With so many businesses moving to online platforms, there’s been a need for entrepreneurs to engage customers more directly. For example, in the traditional model of retail shops, customers would walk into the store, interact with the staff, and have their needs met on the spot. However, with retail shops using websites these days, communication between the company and the consumer has been reduced to live chats, bot chats, and emails.
Even though live and bot chats have helped increase business-customer interaction, they don’t address all customer needs. Some customers may want to inquire more about a product before making a purchase and prefer to speak directly and immediately to those who are part of the business. If there’s no way to communicate with the owner of the enterprise or their staff, the business risks losing a potential customer.
Over time, businesses started adopting toll-free numbers to allow customers to contact them. These numbers, however, were limited to certain locations, and high rates could be charged when making international calls. Such challenges with business-customer communication links have led to the rise of software like the Call Cowboy predictive dialer. They’ve also encouraged business owners to help clients reach out to them more quickly by having click-to-call options on their websites.
How To Use A Click-To-Call Action
There are two primary ways you can use the click-to-call action on your website: a click-to-call link and a click-to-call button. With the first one, when customers click on your linked phone number, they’ll be able to reach out to you without resorting to manual dialing.
On the other hand, a click-to-call button involves displaying a call icon on your website. This is a more proactive option as customers are more likely to click on an icon than a link. In addition, the button is usually more visible and therefore may garner more attention from clients.
Understanding Click-To-Call Buttons
Even before you decide to set up a click-to-call button on your website, it’s important that you first understand what it is, and then you can decide if it’s right for you. With the rise of mobile business communication, the click-to-call concept helps bridge the gap between the urgency and the cost of mobile communication.
The button is added to websites and applications where customers can connect to an available business agent. It’s a form of speed dial allowing for communication over cloud-based or mobile platforms. The term ‘click-to-call,’ however, can be confusing because what the customer does is to request a call, not make one. Afterward, an agent can use Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) services from providers like 800 Service in order to call the customer.
The button isn’t beneficial only to customers trying to contact companies but also to businesses looking to tap their clients. Agents can reach numerous customers by clicking the button without having to dial the numbers one by one. Instead, they can combine the features of a predictive dialer and a click-to-call button to connect to the contacts on their list.
Why Use A Click-To-Call Button?
There are several reasons you need to place a click-to-call button on your website. For a business to thrive, it needs to have excellent customer service, and click-to-call buttons are one way to accomplish that. Here are the other benefits they can provide:
- It Is A Form Of Direct Marketing
Even if your website contains comprehensive information about what you’re offering, be it in product descriptions or on a page for frequently asked questions (FAQs), some customers may still want to have their inquiries answered directly by a person. By setting up a click-to-call button, you’ll make it more efficient for clients to be connected to your agents and have their issues addressed.
During calls, the agents can then use the opportunity to convince customers to try the company’s range of products or services. By answering questions about a particular item first and mentioning a different product once the matter has been resolved, an agent can deliver a pitch that the customer will more likely accept compared to if the client had only read the product’s description online.
- Improves User Experience
User experience is an essential metric in measuring the success of a website. Satisfied visitors are more likely to work with your business and also refer more people to it. One of the best ways to improve user experience is by providing clients with a platform to connect with your agents and have their problems solved as soon as possible.
A click-to-call button creates an instant bridge between an online business and its clients. As a result, the wait time is significantly reduced, and your customers won’t become frustrated or grow impatient before they’re attended to, especially if they have an urgent inquiry. This will significantly improve their experience with their business, and you’ll retain them for an extended period and even get new ones through referrals.
- It Is Global
Unlike landlines and toll-free numbers, click-to-call buttons aren’t limited to specific locations only and subjected to high call rates. Web calls can be answered through the website as long as there’s a stable internet connection. Even in cases where your agents are working remotely, they can still attend to customer needs.
The software used to call the customer back also allows you to forward the call to a landline or a mobile phone and communicate in a traditional manner. This will enable your team to connect to customers, pitch products, and make sales regardless of their geo-position.
- Increases Lead Conversion
Many websites usually want to convert as many site visitors as possible into buyers. However, this is not always possible as a lot of people may exit the website right away if they don’t find anything meaningful on the first page they browse—the percentage of visitors who do this is called the bounce rate. In addition, customers who go to other pages and end up wanting to connect with an agent to ask questions but aren’t provided with the means to do so will leave and search for another website.
A click-to-call button may help minimize a website’s bounce rate. Agents can encourage clients to explore the other parts of the website during calls. As customers spend more time on the website, they get a chance to figure out which products or services would be beneficial to them. This will ultimately help you convert visitors into buyers.
