While clicks, impressions, and online conversions may be the hippest thing in town, have you considered phone calls? I know what you’re thinking: “What?! I guess MeanPug is a team of dinosaurs that didn’t get the memo that phone calls are so 1997! I thought you were supposed to be that finger-on-the-pulse marketing agency!”
And I hear you, but riddle me this: if your business relies on phone calls for sales, customer support, or lead generation, you need to know what’s driving those calls. Enter call tracking, the not-so-secret weapon that connects your brand to real-world conversations.
What Is Call Tracking?
Call tracking is a tool marketing agencies use to assign a unique phone number to a particular marketing campaign, channel, landing page – whatever makes the most sense for your brand. When a customer calls that number, you can then trace the call back to the ad, keyword, or webpage that prompted them to call it. It’s like Google Analytics, but for phone calls; it gives you the data you need to plan your marketing strategy accordingly.
Some of the most popular call-tracking services include:
- CallRail – The good thing about CallRail is they offer a 14-day trial period so you can see if it’s truly for you. Starts at $50 per month, plus usage fees.
- CallTrackingMetrics – CallTrackingMetrics is recommended as the best service to track both inbound and outbound call data. Starts at $79 per month, plus usage fees.
- Invoca – Invoca prides itself on being the best AI call-tracking software out there. You can book a free demo with them, and pricing options are discussed thereafter.
How to Turn Call Tracking into a Superpower
Call tracking is one of the best tools you can incorporate into your business model. With call tracking, you can pinpoint which marketing efforts drove those high-quality phone leads everyone dreams of. The data that call tracking metrics can gather removes the guesswork from the equation – now, you’re free to make the decisions that maximize your ROI.
Imagine picking up the phone already knowing what the caller wants before you say “hello.” Now that’s something your client base will remember! Call tracking lets you customize the conversation, making communication smoother and more impactful.
Supercharge Your Paid Ads and Cut Wasted Marketing Spend
Call tracking helps you see which ads are driving the most calls. This information can help you tweak your copy and eliminate what could be a budget-wasting campaign so you can focus your efforts on what’s truly working.
With call tracking, you’ll know which channels are worth your budget and which ones to cut so you stop throwing money at ad campaigns that don’t deliver.
The Difference Between On-Site and Off-Site Call Tracking Numbers
Not all call tracking numbers are created equal. For instance, on-site numbers can be swapped out, depending on the source of web traffic. This means that if someone clicks on your Google ad, they’ll see a different phone number than if they landed on your site after an organic search or a referral.
Off-site numbers, on the other hand, are static. They’re the go-to option for places where a number stays visible, like billboards, print ads, and even certain online ads that don’t change based on the user. One of the best uses for off-site numbers is ad extension campaigns because these numbers can be attached to Google Ads, social media promotions, or even direct mail campaigns to give potential customers an easy, trackable way to call you directly.
By strategically using both types of numbers, you can tie every call to the right campaign. With smart call tracking, you’re not just running ads—you’re running a data-driven, conversion-maximizing machine!
Fine-Tune Your SEO and Content Strategy
Is that blog you posted last month about national truck accident statistics the reason for all those calls you’ve been getting lately? Or maybe it was that news story about the award your firm won last week. Call tracking lets you track inbound calls from organic search and blog content, giving you the info you need to create the content that converts.
Easily Track Your Offline Conversions
Digital metrics are great, but what about conversions that happen over the phone? Research shows that calls convert better than form submissions. Analyzing those trends can give you a more complete picture of how your marketing efforts are faring.
Marketing tools like Google Analytics, HubSpot, and Salesforce allow for call-tracking integration so you can keep all your data in one spot.
Collect More Information than You Ever Thought Possible
Think of call tracking as your marketing crystal ball—except it’s backed by data, not magic. It collects all the juicy details you could possibly want to know (maybe even too many!), like caller location, call duration, the time of day the call came in – even the exact ad or webpage that motivated the caller to call you. With this intel, you can fine-tune your strategy, adjust your budget, and get more bang for your marketing buck.
Picture this: Calls from a specific zip code start converting like crazy—now you know it’s time to up your ad spend in that area! Weekend calls leading to more appointments? Adjust your office hours and ride that wave of demand.
