marketing scheme. SMBs need to have a marketing solution that tracks Pay Per Call marketing to keyword levels so future marketing funds can be spent creating keyword-optimized content and ads that are the most successful in driving calls.
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Call Extensions and Mobile Click-to-Call
Knowing where a potential customer is calling from is critical in determining how effective a PPC campaign is at driving business. Consider the impact this could have on a small, local plumbing business. When people need a plumber, they are often looking for someone to respond quickly. The quickest response is going to come from someone operating in the local area. Likewise, for the plumbing business, it doesn’t do much good to receive calls from customers outside the service area.
This small plumbing business can maximize its PPC campaign by bidding higher on specific regions where high-quality calls with longer durations frequently originate. This ensures that the SMB is spending more of its marketing money on locations that drive longer calls, lead to appointments, and create revenue.
Answer Calls, Return Missed Calls Quickly
For small businesses operating in specific, professional industries (such as our plumber above or a roofing company), success in a Pay Per Call marketing campaign depends upon answering the phone and communicating with customers. Plumbers and roofers don’t get paid for handing out advice over the phone, and rarely have retail locations where customers can buy parts and supplies.
These small businesses operate in service industries. If no one is answering the phone, the business is in trouble. The value of every inbound call will decay very quickly if the phone isn’t answered or a call isn’t returned as quickly as possible. Customers who don’t hear from a plumber or roofer quickly are going to move on to the next name on the list in search of service.
Professional services rely on appointments to drive sales. To get the most out of each inbound call, small businesses in these industries need to answer the phone and return missed calls quickly. Solid, reliable communication with customers creates appointments. More appointments mean more revenue for the business, but it all starts with answering the phone.
Read More: Improving The Customer Experience with Pay Per Call