In October 2016, for the first time in history, more people accessed the internet through a mobile device (phone or tablet) than on a desktop computer.
The graph above shows the rapid trend toward mobile and away from desktop.
This trend has changed how users search for nearby businesses and provides some golden opportunities for savvy to acquire new clients.
One way businesses can benefit from this shift in consumer behavior is by using Call-Only campaigns in Google Adwords.
Traditional Ads = Click To Website
When you click on a Google Search ad, you're usually redirected to a website. The landing page urges you to opt-in to a newsletter, book an appointment, buy a product or something similar.
Here's what a traditional Google Search ad looks like on a mobile device and desktop computer:
Look familiar? Notice the ad takes you to a website.
Call-Only Ads
With call-only ads, users can call your office directly from the search results. These campaigns only show for users searching on their cell phones.
By removing the landing page from the process, it can increase the number of calls your Ads produce. The less steps a user has to take to call you, the more likely they are to do so.
Here's an example of a call-only ad:
As you can see above, there's no option to navigate to a website. Tapping on the link won't take them to the website. The only option is to click the call button.
One reason I've had success running these campaigns for my local, brick-and-mortar clients is precisely because these campaigns are for people on the mobile phones.
Think about it. These prospects are out and about. If they're Googling for a service on their phone while they're out, they're pretty hot leads. They're interested in talking with someone right now.
They tend to be warmer leads than desktop users because people use their desktop for research while people on mobile devices are more likely to search for a service when they need it.
Measuring Call Quality
Within Google Adwords, you can also measure call quality with metrics like call duration. These metrics can help you tweak and improve your campaigns.
Tips For Running Call-Only Campaigns
Scheduling
Schedule your call-only campaigns to run during office hours. If you let them run all the time as its default setting, you'll waste money on phone calls when no one is around to answer.
Location Targeting
This is particularly important if you have multiple offices. Make sure that you're using location targeting with multiple campaigns to ensure the calls are routed to the correct office.
Conclusion
Does this mean you should stop all other types of campaigns? Definitely not. If you're providing services to local clients, it's another tactic for your marketing toolbox.