Smartphones Boost Value Of “Click-To-Call” Commerce

Aug 14, 2015 | Industry Updates

Upwards of $1 trillion: That’s how much a recent study by Marchex says mobile “click-to-call” commerce is worth right now.

Using ad spend data from Google and analysis of millions of calls, the Marchex study aimed to quantify the effect of smartphones on the relationship between online research and offline transactions. Marchex identified calls as commerce-oriented when they contained phrases like “When is the next available appointment?” and “Is the item still available?” (The balance of calls were customer service, telemarketing, spam or other inquiries.)

Marchex’s analysis showed marked differences in the percentage of commerce-oriented calls by industry. Towing, veterinarians, auto dealers and dentists showed the highest click-to-call commerce percentages, all above 50%. Construction and home improvement came in last, with only 22%.

Another interesting data point: Marchex’s report notes that 20% of all search-driven calls from mobile phones are abandoned, usually due to long hold times, voice mail and other issues. That’s easy money left on the table, points out local search analyst Greg Sterling: “These lost sales aren’t about optimized campaigns or landing pages or sophisticated cross-device targeting and analytics. It’s just about answering the phone and not keeping people waiting too long.”

Want more details? Download the full Marchex report at http://pages.marchex.com/mobile-report.html.