Boost Online Sales with Additional 800 Numbers.
Not everyone is comfortable using the Internet. Statistics state that in 1995 there were 16 million users on the net. That number grew to 1.262 million, or 19% of the population, according to www.internetworldstats.com. The number of new users increases by about 10m each year.
These new users are often overlooked by websites catering to tech savvy youth and people who grew up with video games and cell phones. This leaves about 7 million customers ‘un-serviced’ each year. These people are accustomed to talking to customer service face to face, or on the telephone.
Add an 800 Number
A second number can be placed on web pages designed for consumers who are new to the Internet. The wording on these pages will be basic, grade 8 grammar, void of jargon.
Add a Second 800 number
A second number can accurately test new traffic and measure the success of a specific ad campaign. Keep the rest of the site unchanged. This is an effective strategy for testing organic vs. pay-per-click traffic.
Add More 800 numbers
Your company should be able to offer multiple 800 numbers without a substantial increase in the bill. There are companies that can provide several 800 numbers along with real time reporting and call recording.
To test ad campaigns or changes to the shopping cart, create several web pages with exactly the same content, and coding, but different 800 numbers. Remember that these pages need to attract people who would rather use the phone instead of a gateway.
It is possible to use 800 numbers to measure Pay-Per-Click campaigns. Google AdWords, Yahoo Search Marketing, MSN shopping, Ask.com campaigns will all lead to a different page, with a different 800 number. Market research is as simple as looking at your phone bill.
Advanced Pay-Per-Click Market Research
Pay-Per-Click advertising is expensive. The ROI (Return on Investment) can fluctuate greatly, depending on intangibles that cannot be controlled. Most software to measure Internet Marketing success is expensive, and requires a professional to translate the numbers. There are services that will configure to optimise call tracking, even focusing a single 800 number on a keyword phrase. These programs work through a pool of numbers assigned to an account that is circulated through the traffic.
This tool measures the ROI of certain keywords and phrases. It also reveals which keywords generate a lot of calls, but few sales. Keyword phrases that underperform according to online metrics may show an improved performance once the calls are factored into the web traffic.
The keywords can be tested before thousands are spent on web reconstruction. The most important strategy for success is to remember that ROI is not measured in the number of hits vs the total sales. It is measured by the number of visitors which convert to buyers.
Measuring Success
The 800 numbers can be difficult to manage. They may drain resources. However, remember that they serve a dual purpose, to generate sales, and to conduct market research. Make sure that you add the budget amount for both of these expenses before considering 800 numbers are too expensive. A single market research campaign can cost thousands more than 800 numbers, and generate less than accurate results.
Ecommerce businesses run on statistics. Being ‘up to date’ with the numbers can make the difference between breaking even and enjoying substantial profits. Phone tracking has the advantage of directly connecting the business with the consumer and supplying real feedback, instead of ‘canned’ responses in a marketing research groups.
The inclusion of 800 numbers to tap into new consumer groups and measure the success of ad campaigns is unparalleled in the Internet worldof shopping carts.
