With the rapid growth of Pay Per Call in recent years, many companies are taking a second look at this valuable marketing tool. For those companies that exist in industries where there is no replacement for speaking directly to customers on the phone, Pay Per Call is the ultimate solution to increase brand awareness, generate new customer leads, and make high-value connections through phone calls.
The one question that often lingers in the minds of those still pondering Pay Per Call is, “how do you define a quality call?” The answer to this question is simple: You define the quality!
Duration: The Common Myth in Value
If you work with a distribution partner on Pay Per Call that swears by duration as the sole definer of call quality, it’s time to find a new partner. Duration of a phone call is often held up by some as the best way to quantify the value of a call, with the assumption being that the longer you’re on the phone with a customer the more likely you are to make a sale, or at the very least earn a chance to talk them into it.
The reality is that not all industries and businesses require long duration in a phone call to seal the deal. In fact, longer durations can actually hurt small businesses because the more time spent on the phone with one consumer, the less time there is to answer the next call, and the one after that.
Learn More: Replay: Why Call Duration Is A Bad Measure of Lead Quality
Other Factors to Consider
Duration is just one factor worthy of consideration in evaluating your Pay Per Call campaign and determining what exactly constitutes a valuable call for your business. In the case of service industries, such as an automotive repair shop, short calls are going to have greater value than long calls. It only takes a few seconds to schedule an appointment.
Conversely, an insurance provider might have a slightly longer duration. Though you won’t sell an entire plan over the phone and still want to book appointments, consumer may have a few questions regarding your fees, available plans, and typical rates before asking for an appointment.
As you consider Pay Per Call or analyze your current campaign, remember that other factors can be used to determine value. For example, time of day, the region a call originates from, or even the day of the week can impact value. If you notice that business often experiences an uptick on weekend mornings, you can use an approach called Dayparting to boost the visibility of your Pay Per Call campaigns during weekend morning hours to drive more calls during this period.
You should also consider caller intent when judging value. If your business relies on customers booking appointments over the phone but many of your current Pay Per Call connections are long calls with consumers just asking for broad, generalized information, you’re attracting customers at the wrong point in the search funnel. They aren’t ready to buy yet.
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, what makes a Pay Per Call campaign generate high quality calls is determined by you. It’s up to you and your distribution partner to analyze the calls coming into your business to highlight trends in valuable call times and types, compared to low-quality calls.
Read More: What You Need to Know About Call-Only Campaigns and Quality Score