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Is Your Web Site Working?

If you're marketing your business online, a phone call from prospects can be the best way to generate leads and measure the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. If you're like many business owners, you probably rely on your business Web site to promote your contact information to your visitors. But how do you know if your Web site is working to get you calls?

Consider this: you wouldn't put up a billboard or place an ad in the local paper without a prominent phone number, so why should your Web site be any different? If you want more calls from your Web site, the answer is simple: make your phone number easy to find and be sure to respond to each call you get to turn prospects into customers.

1. Give it a call to action

Effective Web site pages have a clear call to action for a visitor to take. In this case, it’s important to direct potential customers to call you. Pair your specific action with a compelling benefit and this will provide a visual cue for prospects to locate your phone number. Ultimately, this helps persuade them to take the action you want them to. A few examples of a call to action for your site could include: Call Now for a Free In-Home Estimate! (add number), Call Today to Book Your Appointment. Space is Limited!, or Emergency? Call our 24-Hour Hotline at ....

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2. Place your number at the top of every page

Yes -- on every page. Not just on your home page or “Contact us” page. That’s because consumers who are serious about contacting you to learn more about your products or services, get quotes, or book an appointment won’t just look at your home page -- they will peruse your Web site to look at product information, customer reviews, photos, and more.  It’s hard to know at what point they will make the choice to pick up the phone and call you, so make it as easy for them as possible; put your number at the top of every page, in an easy-to-see font and color. The easier your number is to locate, the more rapidly interested prospects will call you. 

3. Make sure your site is optimized for mobile devices

Did you know that 46% of consumers have relied solely on smartphones or tablets to find local businesses? And one-third of those consumers are specifically looking for your phone number. If you don’t have a mobile-optimized site, or your site does not have a quick click-to-call feature, think of all the mobile leads that you’re not getting. Having a mobile-friendly site for your advertising and organic marketing is imperative in today’s mobile world. So it’s time to invest in -- at minimum -- a mobile landing page with click-to-call functionality that will drive online prospects to you, so you’re not missing any more potential leads.

4.  Designate someone to answer the calls -- and to return them

The quickest way to lose a hot lead from your Web site is to keep it from becoming a lead at all -- for example, when they call a local business and listen to the phone ring and ring for what seems like an eternity. Or worse, when they leave a detailed voice mail, but never receive a call back. If you’ve experienced this when contacting another business, then you know what it feels like if a consumer has this experience with your business. 

To generate more business from potential customers who call, consider using a call recording system that will alert you when you receive a new call, so you have a means to review calls that are answered (either by your staff or by a voice mail system) and promptly call back any prospects that aren’t taken care of immediately. 

Studies have shown that 50% of consumers will go with the business that responds to them first, so make sure it’s yours.  Responding to calls could make all the difference in turning potential customers into actual customers.

 

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