Well, it’s official. Mobile search has surpassed desktop search, and nearly two-thirds of Americans are smartphone owners. But mobile users aren’t only using their smartphones to surf the web; they’re also making phone calls.
Unlike the old days, mobile users don’t want to make a phone call by actually dialing numbers. That would be crazy. Mobile users are all about ease of use. Instead of just displaying a phone number, marketers need to go easy on their customers’ thumbs by letting them place a call with just one click. Thank you, click to call!
According to a Forrester research brief, companies can expect to see a 10% boost in inbound calls with click to call. And Invoca has seen call volume increase by as much as 56% in just a six-month period. So if you want to increase your call volume, here are some places you should be using click to call.
Did you know that 53% of emails are opened on mobile? If this is new info to you, it’s probably time to jump on the mobile-email-optimization bandwagon. Since more than half of emails are being viewed on a device with call capabilities, you can expect a better response from your customers if your mobile emails include a click to call button.
While scrolling through mobile paid search results, what businesses do you think will get the best response: those with a click to call button or those without? Google reports that ads with a phone number have 8% higher click through rates. Not only does click to call give your business more credibility, it also makes it super easy for customers to quickly contact you while researching products or when they’re ready to make a purchase. And when you’re paying on a per-click basis, would you rather send those clicks to a landing page or to a live person?
Facebook has a new local awareness objective that allows local businesses to add a “call now” button to their Facebook ad. This new feature lets customers call businesses right from their newsfeed. Customers don’t even have to go to your Facebook page and look for your phone numbers; it’s right there while they scroll.
When we talk about mobile optimized websites, we usually think about design and functionality that cater to a tiny screen. While those changes keep mobile customers on your site and make navigation easier, click to call makes it simple for them to get off your site and talk to you directly. Instead of searching through your mobile site for information, they can click a button and get quick answers straight from you.
I know what you’re thinking, “You can’t have clickable phone numbers in organic search.” Well, now you can. Google just announced that they’re testing click to call in their organic search results. Mobile searchers have already been able to use clickable phone numbers from ads and local listings, but now it’s available for all search results. It's a pretty exciting time to be a marketer.
Since you know that mobile is taking over, you’ve made all your content readable on mobile. Your content is super interesting and all your readers love you. Why not throw in a nice little call-to-action at the end of each post with a click to call button? Clearly they love you enough to read to the end of the article, so give them the opportunity to call you and tell you just how much they loved it.
When we say directory listings, we’re talking about apps like Yelp, OpenTable, YP, etc. Click to call is great on directory listings because people are usually looking for phone numbers when they use these apps. They want to be able to call you to make reservations, ask a quick question, or get directions.
Not every business is fancy enough to have its own app, but if your business does have an app, be sure to include a click to call option. For apps that require users to log in, keep a call button on the homepage in case your users want an easy way to connect with you without accessing their account.
And remember, if you’re doing any in-app advertising, try using click to call as your primary CTA. Today’s mobile user expects the option to connect with a business with the single tap of a button.
Now you know that you can pretty much use click to call anywhere. Mobile users want everything to be as simple as possible, and click to call is about as simple as it gets when it comes to contacting a business. So go easy on your customers, and make click to call available wherever they interact with your business.
Are you ready to learn more about the importance of click to call? Download your copy of Forrester's latest report, Brief: Capture Customers With Click-To-Call.