Call Tracking and Return on Investment (ROI) Tracking

Data and statistics are interesting numbers to analyze. These numbers are the eyes into the soul of your direct marketing campaign. And, the data and statistical numbers give you an understanding of your target audience’s behavior and values. This allows for a better way to strategize your marketing approach and have a successful return on your investment. Measuring the data and analyzing the statistics can be done in a number of different ways. Call tracking is one way that is both reliable and efficient as it gathers data about your leads and customers.
Call tracking statistical numbers provide valuable data about which mailers produce calls and which ones don’t. Not only can they tell you which ad content works, the color combinations that attract, the size of the mailer that is the most effective, but they can tell you which call to action makes people respond, what geographic location should you put your targeting efforts, and which offers all produce telephone response calls. All of this information can be gathered simply by putting a special phone number on your direct mailing piece. Tracking telephone numbers are used to track each of your traditional and online advertising channels, so that you always know which ads are performing. The numbers are included in the direct mail pieces and a different telephone number in your online campaigns. When a call comes in, you will know just from the phone number, which channel produced the call. Call tracking can help you increase your direct mail campaign and its impact and effectiveness.
A special call tracking number can sometimes confuse a customer since it is different than your businesses main number. But, don’t worry about that when establishing a new phone number because that percentage of people who are confused is so low that most people think of a different number as being just a different department! There are also ways to make a phone call with just a click of a button. With a smart phones being used by just about everyone, click to call buttons have become key sales drivers. Seventy percent of those using a mobile will use call links to connect with a business. Use these buttons on your website and emails.
The biggest issue in tracking your phone calls that come in from a direct mail campaign is having the right staff to handle the incoming calls. The next issue is the training of that staff to convert the phone calls to sales. These types of calls require people to be fluent in talking to strangers and getting the caller to follow through with a sale. They need scripts that are written and stated in a way that inspires a purchase. The tracking phone number allows your staff to know what campaign or site the caller came from as soon as the phone rings. Because of that information, your staff should be able to tailor the conversation and be prepared with the best pitch. As calls come in, your staff will track conversions and sales amounts for each call. They should use a call log interface that enters the call and the conversion information or they could use a post call survey when the call has ended. Your return on investment reports should start filling in with your data, showing you important statistics for each direct marketing channel that you are using with information such as the conversion rate, the cost per call, revenue, calls, and return on investment.
Probably the best use of this data, is for the purpose of staffing, training and the performance and result of each phone call. The information can track a staffer’s performance on both inbound and outbound calls. You can see how long they have been on the phone, how many calls they missed and even record the conversation. Management can see what they are doing both right and wrong and set goals for each individual person on the call team. The time of the call, its length and the pause between each call can also be tracked. Another feature can be to see how much revenue each member of the staff brought in and their performance can be monitored. The tactics they use for their success can also be studied and then replicated by the rest of the sales team.
Use call tracking reporting for forecasting and planning. You can set future marketing budgets because they will be based on the revenue that was achieved from the past campaigns return on investments. Staffing needs and budgets can be set when there is a concrete number from previous campaigns that yielded a certain level of conversion rates and revenue needs. Create a model of what different conversion rates and average conversion amounts would do to overall revenue and staffing requirements.