Within days of announcing a feature that allows users to check local stores’ prices, inventory and location, Google has begun testing a click-to-call feature that allows users to get connected by phone to AdWords advertisers. Greg Yardley provides some screenshots and gives an early user report:
Seth just searched for ‘refinance’ and spotted some phone icons alongside the AdWords listings. He entered his phone number and within five seconds received an automated phone call, which connected to the purchaser of the AdWords listing when it had him on the line.
Michael Parekh discusses how this new Google initiative relates to similar efforts underway by Ebay (which recently acquired Skype) and Yahoo, which has teamed up with start-up Ingenio.
…(the) opportunities to extract any kind of pricing for voice communications at all, may be fleeting, like a fistful of sand running through one’s fingers…Of course, eBay’s monetization of the feature is likely to see paid-search supplemented with transactions, but it’s not clear yet.
[I]t’s not just about putting up the little telephone icons next to the paid-search links, nor it is just about the underlying internet telephony infrastructure. Those things are important, but of most importance is having the correctly tweaked algorithms to help place and price the ads, along with the massive page views for placement opportunities.
Parekh also considers the functionality of such features as it relates to their value. He acknowledges that “Of course, some would maintain that it’s just as easy for consumers to dial the toll-free number in a paid-search ad if they want to talk to the vendor.” But he also cites a post by VC David Beisel entitled “Friction is Multiplicative.”
One of the lessons that I’ve learned through my own experience with web-based consumer-facing services is the importance in reducing friction between and before desired actions. Any element of a service that would cause a user to either hesitate or initiate an extra step in the process before a desired action should have a solid reason why it’s incorporated.
And, as Parekh notes, “Every little detail matters in terms of reducing friction, just as Google initially figured out with it’s spartan Search page with the multi-colored logo almost seven years ago.”
Comments by Tom Keating at VoIP Blog point to the value of combining the click-to-call feature with the “local” functionality being added to Froogle.
[I]t looks like the phone icon only appears within ad-sponsored advertisements. Well that stinks, search-results are much more accurate than advertisements. I doubt for example I can search for “norwalk pizza delivery” and expect an Adwords ad to display local pizzerias in the Norwalk area.
Search Engine Watch provides excerpts from a Google FAQ page, which suggest that the search giant has done a reasonably good job in terms of ease of use and privacy.
Here’s how it works: When you click the phone icon, you can enter your phone number. Once you click ‘Connect For Free,’ Google calls the number you provided. When you pick up, you hear ringing on the other end as Google connects you to the other party. Then, chat away on our dime.
We won’t share your telephone number with anyone, including the advertiser. When you’re connected with the advertiser, your number is blocked so the advertiser can’t see it. In addition, we’ll delete the number from our servers after a short period of time.
Am I charged to connect to an advertiser? No. Google foots the bill for all calls - local and long-distance. However, if we call a cell phone number, you may incur airtime fees depending on the cell phone plan. Check your cell phone provider for details. In addition, we only store your information (including your phone number, date, time, and call length) temporarily for no longer than 4 months after the last time you used the service.
Mitch Shapiro at 2:00 PM|Comments(0)
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