Buyer's Guide to Call Tracking Software for Marketers

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EBOOK
Buyer’s Guide to
Call Tracking Software
for Marketers

Buyer’s Guide to Call Tracking Software for Marketers
The role that voice and the phone call play in marketing
and sales success has never been bigger. There were 30
billion inbound sales calls made to businesses in the U.S.
alone last year, and thanks in part to the popularity of
smartphones, that number is expected to reach 70 billion by
2016.
This great news for marketing and sales, since studies have
shown that inbound calls are the most valuable type of
lead, converting to revenue 10 times more than web clicks.
However, this re-emergence of voice is forcing marketers
to acknowledge that they have a critical blind spot that is
costing them business.
Simply put, CMOs don’t know what marketing programs
make their phones ring, and they can’t attribute sales
opportunities and revenue from those calls to the right
sources. Without this data, marketing teams struggle
to optimize campaigns, content, and marketing ROI to
generate more of the phone leads that sales managers value
most.
This is why 2014 is expected to be the year for call tracking
in marketing. Analyst firm BIA/Kelsey predicts call tracking
will become a $1 billion market this year, and the technology
will take its place alongside marketing automation and CRM
as the critical tools marketers rely on to accurately prove
and improve campaign ROI.
If you are considering implementing call tracking, it’s
important to know that not all call tracking technologies are
created equal. This buyer’s guide will:
• Explain the benefits of call tracking
• Describe the different types of call tracking technology
• Guide you on what questions to consider when
selecting a vendor
• Highlight cost and pricing models
Introduction
© 2014 Ifbyphone, Inc. | (866) 263-3808 | www.ifbyphone.com | twitter.com/Ifbyphone | Ifbyphone.com/blog
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Call tracking is a form of lead attribution and marketing
analytics technology. Marketers and lead gen agencies
use it to track inbound phone calls back to the specific
marketing sources that originated them, and then follow
those leads through the sales cycle to revenue.
How It Works: Call tracking technology lets you insert
unique trackable phone numbers (local, toll-free, or vanity) in
your marketing material. When someone calls that number,
the solution knows exactly what source they’re calling from.
Call tracking technology enables you to track inbound
calls back to any marketing source: online, mobile, or
offline. You can attribute phone leads (and the pipeline and
revenue they generate) to specific ads, campaigns, keyword
searches, referring websites, mobile, email and direct mail
blasts, content, social media, or any other marketing source,
including Google and Bing PPC.
If that lead goes on to become an opportunity or a
customer, you can tie those events back to the original lead
source. This allows you to understand and prove how your
marketing is generating phone calls, so you can optimize
performance and spend and ultimately drive more high-
quality phone leads, opportunities, and revenue for your
business or clients.
What Is Call Tracking?
© 2014 Ifbyphone, Inc. | ((866) 263-3808 | www.ifbyphone.com | twitter.com/Ifbyphone | Ifbyphone.com/blog
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Tracking Inbound Calls Is
Important, Especially in Mobile
Search
70% of mobile searchers call a
business directly from search results.
61% of mobile seachers say it’s
important that businesses give
them a phone number to call.
33% of mobile searchers said
they would be less likely to refer a
brand to others or use the brand if
it didn’t offer an option to call.
Source: Google and Ipsos Research Study, September 2013

