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Google’s New Click-to-Call for Mobile Ads – Implications for Your Conversion Rate

By: Chris Goward
Date: January 6th, 2010

phone-conversion-optimization
Google will soon launch a new AdWords feature available only on smartphones that will add a phone number to advertisers’ ads and allow searchers to call directly from the Google SERP. Here’s the announcement email I received from Google.

The phone numbers will be added as a fifth line in the ad, something like the mockup below.
Google-pay-per-call

Google has recognized that the primary use of the phone is for phone calls!

Although smartphones enable a lot of great online applications, many people still prefer to gather their purchase information verbally.

This is a smart move for Google, which will allow them to capture more Pay-per-click clicks when people may otherwise scroll down to the non-paid listings. Google has, incidentally, been experimenting with click-to-call since 2005 and seems to have decided that the simplest option is best for mobile.

Why are phone calls important? Mobile web browsing is still painful

Most websites don’t yet have a smartphone version and, even if they do, load times are still very slow. Phone load times can be up to 30 seconds for an average site. The consequence is that visitors are less likely to click an ad on the mobile phone; the time cost is just too high.

This is also a good reminder that many mobile visitors to your site are just looking for your phone number. Is it on your home page?

Phone calls may be important for your non-mobile visitors too

Several of our Conversion Rate Optimization clients have both online and phone call conversion objectives. We’ve had a lot of success testing landing page variations to maximize phone calls.

For example, we optimized the combined phone call and online lead generation conversion rate for B2B merchant account vendor Merchant Warehouse.
Screen shot 2010-01-06 at 5.06.01 PM
Also, we recently increased phone call conversions for the addiction recovery institution, Saint Jude Retreat House, by 42% with a single A/B/n test! On Jan 13, 2010, we will share all the details on how we did it.

Join the Upcoming Phone Call Conversion Optimization Webinar

If phone calls are important for your business, don’t miss the upcoming webinar, happening on Jan 13, 2010 where you’ll learn how you too can get results like Saint Jude Retreat House enjoys. Seats are filling up faster than most webinars, providing more evidence of the growing importance in phone call conversion optimization.

Click here to register for the webinar.

Ask Us How to Improve Your Conversion Rate

WiderFunnel is the original full service Conversion Optimization agency. When you outsorce you conversion improvement to us you get guaranteed results with an all-inclusive price.

Posted in: Phone Call Conversion Optimization | conversion rate optimization

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