This continuing call tracking discussion on Greg Sterling's blog frames a fundamental challenge within mobile local search: data quality. A quick search for plumbers on HelpHive returns 687 results (Los Angeles also returns 687 results so this is perhaps programmed by HelpHive). Search for Seattle Plumber with Google Maps and there are 2,368 results. Directories such as HelpHive aim to help consumers sort through these very unmanageable lists.
In my recent article on iMediaCONNECTION: "Left in the dark: How search fails at mobile local", I provide examples of base mobile local search data that is out-of-date, unverified by the business owner, inaccurate, poorly categorized, etc.
Our testing at FastCall411 has revealed that if /when the consumer calls the 2,368 results on Google, they will – on average - receive a disconnected number, busy signal or no answer about 700 times. About 700 times they will be connected to an answering machine or IVR (which may in turn connect to a live person or voice mail). The remaining consumers would be lucky to find a plumber who answers their phone. Of these, we can assume some will be available to serve the consumer's need and some will not.
Call tracking enables publishers to apply a level of analysis to a mostly unfiltered database of local merchants well beyond spidering the web. The call disposition (disconnect, busy, etc) provides insight into the status of the merchant that we could never uncover from a base listing or meta data alone. Further, examining average call length reveals even more about the interaction between the caller and merchant. While there are exceptions, I believe average call length – taken over a series of calls – is a great proxy for customer service. Unlike consumer reviews, the call detail records present empirical data.
The net result: plumbers who better serve their clients can be rewarded by tracking calls.
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3 comments:
Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!
Nice post. Call Tracking is a huge win for advertisers who employ a multi-channel strategy. From a single dashboard, marketers get a real-time view of their campaigns and can optimize campaigns on the basis of measurable results. -Jaime
Nice write-up! you bring up an interesting topic. Effectively, call tracking is to the phone what Web analytics is to the Internet. The ability to capture both click and call data is the holy grail of local advertising analytics. Even though it is reasonably priced, many advertisers and agencies don’t take advantage of this simple tool in their local ad campaigns.
Tina
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