Simply put, call tracking technologies have become popular
because inbound calls are the most lucrative type of lead.
They are the leads sales team most want to receive, and
therefore the ones marketers most need to generate and
track.
Consider the following stats about inbound sales calls:
• Inbound sales calls are booming: There were 30 billion
inbound sales calls made to businesses in the U.S. alone
last year, and that number is expected to reach 70 billion
by 2016, according to BIA/Kelsey.
• The impact of mobile: The surge in mobile device
adoption and the continued growth in mobile advertising
are partly responsible, driving an influx of sales calls into
businesses. A 2013 study by Google found that 70%
of mobile searchers call a business directly from search
results. It makes sense: tapping a click-to-call link on your
smartphone is much easier than trying to fill out a web
form on your device’s tiny screen.
• Phone numbers encourage trust: That same Google
study also found that 61% believe it’s important that
businesses give them a phone number to call, and 33%
would be less likely to use and refer brands that don’t.
Consumers see phone numbers as a sign that a business
is trustworthy.
• Inbound calls drive revenue: According BIA/Kelsey,
61% of businesses consider inbound phone calls to
be excellent leads, more than any other type. It’s why
marketers are spending $68 billion annually on ads to
generate those sought-after inbound sales calls: phone
calls mean revenue.
This re-emergence of voice is forcing marketing and sales
teams to acknowledge that they have a critical blind spot
that is costing them business. The problem is twofold:
• First, CMOs don’t know what marketing programs are
making their phones ring, and they can’t attribute sales
opportunities and revenue from those calls to the right
sources. Without this data, marketing teams struggle
to optimize campaigns, content, and marketing ROI to
generate more of the phone leads that sales managers
value most.
• Second, marketing and sales teams can’t control how
inbound calls are routed and managed. They spend
resources and budget trying to generate high-value
calls, but then are forced to cross their fingers and hope
calls get routed to the right person right away and are
handled correctly.
Why Are Marketers Adopting Call Tracking?
4

Calls are undoubtedly critical to marketing and sales
success, but neither marketing nor sales have the right
tools to measure, optimize, and control them. Call tracking
technologies are the solution. They can eliminate this blind
spot by tracking phone calls back to their source and
through the sales cycle to revenue. That means you can:
• Calculate ROI and Other KPIs: You no longer have to
guess which campaigns are driving sales calls – and
you no longer have to bicker with sales or with your
agency clients about which phone leads you brought in.
Instead, you get a complete, detailed understanding of
which campaigns are generating calls and how those
leads are impacting pipeline and revenue.
• Optimize What Works: Even better, you can use call
tracking data to pinpoint which activities are working –
and which aren’t – and make improvements. You can
focus resources and budget on the campaigns, ads,
keywords, and content that are actually driving leads
and revenue while eliminating those that aren’t.
5
Even Online Shoppers Want to
Talk
77% of online shoppers say they would
be interested in getting help from a real
person before making an online purchase.
82%say there have been times when
they have not been able to get help from a
real person.
58% have a question that cannot be
answered by information on the web site.
52% of those who have not been able
to get help from a real person say it has
affected their decision to not purchase the
product.
Source: IMShopping and Harris Interactive Survey, August 2009

6
While call tracking is a relatively new technology, it has
evolved quickly. And the truth is that not all call tracking
technologies are created equal. There are currently
three different “generations” of call tracking available for
marketers to use: first, second, and next – with each new
generation building on the previous one’s functionality.
In order to help you make an informed decision about what
kind of call tracking will work best for your needs, let’s look
at the types available.
About First-Generation Call Tracking
First-generation call tracking is the most basic and can be
used for offline advertising (such as print ads, direct mail
campaigns, TV or radio spots, billboards, or trade show
materials), some content marketing (like tracking calls from
eBooks, presentations, webinars, and brochures), or email
blasts.
You can use first-generation call tracking software to
procure unique phone numbers to manually insert in your
marketing materials. You then attribute those numbers in
the call tracking software to their respective sources, and
configure, schedule, and generate real-time and historical
web-based reports on phone leads.
What first-generation call tracking can’t do, however, is
track calls from online and mobile ads (including Google
PPC search ads), SEO terms, banner ads, and web pages.
It also lacks tools to help you optimize conversations by
scoring, routing, recording, and managing inbound calls.
About Second-Generation Call
Tracking
Second-generation call tracking software gives you all the
abilities and functionality of first-generation call tracking,
but it also enables you to track calls from online and
mobile sources. This is important if you run lead generation
campaigns using Google, Bing, or other PPC ads, banner
ads, social media ads, and other campaigns that send
people to online or mobile web pages. It’s also important if
you want to understand which SEO terms people used to
find you before they called, and what web page they called
from.
Second-generation call tracking works by using a technique
called dynamic number insertion (DNI). DNI automatically
displays a unique call tracking phone number on your web
pages based on how that visitor came to your site. However,
it also lacks the tools marketers need to control what
happens to calls when they come in.
The Different Types of Call Tracking Technology

