WebProNews

Tag: Click to Call

  • AdWords Gets Local Google Forwarding Numbers

    Google announced the launch of local Google forwarding numbers, which local businesses will be able to display on their ads. The point is that these have local area codes, and may inspire more clicks/calls.

    Google says in an update on Google+, “Many people who search for local businesses prefer to call a phone number with a recognizable area code. That’s why starting today, ads with call extensions set up to use Google forwarding numbers can now show a local Google forwarding number, where available. Local Google forwarding numbers share the same area code as your business phone number, or a local area code for the same geographic region. For example, if your business is based in San Francisco, CA, your ads are eligible to use a 415 area code with your Google forwarding number.”

    “If you’d like to show a local Google forwarding number with your ad and already have a local phone number assigned to your call extension, you’re all set,” Google adds. “If you’ve assigned a toll-free number to your call extension and prefer to use a local Google forwarding number, update your call extensions settings.”

    The forwarding numbers are only available for numbers based in the U.S. Even some of those numbers may not be eligible, but in those cases, the ad will continue to show a toll-free Google forwarding number.

    Google has a help center article discussing local forwarding numbers here.

    Image via Google

  • AdWords Gets New Call Conversion Features

    Last fall, Google launched calls as conversions for AdWords in the US, UK, and Germany. They recently expanded this functionality to Spain and Australia. The company says it will expand it to additional countries in the coming year.

    “In a constantly connected world, people rely on their mobile devices to engage with businesses on the go, at any time and from anywhere,” says product manager Anurag Agrawal. “From research to purchase, AdWords mobile click-to-call ads allow advertisers to connect with customers online in a relevant and meaningful way. In fact, over 40 million calls are made directly to businesses from Google ads each month and that number is growing.”

    Google is adding some new call conversion settings for those countries that have access. For one, advertisers will be able to assign conversion values to different call conversion types, so they can get a better idea which keywords and ads are generating more valuable phone calls.

    “For example, a local bank might assign more value to a 10-minute call about opening a new savings account than a 30-second call enquiring about branch hours,” says Agrawal.

    Advertisers can also use ROAS to automatically maximize call conversion value across campaigns with auction-time bid adjustments that take into account device, location, and time of day. The bank, in this case, can drive more phone calls that result in higher conversions.

    Advertisers can also customize call conversion names, categories, and conversion windows. The bank could, for example, report on calls for Savings Accounts and Branch hours as different conversions.

    Google shares a new white paper on click-to-call here.

    Image via Google

  • Bing To Launch Skype-Integrated Click-To-Call Mobile Ads This Year [Exclusive]

    As previously reported, Microsoft has some new ad products for the Yahoo Bing Network on the way this year. Notably, we should be seeing Bing product listing ads (similar to Google’s) before the year’s over.

    Microsoft Search Network GM, David Pann, tells WebProNews that we will also see a new ad format in the form of “Click To Call” (also much like Google’s offering). Bing’s take on the ad format will be the result of a partnership with Skype (which, of course, Microsoft acquired in 2011).

    The ad format will be available on mobile, tablets and PCs, and Skype’s different types of calls “could be on the roadmap” he says.

    Skype already has a click to call offering (pictured), but it doesn’t actually show an ad for the business. “Instead when the Skype plug-in is installed in the users’ browser on a PC, and the business listing is appearing organically on any web page, then it allows the user to click on the listing on the webpage to call that business for free using Skype,” explains Microsoft.

    The click-to-call functionality for Bing Ads will show advertisers’ ads in search ads when the user is searching for info that’s relevant to the business or category. It will also offer call analytics functionality for search advertisers.

    Bing appears to be paying attention to what is working with AdWords and trying to emulate, or improve upon it for the Bing Ads experience. Pann said of Bing’s sitelinks format, that advertisers come over with the mentality of “It performs well over there [Google], so it will here too.” Surely, they’re counting on a similar mentality with click to call and product listing ads (which have been paying off quite nicely for Google).

    Pann says they’e adopted a philosophy of trying to do in 15 minutes for advertisers what AdWords can do in 45 minutes.

    He also said we can expect Bing to launch Bing Ads Express within the first half of the year. It’s currently in beta. This is aimed at smaller advertisers, and will essentially figure everything out for them in the matter of a couple clicks.

    Pann says Microsoft has been launching new mobile capabilities for Bing Ads somewhere in the world every week, and at least once a month in the U.S.

  • Google Expands Its Click-To-Call Ad Feature

    Google has been working on expanding its click-to-call ad feature in a few different ways. Today in a blog post, Google provided an update about what it’s been doing.

    The company recently introduced a click-to-call button for ads using Call Extensions. Google says early results indicate that the new design has positively impacted advertiser click-through rates and call volume.

    Google is expanding the availability of call forwarding numbers. The feature has been available in the United Staes and in the United Kingdom, but it’s now being expanded into Germany, and to more countries in the coming months.

