How to Find the Perfect Call Tracking & Analytics Software

Call tracking and analytics software are invaluable sources of information for understanding what exactly goes on with your incoming calls and how you can improve your marketing efforts to bring in more quality leads. However, the call tracking and analytics landscape change constantly, making it hard to choose from among all the options currently available on the market. Fortunately, selecting the most suitable option for your business will become easier with the right guidance. 

Why Do I Need Call Tracking?

Businesses need to keep an eye on their inbound calls, even if they can’t always answer them. Call tracking allows you to monitor how many calls your business receives and how many of those calls lead into sales. This information can inform future marketing decisions or better serve current customers with more relevant offers. It also gives your business valuable insight into when your best times are for calling potential customers. 

Types of Call Tracking Software

There are three primary types of call tracking software: inbound, outbound, and hybrid. Here’s a brief overview of each type: 

Inbound (or Web-based)

Installed on your website, allowing you to track which keywords send visitors to your site—and through which channels (such as social media). Inbound call tracking also records demographics and company size for each person who calls you. 

Outbound (or Mobile)

This software allows your sales team to connect with new leads when they reach out directly. 

Hybrid 

Combines inbound and outbound technology, allowing you to access crucial data on both incoming and outgoing calls.

As you’re deciding what type of software works best for your business, consider factors such as whether or not you need live caller ID, multi-city/multi-location capabilities, lead scoring, etc.

Each type of software will also have many third-party integrations available, which you can use to plug in features like social media monitoring, click-to-call functionality, etc. Some common integrations include MailChimp, Salesforce, Google Analytics, Constant Contact, and more.

Why do I Need Analytics?

Analytics is a way for you to track all aspects of your online presence (website traffic, social media engagement, customer purchases) in a way that lets you see how your marketing efforts are affecting your overall performance. With more knowledge on what’s working and what isn’t working, you can spend less time trying things that won’t work, which means more time creating more content or spending more time on creating better content. This also creates a feedback loop where your customers let you know what they want through their actions.

Types of Analytics Software 

Depending on your business, there are several kinds of software you can use; any one of these might be ideal for you. 

Hosted

With a hosted solution, you’re not dealing with any setup or installation; all you need is access to an internet connection and a device that can use it—and then you can see your results online. No servers are necessary. The benefit here is that you don’t have to spend money on buying, maintaining, and securing servers; however, if there are connectivity issues, users will be unable to access their reports while they wait for things to get resolved. Another downside of hosted solutions is that, in most cases, you must take what you get from your service provider as far as features go. 

In-house

With an in-house system, you will have full control over your data, but you must know what you’re doing. There are significant entry barriers for people who don’t understand databases or programming languages like SQL or Java. Plus, customizing a solution can be very expensive; if you aren’t sure about how much work is involved, it might be best to buy a pre-made package instead. The upside is that even though there are more upfront costs with an in-house option, these solutions tend to pay for themselves quickly once they get up and running.

Cloud-Based

It’s kind of like a hosted solution, except that cloud services are available from any device, anywhere in the world—and you won’t be held back by anything as long as you have an internet connection. These solutions provide most of their features right out of the box, so they’re more user-friendly than in-house systems; however, you will have less control over your data because it is stored offsite. The upside is that there are fewer upfront costs with a cloud solution than the one you install yourself; also, keep in mind that many plans offer discounts for paying annually instead of monthly or quarterly. 

What to Consider Before Subscribing to a Software

Before choosing your call tracking system, it’s important to consider three important things: (1) how much money you want to spend, (2) what kind of features you need and are ready for, and (3) how long will it take for your business needs to grow. 

Then, look into which solution best suits your business needs, but don’t forget – quality comes with a price! For example, if you are running an agency, you could get something like https://callpanther.com/ or Agency Scaler, both offering mobile apps so that you can keep track of your incoming calls at all times. If, on the other hand, call tracking isn’t essential to you and doesn’t make sense in terms of costs, there are great alternatives such as services from Hubspot or Marketo that help with lead generation instead. 

The point is – before buying any system, figure out why it makes sense for your business, who will be using it, what you will use its data for and why one service over another. A bad choice may cost you lots of time and frustration later on. Also, make sure you have your goals set properly and stay focused on them during implementation. There is no point in recording every phone call without knowing what you plan to achieve with these recordings. You wouldn’t learn anything just listening to unstructured conversations, right? 

Conclusion

Call tracking and analytics software are powerful tools for any business looking to grow. They can be great assets in improving your overall ROI when used properly. However, to use the software as helpful as call tracking properly, you must understand its functions and how best to incorporate it into your daily routine. 

Remember that having a quality call tracking solution does not replace having well-trained staff familiar with your company’s goals. Additionally, quality customer service paired with high-quality information technology should always be at the top of your mind when working towards growth.