Google study finds 36% of online shoppers are likely to look elsewhere if brands don't offer click-to-call services

"Globally, we know that 40 million calls are driven by Google Ads each month so it's fair to say that click-to-call is a clear sales driver. Moreover, for businesses that haven't yet built a responsive or mobile site, click-to-call is a great way to ensure consumers can still reach your business easily, showing that mobile advertising doesn't just have to be for the mobile-ready."

"Online shoppers found the service particularly important, with nearly half (48 per cent) considering it extremely important to be able to call a business before completing a buy, while 36 per cent said they'd like to speak directly to someone when at the research stage on an item or service."

"The study suggested that brands risked damaging their brand image if they failed to offer the service as an option, with 36 per cent of respondents saying they would be more likely to explore other brands, 32 per cent saying they found it frustrating and 30 per cent saying they would feel disappointed in a brand."

Of 1,500 respondents, 94% had at some point needed to speak to a person directly when using a smartphone to find product or service information. Forty-two percent said they had used the click-to-call function when available. Nearly half of online shoppers (48%) consider calling a business before completing a purchase extremely important, while 36% want to speak directly during the research stage. Failure to offer click-to-call can harm brand perception: 36% would explore other brands, 32% find its absence frustrating and 30% would feel disappointed. Google Ads drive roughly 40 million calls monthly, and phone follow-ups can raise smartphone shopper conversion rates up to threefold.

Read at The Drum