About Next-Generation Call Tracking
The latest evolution of call tracking is called next-generation
call tracking. It gives you all the abilities and functionality
of first- and second-generation call tracking, but it also
has tools that enable marketers to optimize conversions by
controlling what happens to phone calls once they come
in, including automated call scoring, routing, and recording
functionality. And it includes tools that work with the phone
to help you generate more leads.
Phone Lead Scoring: Qualify and Filter Inbound
Calls with an IVR
Chances are that not every inbound call you generate will be
ready to engage with a sales rep. Many might not be. And
you don’t want to waste a sales reps’ time by having them
field incoming calls from leads that aren’t sales-ready.
Next-generation call tracking makes it easy to filter your
inbound calls from any source automatically using an IVR.
IVR stands for interactive voice response. It is a telephone
technology that people interact with using their voice
or phone keypad to answer questions or acquire data.
Marketers can build their own IVRs (see Figure 1) that they
can direct callers to from their campaigns to be qualified.
The IVR can answer calls and ask callers the questions
you determine work best to qualify them for that particular
campaign.
For example, if you are using the BANT (budget, authority,
need, timeline) model to score leads, you can pose those
questions to learn if callers are really qualified. Leads that
score high enough can be passed automatically from the
IVR to a sales rep for an immediate conversation.
7
Figure 1: Example of post-support customer satisfaction IVR survey built using Ifbyphone.

8
It’s the same principle you use when inserting qualifying
questions on your web forms. But the IVR results are often
better because leads can be passed to sales right away to
have a conversation. With web leads you have to wait for a
sales rep to view the lead, dial their number, and hopefully
get the lead on the phone. That could take several call
attempts, if it happens at all. With IVRs, the conversation is
instantaneous, and the lead doesn’t grow cold.
Phone Lead Routing: Forward Phone Leads in
Different Ways
Next-generation call tracking enables you to control not
only which callers get passed to sales, but also where and
to whom they get passed. Because next-generation call
tracking can tell which ad, search keyword, web page,
content, marketing campaign, or other source a person
is calling from, you can route calls differently for different
clients, campaigns, and marketing sources.
Call routing options include:
• Route by schedule: Create call routing based on a
business’s office hours, time zones, weekends, holidays,
and more.
Beacon Technologies Sees
Over 400% Higher ROI with
Call Tracking
Beacon Technologies is a web technology and
marketing agency. Beacon uses Ifbyphone as the
critical link between online marketing spend and
offline phone call conversions.
For one client, Beacon used unique phone numbers
from Ifbyphone to track call activity from sites like
Lawyers.com, FindLaw.com, Google Local, and social
media outlets. They now understood which channels
were working and adjusted spending accordingly.
The end result was a significant increase in ROI.
“A lot of companies don’t just get leads that take
place on the web. Consumers often pick up the
phone and call,” said Brad Henry, Director of Web
Marketing at Beacon. “It’s important to know where
that lead originated, particularly if the web is involved,
in order to optimize marketing initiatives moving
forward.”

9
• Route by agent: Ensure that the best performing
sales reps receive the most calls by routing a certain
percentage to specific agents.
• Route by geography: If a business has multiple
locations or assigns leads based on territory, set up
incoming phone calls to be routed based on the caller’s
location.
Record and Transcribe Inbound Calls to Prove
Quality
Next-generation call tracking software can also record
and transcribe inbound calls from your lead generation
campaigns. If you do lead generation for clients, call
recordings and transcriptions can help you verify and prove
the quality of phone leads. But even if you do lead gen
for your own company, these records provide a wealth of
information for marketing and sales to mine, including:
• What terminology leads use
• How they describe their pain points
• The sticking points sales have to overcome
• The sales approaches that work best to close deals
Lead Generation: Convert Web Form Leads
into Instant Sales Calls
If you do lead gen campaigns where leads need to be
contacted fast, next-generation call tracking can help. It
has web form triggering functionality that can help generate
a phone conversation between a sales rep and a web lead
seconds after they fill out a web form. Here’s how it works:
1. Whenever a lead completes a web page form and clicks
submit, next-generation call tracking immediately calls
your sales rep and “whispers” the lead’s information in
their ear. This can include the name of the form that was
downloaded, the lead’s name, and their phone number.
2. If the rep decides to accept the call, the software will
automatically call the lead and connect both parties
over the phone.
Web form triggering can work for any type of web form,
including Request a Demo forms, Contact Us forms, or the
forms on any of your Google PPC landing pages. It can
be a very effective strategy for improving the number of
Google PPC leads and other web form leads that convert to
opportunities and revenue.

