Over the years, we’ve partnered with a variety of software providers to help us better understand users, data, and opportunities. About two years ago we discovered Call Tracking Metrics and have been setting up our clients with it ever since. The platform allows us to gain insight into how users are finding our clients, the shortcomings they’re finding with their experience online, and the areas they most need more guidance before making a purchase.
Call Tracking and Content Strategy
Developing an effective content strategy involves paying close attention to how shoppers are using your website and identifying the areas where they need more information or give deeper insight into a product or your brand. But a shopper’s interaction with links and site navigation – no matter how well you track it – only tells part of the story. We’ve found a great way to fill in the missing pieces is through call tracking. Listening to the questions shoppers have, hearing the problems they encountered, and understanding to the context in which they interacted with your site can offer a new and valuable insights into your customer base that no amount of raw data could provide.
The Software
The software works by assigning unique, trackable phone numbers to your business that will show up online. Different tracking numbers are assigned to different channels, and a script will insert that number in place of the existing digits. For example, you can arrange for one number to show up for users clicking through from Adwords, while another will show up for those who came in through an organic result. Wherever your business’s primary number is written on your site, the software will replace it with the new tracking number.
Matching site visits and keyword data to incoming calls gives you insight into which search terms are leading to customer interaction. Geographic location and landing page are also tracked. This data in and of itself is extremely valuable; it can help you better understand keywords, geographics, and audience interest. But the real value from this software comes from the calls themselves.
Taking Action
A caller to a kitchen designer wonders if she should bring on an architect with her design process. A caller to a sheet metal fabricator wonders about the difference between Galvanized and Galvalume. A caller to a flashlight retailer inquires about the best AA powered devices. All of these questions can be expanded upon through blog posts, infographics, static pages, and new site categorization and they’re all being built in direct response to real customers with a real intent to buy. By addressing these questions immediately on the site, you’re helping to remove the uncertainties that keep people from making the decision to purchase.
The quality of certain keywords can also be extrapolated from the information gathered through this software. We found on one site that callers in the research phase of the buying cycle often came in through the same set of keywords. Once we discovered this trend, we were able to remove these keywords from our Adwords campaigns, eliminating the cost of clicks from users that were never, or rarely, intending to make a purchase.
Going Further
The interface allows you to score calls so you can come back and re-listen to highly scored interactions and investigate possible trends. It’s also an excellent way to keep track of areas where service representatives can improve – is something frequently being misrepresented? Are there answers that frequently go unanswered? All of this and more can be discovered by taking some time and listening to how customers and potential customers interact with the human side of your business.
Leveraging the Available Tools to Set Yourself Apart
As the volume of information available to shoppers continues to rise, the bar for stand-out content continues to rise alongside it. Gone are the days where “Good content” could work its way up the rankings, meaning you can no longer just crank out blog posts for the sake of having them and expect to see a return. Customers (And by extension search engines) expect truly valuable content to be presented, and what better way to find out what you customers value than hearing it directly from them? Along with social media, this is one of the most powerful tools available to monitor how your audience is feeling and what they want to know.
Call Tracking with IntuitSolutions
Give Call Tracking Metrics a look and see if it’s a right piece of software for your business. Our team of SEO experts manages over a dozen CTM accounts, and I’ve personally used the information from those accounts to craft successful content strategies that have brought us powerful returns. If you want to get serious about developing your content marketing efforts, this is a must-have piece of software.
