Toll Free Number Quality- What Works?
When running an ad campaign it's easy to grab any readily available number, but have you thought about the effect this may have on conversion rates? In this economy conversion rates are becoming increasingly important. Conversion rates measure each campaign's effectiveness and more importantly the effectiveness of each marketing dollar spent.
ShareThisUse toll-free numbers to test your direct marketing campaigns
New products, new competition, new mailing lists, new government regulations — there are always reasons why you should be updating your direct marketing materials.
One of the best ways to test and compare the effectiveness of new materials is by using toll-free numbers. That way you can tell immediately which offers are getting responses. Plus, response rates can be tabulated automatically through your phone system.
Direct response consultants will tell you that you need to be constantly testing and refining. Here are a few of the ways you can test your materials:
- Test your new campaign to your current customer base. Mail to existing lists, or advertise in the existing channels. See how the new campaign compares to previous ones to the same lists.
- Test current directing marketing campaigns to a new customer base. Try a new mailing list, put your ads in a new periodical or on a new radio station. See how the new customer lists responds.
- Try out preliminary versions of a new campaign, testing to sub-sections of your existing customer list. This will help you determine which version of the new campaign to roll out to your full list.
When you sign up for toll-free numbers with Custom Toll Free, you get access to an online management tool that assists you with direct response tracking. There’s even a free campaign analysis tool included; input advertising costs and see your return-on-investment expressed in terms of cost per call.
Delays in service changes for toll-free numbers are solved — for the moment
We're pleased to report that as of Friday, customer record updates (required for service changes for toll-free numbers) are once again being processed through SMS/800, the central administration system for the toll-free number industry.
SMS/800 had announced Nov. 30 that requests from Resp Orgs would not be handled until after Dec. 8. However, on Dec. 1 SMS/800 sent out an second announcement saying that it would resume handling customer record updates on Dec. 4.
Both the original long delay, and the later short one, are of great concern to us. Customer record updates are required before service changes, such as the re-assignment of a toll free number to a new customer, or to a different account, can “go live.” As a rule, these updates happen so quickly that our customers think of them as almost automatic.
According to the original announcement from SMS/800, the processing of service changes was being delayed so that four service control points in the AT&T system could be decommissioned and replaced by new service control points. The means, essentially, that AT&T was replacing older, less reliable systems with new systems.
“We’re deeply concerned about any halts or slowdowns in the industry infrastructure that could affect our customers and the quality of the service we provide to them,” said Chris Rugh, CEO of Custom Toll Free. “This is a particular problem if the halts are not announced in advance.”
“I’m glad to say that service is now restored and customer record updates are being processed speedily,” Rugh said.
He added that Custom Toll Free is looking at the steps it can take so that it, and other Resp Orgs handling toll free numbers, will be notified well in advance of any activities that might cause future delays.
How vanity toll-free numbers power outdoor advertising campaigns
One of the fastest-growing segments of marketing communication is outdoor advertising. Traditional billboards are benefitting from fast, lower-cost ink jet printing technologies, and new forms of outdoor ads are proliferating. These include electronic billboards, bus signs and bus wraps, kiosks, giant banners, LED message reader boards, and even taxi tops.
Studies of advertisers reveal that they choose billboard ads for their superior abilities to communicate effectively, to attract new customers, and to increase sales. eMarketer Digital Intelligence predicts that US outdoor advertising revenues will rise from the $7.4 billion posted in 2007 to more than $10 billion in 2011.
Outdoor advertising is known for being powerful and streamlined. According to the five principles of billboard advertising, you want to keep it simple: convey one strong visual concept about your service or product, add a tagline or call to action, and provide your company name and contact information.
One of the best ways to keep it simple and effective is with a vanity toll-free number. In outdoor advertising, a great vanity toll free number does double duty, reinforcing either your company name (1-800-yourname) or your call to action (1-800-buy-sodas). A good example of a vanity number being used as a call to action is the highly successful outdoor ad campaign used by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to advertise a new tip line for reporting illegal animal fighting. The vanity toll free number they chose was 1-877-TIP-HSUS.
Get the most out of your outdoor advertising by prominently featuring a strong vanity toll-free number. Custom Toll Free staff can help you acquire a toll-free number that works with your brand, service, or product and takes advantage of the high-impact outdoor ad medium to capture attention and generate response. Find out more about our toll free number search.
Radio ads go hand-in-hand with custom toll free numbers
Radio advertising accounts for just under 10 percent of all advertising dollars. It’s effective, universal, and mobile. That’s why many Custom Toll Free clients do direct response marketing over the air waves.
The folks at Radio Lounge USA are in the business of producing direct response ads for their clients. They advise companies to make the call to action clear and give listeners a URL or phone number that’s memorable.
“If you are driving users to a toll free number, make sure you are not advertising some random ten digits that are difficult to remember. Use vanity phone numbers,” is their advice.
Here are a few general tips for using radio advertising with your custom toll free number:
Know your audience. Pick stations and time slots that best match your audience demographics.
Repeat, repeat, repeat. Once you’ve chosen a particular time slot or show, stick with it. That guarantees enough repetition of your ad and your toll-free number with a particular audience (morning drive time, gardeners, talk show fans) that your information will be remembered.
Try “roadblocking.” The term “roadblocking” means running your ads on several stations during the same weeks. Businesstown.com explains why roadblocking can be highly effective.
You’ll also find some great advice for successful radio advertising here.
4 excellent reasons companies are going the toll-free route
With all the many companies out there, consumers are wise to evaluate what will help them get fast, seamless and reasonable phone packages. Here are some reasons to access Custom Toll Free:
Real-time, real cool
Companies or individuals have access to real-time call reports. You are never in the dark when you have an 800 number through us. We will let you see just how many minutes you’ve used to the minute.
Harness bulk-rate plans
Every company has different needs when it comes to phone services. Some clients need to get bulk-rate plans. This can be done easily with help from one of our agents who can offer pricing for special services.
Branded advertising
Sometimes it’s all about name recognition. By using a toll free vanity number you can set your company apart from the rest. Being consistent means tying in all your creative elements from your logo and business cards to your vanity number and signage.
Simplicity: looking for a number is 1-2-3
First, all you have to do to get a toll free number is do a simple search. At Custom Toll Free, this is a very easy process. Simply use the search bar at our “Available Toll Free Number Search” page and find the ideal toll free number for your business.
select the “industry” to view what numbers are accessible; for instance Computers/Internet, Sports or Travel.
Finally, you can filter the choices by prefix such as 800 or 866 only. You can also use the slider to indicate your projected price scale.
Contact Custom Toll Free today for more advice about getting your personalized phone number.
Why parents are using the power of toll-free numbers
Whenever you think of the toll-free number market, you think flowers, contact lenses, or safe autos. But today, many parents are using personal toll free numbers to keep tabs on their kids. Parents worried about their college-bound youngsters are resting better at night with toll-free numbers.
We all know it’s hard to get little Suzy or Johnny to call home everyday, but if the call is free you might have a better chance of hearing that phone ring. While normal cell phone plans were once the popular route, they can be highly expensive.
In fact, research shows that 90 percent of people in the United States are dialing toll-free numbers. Additionally, response rates increase an average of 14 percent when advertisements contain toll-free numbers.
Who are the regular people using toll-free numbers today?
• Parents and grandparents
• College students
• Parents of teens and tweens
• Military families
• Frequent travelers
• Those in a long-distance relationship
Custom Toll Free can design a minute plan that is just right for your special toll free needs. You just might bond with your kids, friends and other loved-ones better. Well, maybe or maybe not, but you WILL save money!
