Tracking Phone Calls From Your Website with Code - A Comprehensive Guide

Why to track phone calls directly from your website

Tracking phone calls from your website is crucial for understanding the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. By tracking calls, you can attribute leads and conversions to specific marketing channels and optimize your strategies accordingly. While there isn't a direct Google Analytics code for phone call tracking, you can achieve this using Google Tag Manager (GTM) and a call tracking provider.

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How to track phone calls from your website

1. Choose a Call Tracking Provider:

   • Select a reputable call tracking provider that offers features like dynamic number assignment, call recording, and analytics. Popular options include CallRail, CallTrackingMetrics, and RingCentral.

2. Obtain the Tracking Code:

   • Your call tracking provider will provide you with a tracking code. This code will be used to dynamically generate unique phone numbers for your website.

3. Set Up Google Tag Manager:

   • If you haven't already, create a GTM container and add the GTM code snippet to your website's header. This will allow you to manage and deploy tags on your site.

4. Create a Custom HTML Tag:

   • In your GTM container, create a new custom HTML tag. Paste the tracking code from your provider into the HTML code field. Make sure to replace placeholders with the appropriate variables (e.g., phone number, call source).

5. Set Up Trigger:

   • Create a trigger to fire the custom HTML tag when a phone number is clicked. You can use a click trigger and configure it to match the CSS selector of your phone number links.

6. Publish the Changes:

   • Publish your changes in GTM. This will deploy the tracking code to your website, enabling phone call tracking.

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We can take this off your shoulders. Get in touch with us for a free consultation at help@seatoskyconsultants.com. We're here to help your business thrive!

Example Code to Track Phone Calls from a Website

Here's a simplified example of a custom HTML tag that might be used to integrate a call tracking provider with GTM:

<script>
 // Replace with your call tracking provider's code
 var callTrackingCode = 'your_provider_tracking_code';
 // Get the phone number from the data layer
 var phoneNumber = dataLayer.push({
 'event': 'phone_number_clicked',
 'phone_number': '123-456-7890'
 })[0].phone_number;
 // Replace the placeholder in the tracking code
 callTrackingCode = callTrackingCode.replace('{phone_number}', phoneNumber);
 // Execute the tracking code
 (function() {
 var script = document.createElement('script');
 script.async = true;
 script.src = callTrackingCode;
 var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
 s.parentNode.insertBefore(script, s);
 })();
</script>

Additional Tips About Tracking Phone Calls From Your Website

• Data Layer: Use a data layer to pass additional information (e.g., campaign parameters) to your call tracking provider and Google Analytics.
• Call Recording: Some providers offer call recording features. This can be helpful for quality assurance and training purposes.
• Privacy Compliance: Ensure that your phone call tracking practices comply with relevant privacy regulations.

By following these steps and customizing the code to your specific needs, you can effectively track phone calls from your website and gain valuable insights into your marketing performance.

Need professional help?

We can take this off your shoulders. Get in touch with us for a free consultation at help@seatoskyconsultants.com. We're here to help your business thrive!