10

Next-Generation
Call Tracking
• All the functionality of first- and
second-generation call tracking
+ Clean toll-free, local, and
vanity phone phone
numbers
+ IVR for capturing and
scoring phone leads
+ Custom call routing
+ Call recording and
transcription
+ Advanced call analytics
reports
+ Web form triggering
+ Voice broadcasts
Summary of Call Tracking Types
First-Generation
Call Tracking
• Trackable toll-free, local, and
vanity phone numbers
• Call tracking for offline ads,
content marketing, and email
• Web-based reports on call
volumes
• Manager dashboards
Second-Generation
Call Tracking
• All the functionality of first-
generation call tracking
+ Call tracking for online and
mobile ads, SEO, and web
pages
+ CRM and Salesforce
integration
+ Google Analytics,
Universal Analytics,
and Google Adwords
integration
+ Integration with bid
management software

11
Implementing the right call tracking solution can help you
optimize your marketing efforts, shorten your sales cycle,
and drive more revenue. In order to select the right vendor
for you, here are some important questions to consider
asking:
Does Your Call Tracking Software
Integrate with Salesforce and Other
CRMs?
While call tracking software can be used as a standalone
platform, some technologies also integrate with CRM
systems like Salesforce. All call tracking data is passed to
the CRM, so you can generate reports that include phone
lead data along with the web leads and other lead types you
generate for clients.
If you use a CRM system, be sure to inquire about
integration options with each call tracking vendor you speak
with. CRM integration enables you to follow each phone
lead through the sales cycle so you can understand how
each of your marketing sources is driving opportunities and
revenue from phone leads.
Also, ask if data is passed to the CRM in real time so sales
managers can see lead source data before they answer
calls, or if it is only done via a data dump once a day?
Can You Include Call Data in Google
Analytics and Universal Analytics?
Many companies use Google Analytics to better understand
activity on their web site. In 2013 Google took their analytics
platform to the next level with the release of Universal
Analytics, which gives businesses the ability to view not just
web activity, but also data on offline interactions, mobile
app traffic, and other sources – all in the same interface.
A few call tracking vendors can integrate their call tracking
data with both Google Analytics and Universal Analytics
and add the critical phone data piece to Google’s marketing
analytics puzzle. Be sure to ask vendors if they integrate
with both, as Google is pushing most Analytics users to
move to their new Universal Analytics platform.
What to Consider When Evaluating Call Tracking
Technologies

12
How Clean Are Your Call Tracking
Numbers, Really?
Many call tracking vendors sell phone numbers that are
“dirty,” meaning they receive calls from past advertising
campaigns with other businesses. If you use one of these
dirty numbers to track marketing, it can ruin the validity of
your data. Ask the call tracking vendor how they clean their
numbers. Do they put their phone numbers through rigorous
call “cleansing” processes before they give them to you,
ensuring the accuracy of your data? If so, how?
Can Your Call Tracking Software
Automatically Route Calls to the Right
Sales Rep?
Generating a higher volume of inbound calls is fantastic,
but as a marketer, what you really want to do is drive
opportunities and revenue. That means you need to be sure
inbound calls are getting sent to the best people to convert
them. Few call tracking vendors offer intelligent call routing
options, so be sure to ask what they provide.
Call Tracking Helps
WiderFunnel Show a 42%
Increase in Phone Calls for
Client
WiderFunnel, a marketing optimization agency, was
engaged by Saint Jude Retreats to increase phone
leads from their web site, since phone inquiries were
more likely to convert into sales.
To do it, WiderFunnel designed several web landing
page variations optimized for phone call inquiries
and used Ifbyphone to track calls from each page.
The result: WiderFunnel measured a 42% increase in
phone calls from their landing pages, demonstrating a
significant boost in business for Saint Jude Retreats.
“Ifbyphone’s call tracking tools and customer support
is second to none. Ifbyphone played an integral
part in measuring the success of our landing page
optimization efforts, and we couldn’t be any happier
with the results,” said
Daniel G. Hidalgo,
Marketing Director of
Saint Jude Retreats.