    Google has also expanded Call Extensions for ads showing in apps on the Google Display Network.

    “Mobile technology is making it easier than ever for people to research products and connect with businesses while they’re on the go,” says Google Mobile Search Ads product manager Anurag Agrawal. “But we all know that sometimes it helps to speak to a real person before making a purchase decision. In fact, research shows that 52% of smartphone users have called a business after looking for local information on their mobile devices. Calls are key in helping consumers connect with businesses in the digital age, so incorporating a click-to-call strategy on mobile is crucial for any company that does business over the phone.”

    “Companies big and small have put click-to-call functionality front and center in their mobile ads to reach customers on the go, and have seen impressive results,” says Agrawal. “For instance, Comcast incorporated click-to-call ads into their mobile strategy, and now find mobile drives more than 10% of online sales. Esurance also reduced their cost per acquisition by 20-30% compared to other channels by using Google mobile ads with click-to-call. With more than 20 million calls made through Google click-to-call ads each month, it’s clear that mobile works when driving calls to businesses. In fact, our studies have shown that adding Call Extensions to mobile ad campaigns have improved advertisers’ average click-through rates by about 6-8%.”

    Google says advertisers using call forwarding numbers see calls last over six minutes on average.

  • Google: Click-to-Call Ads Can Reduce Costs by 30%, Boost Conversions

    Google is talking about how the click-to-call ads it introduced earlier this year are reducing acquisition costs for advertisers.  The company points to a case study from Esurance.

    Jesse Haines with Google’s Mobile Ads Marketing Team writes, "Esurance developed an iPhone app that provides users with quotes, insurance information and claim resources. They also launched mobile optimized landing pages for the campaign so that potential customers could easily get information via the mobile web.  Additionally, Esurance ran click-to-call ads on both feature and high-end mobile phones.  With click-to-call, an interested person could get in touch with an agent to obtain a personal quote in just a few steps.  To track the results of the campaign, Esurance used unique 800 numbers in their ads and optimized performance as soon as the campaigns went live."

    "The results were impressive. Esurance significantly reduced acquisition costs, acquiring customers at 30% less than through other marketing channels," continues Haines. "They also boosted conversion rates.  Click-to-call mobile ads drove a 30%-35% higher response and a 5-10% lower cost per click on mobile than on online."

    Google Esurance Ad

    The full case study is here. In it, Esurance’s director of online marketing Tolithia Kornweibel says, "Google mobile ads with click-to-call allow us to put an interested person in touch with a licensed insurance agent or dedicated claims representative, or obtain a personal quote on a mobile phone in just a few simple steps. Google’s mobile advertising solution is not only more convenient and faster for customers, but also is a less expensive lead acquisition vehicle for us."

    Have you used Google’s Click-to-Call ad? Have they been successful for you? Let us know.

  • Google Improves Click-To-Call Ads With Phone Extensions

    A little more than a month ago, Google introduced click-to-call phone numbers in local ads on smartphones.  Now, the popular program’s undergoing an expansion as Google’s made it easier for large companies to take advantage of the offering.

    A post on the Inside AdWords blog explained today, "[W]e’re bringing the same click-to-call benefits to national advertisers through phone extensions.  Phone extensions allow you to add a phone number that will be displayed whenever your ad is triggered, regardless of the user’s location."

    Here’s the upshot, then: "This enables customers to connect with your business by phone directly from the ad and can be especially useful if you have a call center to handle customer inquiries."

    Advertisers should profit as a result of this development, considering that phone calls are more likely than clicks to lead to purchases.  Google looks set to make a lot of money, too, since this move will encourage corporations with big advertising budgets to give click-to-call ads a shot.

    Perhaps the only losers will be the companies that don’t adapt quickly.  They’ll risk losing sales to competitors with more eye-catching and actionable ads.

  • Google Introduces Click-To-Call Numbers In Ads

    The best ad – from the perspective of both users and advertisers – is often something that will immediately let the two sides connect.  Google’s taken an intelligent step forward, then, by allowing businesses to include clickable phone numbers in their mobile ads.

    This should save people who want to call companies a fair amount of time they might otherwise have to spend navigating a site.  It’ll also spare some smartphone owners the slight embarrassment of having to copy down a phone number on paper while using their multi-hundred dollar devices.

    Google’s thought of one other way to make things easy on consumers, too.  A post on the Google Mobile Blog explained, "[T]he ads and phone numbers you see are based on your location.  So, if a store or restaurant has multiple locations, you’ll be calling the nearest one, and not making reservations in some other city."

    Finally, let’s not forget that advertisers should appreciate this new option.  According to Google, participants in beta trial saw improved click-through rates and a more or less overall boom in business.

    Given all of these advantages, click-to-call mobile ads are liable to become quite popular in the near future.

     

    Related Articles:

    > Google Gives Mobile Users A Link To Popular Images

    > Google Analytics Annotations Now Available To All

    > Google Launches Cost-Per-Call Tracking For TV Ads