When you make decisions based on real numbers instead of guesswork, your marketing strategy goes from good to unstoppable.
Suss Out What’s Working and What’s Not
Gone are the days of wondering which campaign is bringing in the leads. Call tracking hands you a playbook by assigning unique phone numbers to different campaigns, landing pages, and even keywords. Now you can pinpoint exactly where your active leads are coming from and then double down on what’s working.
No more throwing money into the void. Call tracking can give you that kind of fine-tuned attribution where every dollar is accounted for, every effort is measured, and – most importantly – every success is repeatable. It’s not just about tracking calls—it’s about turning insights into action and making sure your marketing budget isn’t just spent but properly invested.
Call tracking isn’t just another tool in your marketing arsenal—it’s your competitive edge.
Local vs. Toll-Free Numbers: Which Is Best for Your Business?
Not all phone numbers are created equal. Should you use a local number or a toll-free one? The answer depends on your goals.
If you’re a law firm targeting clients in a specific city or region, a local number is your friend. People trust local businesses, so if you’re a Texas-based law firm, for example, and someone in Houston sees a 713 number on your website, they’ll be more likely to call than if they see an unfamiliar toll-free number that screams “corporate call center.”
On the other hand, if you’re handling mass tort cases or taking clients nationwide, a toll-free number might be the better move for you. A toll-free number tells clients you can take cases from anywhere, which is perfect for firms that want a broader reach.
Depending on your business, your real bread and butter may lie in more of a hybrid call tracking method. Hybrid call tracking uses local phone numbers for geo-targeted campaigns and a toll-free number for more national efforts. The beauty of call tracking is that it lets you assign different numbers to different campaigns so you can see what’s converting and where.
Of course, there’s also dynamic call tracking. This tech assigns a phone number in real-time based on the web visitor. So, a person who calls from City A would see a different number than someone who calls from City B. It can be a useful tool for firms with multiple offices throughout the state or country.
TL;DR: Call tracking isn’t one-size-fits-all. Try different methods to test what works best for you, then optimize from there.
Remember to Track Calls Responsibly
Before you go full throttle on call tracking, let’s talk compliance. Nothing kills a marketing buzz like a Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) or General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) violation.
Call tracking is legal, but there are rules. For one thing, you may need to disclose that calls are being recorded, depending on your state’s laws. Some states require two-party consent, meaning both the caller and the firm need to know the recording is happening. (Pro tip: Always err on the side of disclosure.)
Then there’s data privacy. If you’re using AI call analysis or integrating with a CRM, make sure your callers’ information is – and stays – secure. Use encrypted storage, restrict access to sensitive data, and keep your privacy policy airtight.
Yes, call tracking is a game-changer, but don’t let a misstep turn into a headache. Stay transparent, respect privacy laws, and you’ll be good to go.
Law Firm Use Cases
We know that law firms live and die by their leads. You’re not selling sneakers or lattes; you’re offering high-value services that people don’t impulse buy. That’s why phone calls are still the gold standard for lead generation in legal marketing.
Say you’re running a PPC campaign for a personal injury case. Without call tracking, you might see a bunch of clicks come in – but how many of those converted to consultations? With call tracking, you can trace every lead back to the exact ad, keyword, or landing page that convinced them to call. Suddenly, you’re not just throwing money at Google; you’re making informed decisions for your brand about where to double down and what to pivot away from.
Call tracking can integrate with your CRM, making lead intake and follow-ups seamless. You can use these tools to train your team so they can close more leads and reduce missed opportunities. You can measure things like peak call times and common questions clients ask – information that is insanely useful for beefing up marketing and staffing strategies.
If You’re Not Tracking Your Calls, You’re Missing Out
Call tracking offers game-changing data that elevates marketing strategies. (And your competitors are probably already using it.) Call tracking isn’t just a fancy add-on; it’s a must-have for businesses that rely on phone calls to drive revenue.
And here at MeanPug, we take call tracking even further with our brand-spanking-new Carly service, which can tell you at a glance if all the numbers you set up for call tracking are functioning as they should. So if this call tracking thing sounds like it might be your cup of tea, give the team at MeanPug a call (that’s right – on the phone!), and let’s have a discussion.