13
How Reliable Is Your Call Tracking
Platform’s Infrastructure?
Once you start using call tracking in your campaigns, the
last thing you want is for the software to fail and your phone
stops ringing completely. Some call tracking vendors are
extremely reliable and have processed hundreds of millions
of inbound calls successfully, but many others have not. Be
sure to ask what carrier supports their platform and how
many calls their call tracking software has successfully
processed.
Will You Have the Proper Support to
Help You Along the Way?
It’s important to ask potential vendors what kind of support
they offer, how much it costs, and if you will able to get
them on the phone and get help when you need it. When
working with a call tracking solution, proper implementation
is key to getting the most value. This is true especially when
you are tracking digital campaign sources like online and
mobile PPC search ads, as they can be complex and require
specific expertise to configure.
A vendor who has Google-certified call tracking specialists
on staff and available to take your call will be a big benefit to
you and to the overall value you receive from implementing
call tracking.
Some Other Questions to Consider
Asking Vendors
• Do you specialize in mobile or online call tracking? Can
you track calls back to specific search keywords and
PPC ads?
• Can you include your call conversion data in Google
AdWords?
• Do you offer negative match, where you can identify
and exclude chosen sources like SEO or PPC branded
searches, specific keywords, and domains?
• Do you offer “whisper” messages to announce how
each caller found you to your agents before they accept
the call?
• Do you offer a call recording option?
• Can I route callers to sales agents who are travelling or
working from home? Can they answer get those calls on
their home or mobile phones?
• Do you offer both toll-free and local phone numbers?
Do I own these numbers?

14
• What tools are available for an agency managing call
tracking for multiple clients?
• Can you generate reports on call activity for each sales
agent?
• Does your software integrate with bid management
software like Acquisio and Kenshoo?
• Does your software integrate with the business
applications I already use? Are there API integration
capabilities and how do they get data out?
• Is there the option of custom integrations?
Be Sure to Get a Personal Demo
After you’ve done preliminary research, you should sign up
for product demos, talk to sales reps, and take notes on
features that you are interested in. Comparing features can
help you understand what you’ll be able to achieve and how
the solution capabilities align with your goals. Remember
that not every vendor can do everything you want, so it’s
important to determine your priorities upfront so you do not
have to select multiple ad-hoc vendors later.
Some Final Items to Consider Before
Making Your Decision
After looking at the technology, you may wish to consider a
few other things before making your final decision:
• Trust: Do they have references? What other businesses
in your industry are using their solution? How are they
using it? What results have they experienced? Are there
tips you can use to help maximize ROI?
• Implementation: Will they help you get started? If you
decide to go with a vendor, do they have programs in
place to help you get started? How long will it take to
get up and running? You should also consider testing
calls before your launch to insure reliability and detect
any potential problems.
• Scale and Flexibility: One of benefits of a purchasing a
call tracking solution is that it can be applied to virtually
any form of marketing scenario. Even if all you want to
do is call tracking for a simple print campaign where the
calls go to one sales agent today, you might optimize
your marketing to do digital ads and expand your sales
force to include many agents working in many locations
tomorrow. You want to select a call tracking vendor that
can meet the needs you have today, as well as those
you will need tomorrow as you continue to evolve.

