One challenge for online marketers is data overload. There’s often so much data that sometimes it’s hard to know which key performance indicators matter. Revenue, leads, clicks, calls, conversions, or revenue . . . what should you pay attention to?

If you’re considering adding call tracking data to the mix, here are three sets of questions to ask yourself:

A. Should I consider call tracking software in the first place?

1. Does your website have a phone number?
2. Does your sales team field inbound phone calls?
3. At what point in the sales process do you speak with your prospects?
4. Would a phone number boost click-through-rates, conversion rates, or sales?
5. Need to demonstrate ROI, optimize ad spend, or get credit for phone leads?

If you answered yes to anything above, then please proceed to section B.

B. What type of call tracking features do I need to capture the right data?

For example, do you want to:

1. Track the total number of phone leads, or do you need detailed keyword-level call tracking?
2. Forward calls to a main phone number, or do you need to customize lead distribution?
3. Analyze standalone reports, or do you need to integrate with Google Adwords?
4. Review data in-house, or do you need to provide access to call tracking data for your clients?
5. Use out-of-the-box reports, or do you need to export call tracking data into your own reporting tool?

C. Which call tracking metrics should I actually include in my KPI dashboard?

1. If you want “full credit” for your efforts, then use one call tracking number and focus on the total number of phone leads you generate.
2. If you need to allocate marketing dollars across multiple channels, then get one number for each channel to measure cost-per-call across each channel.
3. If you want to optimize PPC ad spend more effectively, then you’ll want keyword-level call tracking so you can automate bidding.
4. If you want to A/B test landing page variations, then you’ll want one number for each unique variation so you can measure conversion rates.
5. If you want to demonstrate call quality, then you’ll need to incorporate average call length in addition to the number of calls in your reports.

By thinking through your needs before you jump in, you’ll be able to setup a call tracking solution that provides exactly the data you need.

Opinions expressed in the article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land.

Related Topics: Channel: Analytics | Credit Is Due