• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, August 3, 2016

According to the 2016 Call Intelligence Index published today by Invoca, a shift from offline to digital marketing spend, combined with the ubiquity of mobile, is increasing calls to businesses at an upward clip. The annual index analyzed more than 58 million calls across 40 industries, providing insight into the role of the phone call in today’s omnichannel customer journey.

This year’s Index found that, in 2015, digital channels drove 92% of calls to businesses, up from 84% in 2014. Additionally, the report finds more customer calls come from mobile search than from any other channel. Search and social features like Google call-only ads and convenient click-to-call buttons are further blurring lines between channels, making it easier for customers to call businesses on mobile.

Kyle Christensen, VP of marketing, Invoca, says “… as people use their phones to interface with the world around them… also calling businesses more… marketers… will thrive in this environment… who optimize for calls as an integrated part of their omnichannel strategies…”

The study reports that 79% of people switch devices during an activity, and that 63% of people complete a purchase offline after searching online. Marketers are responding to this trend by capturing call data and applying insights from those conversations into their email campaigns, retargeting ads and search marketing.

• Calls are supplementing digital interactions as customers move between mobile search, web, social, display, email and apps. Online channels, including desktop search and display advertising, drove 38% of phone calls in 2015, representing a 23% rise from 2014. Offline channels, including TV, radio and newspaper ads, drove half as many calls in 2015 (8%) as in 2014 (16%).
• Mobile search is the biggest driver of phone calls to businesses, responsible for 48% of call volume in 2015, says the report.  Desktop search was the second biggest driver, nearly doubling in 2015 (17%) from 2014 (9%).
• According to the report, consumers who call a business tend to have higher purchase intent than those simply browsing online. To convert that interest into sales, businesses must be determine who is calling and what their journey has been.

On weekdays, people call businesses most often in their respective time zones between 11 – 11:59 a.m. On the weekend, most calls occur from 12 – 12:59 p.m. People tend to call businesses most on Mondays, which receive 55% more calls than Sundays, the lowest volume day, says the report.

Call duration is a key indicator of a call’s quality:

• Calls driven by newspapers (6 minutes, 10 seconds)
• Online review sites (5 minutes, 54 seconds)
• Online display ads (5 minutes, 23 seconds)

resulted in the longest average conversation times. Across industries and drivers, the average call duration is 4 minutes, 52 seconds, an 18% increase from 2014, indicating that marketers are getting better at generating quality phone calls.

The research shows that phone calls are increasing across industries, and particularly for industries characterized by high-value purchases and/or customers who need personalized assistance. Though these industries are also investing heavily in digital channels, phone calls remain a critical point of contact for customers who need additional information or are ready to make a purchase.

• Home Services, as an industry, decreased its investment in offline channels in 2015. In 2014, offline channels, such as radio, TV and newspapers, drove 32% of calls. In 2015, only 6% of calls were the result of offline drivers. By contrast, calls driven by mobile sources increased from 53% to 62% in 2015, and those from other online sources doubled from 16% to 32%
• Automotive is undergoing a massive shift from offline to online and mobile sources, says the report. The industry saw a 119% increase in digital sources driving calls in 2015, compared to 2014.
• Financial Services migrated in 2015 from offline to digital spend. In 2014, the industry drove 44% of its calls from offline channels, and only 29% from online channels. In 2015, the trend flipped, only 26% came from offline channels, and 48% came from digital.

For the complete Call Intelligence Index report from Invoca, please visit here.