- It Is Cost-Effective
A click-to-call button can help you save money in a couple of ways. First, it helps customers bypass the expense of international calls they may face when they try to reach your business and vice versa. Second, you don’t need to have agents in all the countries where your products or services are available.
With these cost-cutting benefits, you can use the money your business saves for other important matters. Also, the reduction in your expenses can lead to stable growth and higher profits in the long run.
- Customers Do Not Have To Remember Your Number
Some customers may need to contact you several times during the pre-and post-purchase stages. However, it can be frustrating for them to recall your number every time they have to call you—after all, not everyone saves companies’ contact information on their phone. This will negatively affect their user experience and impression of your business.
If you set up a click-to-call button, customers will have an easy time reaching out to you since all they need to do is visit your website if they want to call you. This will be crucial when they have to make new purchases or request assistance with a product.
- Gather Data For Journey Mapping
Click-to-call services can help you collect customer data as agents interact with clients in real time. Agents can determine customers’ attitude toward your company or products, the website they’re calling from, and their current location. The customers may also be requested to leave feedback at the end of the call from which the business can get meaningful insights regarding their clients and offerings.
With enough customer data, you can build an excellent journey map, which you can use to create buyer personas. These personas help businesses connect with clients better by understanding their feelings and tweaking products or services accordingly. In the end, your business will be able to create an excellent experience for clients.
- Improves Customer Segmentation
Unlike traditional calls where anybody can dial a number regardless of their reason, click-to-call services can help you segment your customers and attend to their personal needs more effectively. For example, when requesting a call through a button, clients may be asked to indicate their problem, and then an agent from the department dealing with that issue will be the one to get in touch with the customer.
Customers can also be segmented according to languages and locations. This will prevent communication barriers from coming up and time from being wasted as the client is passed from one agent to the next if the current agent can’t attend to the issue at hand.
When you segment your clients, you can give them quicker and more satisfying responses. Click-to-call buttons allow you to funnel more data and personalize engagements as much as you can.
- Increase Outbound Calls
With a click-to-call button, your sales team can make as many calls as possible without manually dialing numbers, which always wastes time. It also ensures that a particular number on your contact list is passed to the next available agent and speeds up the process of connecting with clients. With these features, more outbound calls can be made in a day compared to what can be achieved with traditional phone calls. Subsequently, these outbound calls generate more leads to your business and, potentially, attract more buyers.
- Go Beyond Voice Communication
Another reason you need a click-to-call button is that unlike with traditional phone calls, you’re able to connect with clients in different ways. You can have a video call with them, share documents and your screen to guide them better, and send text messages during the call.
These features allow for strategic communication with clients. Co-browsing and sharing screens help you provide clients with a step-by-step understanding of your website, improving their experience. With video calling, you can collect customer data that would be essential to customer mapping.
Businesses That Can Use Click-To-Call Buttons
Any business can take advantage of click-to-call buttons. However, they’re more advantageous for companies seeking to convert site visitors into buyers.
Here are some of the businesses that will significantly benefit from a click-to-call button:
- E-Commerce
Business owners who solely use online shopping platforms have been among the biggest beneficiaries of technology and the internet as they don’t have to invest in a physical store to sell their goods and services. However, customers may not have an instant way to interact with your business or team, which is always possible in brick-and-mortar shops.
By installing a click-to-call button, your customers can easily reach out to your team and ask questions about products, services, delivery, and similar matters. This enables everyone to communicate without having to meet in person.
- Real Estate
When a real estate agency lists properties on their website, buyers and investors usually want to contact them to discuss a property of interest. A real estate agent would be able to close deals more quickly if they can effectively communicate with interested buyers. A click-to-call button will allow them to engage potential buyers on the spot and make the sale.
- Service Providers
Different service providers such as investment banks, website builders, web hosting providers, and freelancers can consider adding a click-to-call button to their websites. Take the example of a writer who only includes general information about their services on their site. As a result, clients may not be fully aware of the fees for all the other types of projects the writer can handle but didn’t mention and the period it’ll take to deliver the output.
Having a click-to-call button will allow customers to contact you directly after they’ve landed on your website in such scenarios. You can then describe to them your services in detail and close the deal.
Conclusion
A click-to-call button provides several benefits to your website and business. It helps improve customer care services, which results in satisfied clients. In turn, happy clients will keep supporting your business and make it successful. You’ll also be able to connect with current and prospective customers regardless of where they are. Click-to-call buttons are a website necessity you can never go wrong with having.