Pay-per-Call (sometimes known as PPCa) was launched in 2005 by Ingenio aimed at small businesses without any web presence. It works by driving telephone leads to your business rather than clicks on your website. Verizon has also joined the market as a provider, with AOL joining the advertising distribution network.

Pay-per-Call gives you many similar features as Pay-per-Click such as:

• the ability to manage your budget as you only pay for calls you get
• you set the limit you are prepared to bid for a call (typically from $2.00 per call)
• you target your geographical area
• you spend your marketing budget on product or service lines you choose
• you can choose the time when ads appear to match your trading hours
• results can be accurately measured and a return on your marketing investment clearly identified

Pay-per-Call has two striking advantages over Pay-per-Click, the first being you don’t need a website as prospects make a toll-free telephone call which is then diverted to you. A second advantage is that you have a prospective customer calling you. The first contact is with a prospect actively researching the products and services you offer and looking to discuss them with you. You can already see you are much further down the path of the buying decision than with Pay-per-Click.

It’s no surprise that sales conversion rates for Pay-per-Call are much higher than Pay-per-Click with advertisers citing 10-40% conversion rates compared to 1% or 2%. Pay-per-Call is especially suitable for advertisers with products and services that require several discussions before a decision to purchase is made. Financial services, real estate, mortgage brokers, travel and holiday, florists, plumbers, mechanics, locksmiths and tax services are just some examples where Pay-per-Call campaigns are delivering excellent results

So why should you use Pay-per-Call for your local small business marketing?

Well, for a start you don’t need a website or invest time and money developing one. The set-up cost for your business is nil. If you already have a website, remember you’re only paying for prospective customer calls to your business telephone and not someone surfing through your site and asking for a tentative quote by email.

A new customer telephone enquiry gives you an opportunity to use a competitive advantage that larger companies cannot seize as well – personal customer service and satisfaction with a genuine offer of a long term business relationship, in other words, you.

You have full control over the marketing budget, including the total cost, which product or service segment or mix is allocated to the budget, where it is geographically targeted and when it is spent.

When a customer has an urgent need with burst pipes, lost keys or leaky radiator they’ll be picking up the telephone asking for help there and then from the plumber, locksmith or mechanic, not sending out an email asking for more information after clicking through a website.

For a local business spreading its wings, Pay-per-Call allows you to set the geographical area you are interested in as well as fine tuning and adjusting the territory to deal with fluctuating demand or seasonal factors. Being “small” and “local” does not mean you are unable to reach and attract customers the other side of the country and beyond. At other times you may wish to concentrate efforts on a precise region or town to maximise returns.

Attracting new business with Pay-per-Call is simple, personal, and highly cost effective with no entry costs while at the same time, it is easily managed with a definite measurable result and the development and growth in popularity of this tool is set to continue.