On the surface, pay-per-call can seem considerably pricier than PPC, which often works out to only cents per directed click through. Top spot bids for pay-per-call vary widely, averaging anywhere from $2 to $20. However, prices of $50 for a top ranking are not unheard of. This is quite a bit more than the $0.40 charged for PPC bids. However, take a look at the full picture and it becomes apparent that pay-per-call may actually be more economical than PPC and many other pay-per-lead campaigns.

Pay-Per-Call More Economical?

When considering pay-per-call bids and costs, it is important to consider conversion rates. While PPC may be less expensive on the surface, it can be far more costly in the long run. For one thing, conversion rates tend to be much higher with pay-per-call than with PPC. While many people may click on a link, only really interested customers will take the time to call. Therefore, the quality of leads you will be getting with pay-per-call may be higher – by its nature, pay-per-call will be brining you leads closer to the buying decision process.

Consider also that pay-per-call will not be plagued with click fraud, so you will only end up paying for actual calls and not for illegitimate leads. Finally, the medium of the phone tends to produce more sales. The personalized attention of a trained sales person simply is more convincing than a website. A talented sales person can talk to a potential customer about their concerns and wants and address those in order to make the sale. This means that more of your calls will become sales while many if not most of your clicks will not become sales.

Some research has suggested that as many as one in two calls made through pay-per-call ads become sales. No matter how you slice it, that is a very impressive sales conversion rate! Most providers also have free set up for pay-per-call campaigns, so you only end up paying for the calls routed to your business.

Pay-Per-Call Bidding

Customers pay nothing for pay-per-call ads, while advertisers are charged per call. How much you spend will ultimately depend on the bids you place. If you are bidding on a term or location that is highly valued, you may need to pay a little more. If you want to maintain a higher ranking, you may also have to end up bidding more. Keep in mind, however, that you only need to bid $.01 more than the next competitor in order to win that coveted spot. Most providers have automated bid systems that allow you to set maximum bids and your desired terms and rankings. That way, you don’t have to be constantly worried about your bids.

Not All Pay-Per-Call Calls Are Charged

Most providers will not charge you in some situations. Before signing up with a provider, you will want to learn which calls are not charged. In general, though, follow-up calls – any call from the same number made within a few days – is not charged. Many providers will also not charge you for hang-ups, unanswered calls and very short calls (such as wrong numbers), since these do not result in actual leads. If you receive a call when your pay-per-call ad is paused (for example, outside of office hours) you will generally not be charged as well. However, providers vary widely in their policies, so always read the fine print. You don’t want to be paying for calls that don’t result in leads!

On the surface, pay-per-call can seem considerably pricier than PPC, which often works out to only cents per directed click through. Top spot bids for pay-per-call vary widely, averaging anywhere from $2 to $20. However, prices of $50 for a top ranking are not unheard of. This is quite a bit more than the $0.40 charged for PPC bids. However, take a look at the full picture and it becomes apparent that pay-per-call may actually be more economical than PPC and many other pay-per-lead campaigns.

Pay-Per-Call More Economical?

When considering pay-per-call bids and costs, it is important to consider conversion rates. While PPC may be less expensive on the surface, it can be far more costly in the long run. For one thing, conversion rates tend to be much higher with pay-per-call than with PPC. While many people may click on a link, only really interested customers will take the time to call. Therefore, the quality of leads you will be getting with pay-per-call may be higher – by its nature, pay-per-call will be brining you leads closer to the buying decision process.

Consider also that pay-per-call will not be plagued with click fraud, so you will only end up paying for actual calls and not for illegitimate leads. Finally, the medium of the phone tends to produce more sales. The personalized attention of a trained sales person simply is more convincing than a website. A talented sales person can talk to a potential customer about their concerns and wants and address those in order to make the sale. This means that more of your calls will become sales while many if not most of your clicks will not become sales.

Some research has suggested that as many as one in two calls made through pay-per-call ads become sales. No matter how you slice it, that is a very impressive sales conversion rate! Most providers also have free set up for pay-per-call campaigns, so you only end up paying for the calls routed to your business.

Pay-Per-Call Bidding

Customers pay nothing for pay-per-call ads, while advertisers are charged per call. How much you spend will ultimately depend on the bids you place. If you are bidding on a term or location that is highly valued, you may need to pay a little more. If you want to maintain a higher ranking, you may also have to end up bidding more. Keep in mind, however, that you only need to bid $.01 more than the next competitor in order to win that coveted spot. Most providers have automated bid systems that allow you to set maximum bids and your desired terms and rankings. That way, you don’t have to be constantly worried about your bids.

Not All Pay-Per-Call Calls Are Charged

Most providers will not charge you in some situations. Before signing up with a provider, you will want to learn which calls are not charged. In general, though, follow-up calls – any call from the same number made within a few days – is not charged. Many providers will also not charge you for hang-ups, unanswered calls and very short calls (such as wrong numbers), since these do not result in actual leads. If you receive a call when your pay-per-call ad is paused (for example, outside of office hours) you will generally not be charged as well. However, providers vary widely in their policies, so always read the fine print. You don’t want to be paying for calls that don’t result in leads!