15
Most call tracking solutions are delivered via the cloud and
sold as a recurring subscription. Some offer their services
as a monthly subscription that can be cancelled at any time,
though you should inquire about their cancellation policies
before you sign up.
The main factors determining the cost of a subscription are:
• Functionality: Call tracking software is often sold in
different tiers or packages, where you pay more for
advanced features. You should discuss this with your
vendor to ensure you get the best package for your
needs.
• Phone numbers and usage minutes: Many packages
include a certain number of phone numbers and calling
minutes per month, and then charge extra when you
exceed that amount. It’s important to determine your
estimated tracking volume so that you’re not surprised
by the cost.
• Customer support: Some providers have free customer
support, but others will charge you extra.
One final note on cost: some vendors also have monthly
minimums built into their contract which you must pay
regardless of your usage level that month, so it’s wise to ask
about those as well.
Cost and Pricing Models
Not All Call Tracking Providers
Are Created Equal
Not every call tracking provider has the technology
to properly track every type of marketing source. And
many also lack the technology to route and manage
inbound calls.
When talking to a call tracking vendor, be sure to ask if
they offer the following functionality:
• Full attribution down to the keyword level
• The ability to track SEO as well as PPC
• Customizable session times
• Negative keyword matching
• Real-time reporting
• Customizable phone routing options once the call
comes in
• Dynamic whisper messaging
• Integrations with web analytics, CRM, and bid
management technologies
• Support from Google-certified experts

16
The value of fully understating the call tracking
implementation process and ownership cannot be stressed
enough. A solution is only effective if you use it, and
implementation is just the starting point on the road to
success. A call tracking playbook that is tied back to your
business goals and objectives will allow you the ability to
discover real value out of what you purchased and help you
assess and adjust your strategy along the way.
Develop a Call Tracking Playbook
Tips for Selecting the Right
Vendor
• Carrier Support: The carrier support behind the call
tracking technology is critical. Think of the impact
on your business if the call tracking technology
goes down and calls stop coming in.
• Call Management: True marketing ROI is measured
in opportunities and revenue. You don’t want to
just lob inbound calls over the fence at sales and
hope everything magically works out. You should be
able control call routing to ensure the best possible
outcome for those phone leads.
• Integrations: It is important to know how you will
be able to get your data out of the call tracking
solution. Do they have an API? Custom integrations?
This is especially true if you are also using a CRM
solution like Salesforce.

17
Summary
Inbound calls have re-emerged as the most effective
channel for generating high-quality leads and closing
business. Smart marketers are looking for a call tracking
solution that allows them to effectively measure, optimize,
and control inbound calls, get credit for the phone calls they
generate and identify which campaigns are making their
phones ring.
There are many call tracking options and the decision-
making process is often complicated. This guide is intended
to ease that process by helping you understand the benefits
of call tracking, the types of technology available, and
questions and tips to help you make an informed buying
decision for your business.
Next Steps
Call Ifbyphone today at (866) 263-3808 to learn
how Ifbyphone can help you grow your business.
You can also request a demo of Ifbyphone’s call
tracking solution at www.ifbyphone.com.

About Ifbyphone
Ifbyphone, the leader in voice-based marketing automation
(VBMA), connects, measures and optimizes sales and
service calls for businesses and organizations. Ifbyphone’s
VBMA solutions capture and manage phone leads and
information that often slip through the cracks of traditional
marketing automation and CRM software solutions.
The Ifbyphone product suite is a set of software-as-a-service
applications including call tracking, hosted IVR (interactive
voice response), call routing, virtual call center and voice
broadcasting. Organizations of all sizes in all industries use
Ifbyphone, including marketing agencies, lead generation,
e-commerce, direct response, financial services and
insurance, health care, retail and logistics, and SaaS and
technology. For more information, visit www.ifbyphone.com
© 2014 Ifbyphone, Inc. All rights reserved.
www.ifbyphone.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ifbyphone
Facebook: http://facebook.com/ifbyphone
(866) 263-3808
300 West Adams Street, 9th Floor
Chicago, IL 60606

Buyer's Guide to Call Tracking Software for Marketers

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Buyer's Guide to Call Tracking Software for Marketers