Your website might be getting traffic, but how many of those visits lead to phone calls? And how do you know where those calls are coming from?
Online actions like purchases and bookings are easy to track, but phone calls are harder to measure without the right tools. Website call tracking helps you understand which marketing efforts drive those valuable conversations, including website call conversions.
In this blog, you’ll learn how website call tracking works, explore different tracking methods, and see how businesses use call data to improve performance and capture more leads from their existing traffic.
What Are You Missing Without Call Tracking?
Many customers prefer to call before making a decision. Whether they have a quick question, want to book an appointment, or need help placing an order, a phone call often signals strong buying intent.
Without website call tracking, it’s hard to know which campaigns are generating those calls. You could end up misjudging performance, pausing ads that are delivering results, or overlooking the channels that drive your most valuable leads.
Website call tracking shows where your calls are coming from, whether it’s a Google Ads campaign, a landing page, or an organic visit. It helps you make decisions based on the full picture.
Let’s start with the most basic way to track calls: doing it manually.
Manual Website Call Tracking
The simplest way to track calls is to ask the caller how they found you. You or your team might jot down the source after each conversation.
This approach works for very small businesses that don’t receive many calls. It adds a personal touch and doesn’t require any tech setup.
But manual tracking has its limits. It relies on memory, consistency, and honest answers. Callers don’t always remember what led them to you, and team members may forget to ask or record the call details accurately.
As call volume grows, tracking this way becomes tedious. It’s easy to lose track of trends or miss patterns that could help your marketing.
If you want deeper insights without the manual effort, there are simpler tracking tools that can give you a bit more data.
Basic Call Tracking Options for Websites
If you’re not ready for full call tracking software, there are a few basic tools that can give you a starting point. These options help you measure some call activity without much setup.
One option is Google Ads call extensions. This adds a phone number to your ad so people can call you straight from the search result. You can set a call length to count it as a conversion and see which ad groups are leading to calls.
Click-to-call tracking is another option. It tracks how often people tap on a phone number link from your site. While it tells you that someone clicked, it won’t show if the call went through or how long it lasted.
These basic tools can be helpful if you’re just starting out. Still, they don’t tell you what happens before or after the phone rings.
If you want to know which campaigns drive real results, it’s worth looking into full-featured call tracking software.
What Are the Benefits of Using Website Call Tracking Software?
Your website is often the first place people go before calling your business. It might be a landing page from an ad, a product page, or your contact page. Without call tracking, it’s hard to know which pages lead to calls and which ones don’t.
Know Which Pages and Sources Trigger Calls
Call tracking software shows you which traffic sources and website pages are sending people to the phone.
For example, you might find that a service page with very little form activity is driving dozens of phone calls each week. That information helps you decide what to keep, update, or promote.
Track Visitor Behavior With Dynamic Number Insertion
Dynamic number insertion swaps in different numbers based on how someone arrives at your site.
Whether it’s from paid ads, organic search, or social media, each visitor sees a unique number tied to that source. This lets you connect calls back to the exact marketing effort that brought individual website visitors in.
Compare Page Performance Based on Call Outcomes
You can also review how calls from different pages perform. If calls from one landing page often lead to booked appointments, you’ll know that page is working.
On the other hand, if calls from another page rarely go anywhere, it may need attention.
A platform like Analytic Call Tracking gives you this visibility and helps you collect accurate data and spot patterns you can act on. With this insight, your website becomes a source of reliable call data you can use to make updates that lead to more call conversions.
How to Set Up Call Tracking Software
To start tracking calls from your website, you need three core elements: a tracking number, a campaign, and a call flow. Once these are in place, you can start collecting data and attributing calls to specific marketing efforts.
First, sign up for Analytic Call Tracking. Then, follow these steps:
1. Purchase a Tracking Number
- Go to the Administration dropdown.
- Select Manage Phone Numbers.
- Search for a number using a ZIP code, area code, or wildcard.
- Purchase the number and give it a clear label so you can tie it to a campaign or source later.
If you’re using Google Ads, you may also consider adding a Google forwarding number for calls tied specifically to those ads.
2. Create a Campaign
- Go to Manage Campaigns under the Administration dropdown.
- Click Add Campaign and enter a campaign name.
- Assign your newly purchased tracking number to this campaign.
3. Set Up a Call Flow
- In the Administration dropdown, select Manage Call Flow.
- Click Add Call Flow in the top left.
- Name your call flow and choose the appropriate type.
- Save it to connect call behavior (like routing or voicemail) to your tracking setup.
4. Enable Google Analytics Tracking (Optional but Recommended)
- Go back to Manage Campaigns in the Administration dropdown.
- Click the campaign name to open the settings window.
- At the bottom, check the box labeled Enable Google Analytics for this campaign.
- Enter your Google Analytics ID and domain.
- Click Save to apply tracking.
5. Export Numbers and Settings (Optional)
- If you want a backup or internal record of your phone numbers, return to Manage Phone Numbers.
- Click Export to download a list of your numbers and settings.
Once you complete these steps, you’ll be able to track where calls are coming from, tie them to marketing sources, and see call behavior inside your dashboard.
When to Use Manual Tracking vs. Call Tracking Software
Manual tracking can work for businesses that only get a few calls each week. If your team has the time to ask callers where they found you and consistently log that information, this approach might be enough early on.
As your call volume grows or your marketing covers more channels, manual tracking becomes harder to manage. Important details can get lost, and it becomes difficult to tell which efforts are working.
Call tracking software captures this data without relying on memory or extra tasks. It keeps your records more consistent and lets you see how calls connect to your marketing through conversion tracking.
Features to Look for in Website Call Tracking Software
If you’re choosing software, you should know which features make tracking more useful. Let’s walk through some features that can help you get the most out of your call tracking setup.
Dynamic Number Insertion
Dynamic number insertion swaps in different phone numbers on your website based on how someone arrives. For example, a visitor from a Google ad will see a different number than someone who came through a search or social media.
This helps you connect each call to its source. You can track which channels, campaigns, or keywords led to the call without relying on the caller to tell you.
Once set up, DNI runs in the background. It gives you more accurate data without changing how visitors interact with your site.
Instant Local and Toll-Free Numbers
Call tracking software lets you generate local or toll-free numbers in seconds. You can search by area code, ZIP code, or even choose a vanity number that matches your brand.
Local numbers can help build trust with nearby customers. Toll-free numbers are a better fit for national reach or customer service lines.
Having options makes it easier to match your number to the type of campaign you’re running. Once you’ve picked a number, you can assign it to a specific ad, landing page, or channel.
Call Recording and Outcome Tracking
Call tracking software can automatically record incoming calls. These recordings give you a way to review conversations, spot missed opportunities, and improve how your team handles all the calls you receive.
You can tag each call with an outcome, like “booked appointment” or “no answer.” Over time, this helps you see which marketing sources lead to the best results.
These features are helpful for training staff, checking lead quality, and spotting patterns you might not notice otherwise.
Attribution and Reporting
Call tracking software doesn’t just log calls. It connects each one to the source that brought the visitor to your site. You can see whether a call came from a Google ad, a landing page, or a search result.
Most platforms let you filter calls by date, campaign, or outcome. You can also export reports to share with your team or clients.
This type of reporting helps you spot trends, adjust your marketing efforts, and make decisions based on phone call data. If you’re using Google Tag Manager, you can also pass call tracking events into your analytics setup without changing your site’s code directly.
Call Routing and Notifications
Call routing lets you send incoming calls where they need to go. You can direct them to one phone, a team of people, or different locations based on the time or day.
Notifications make it easier to stay on top of missed calls. You can receive alerts by email or text when someone hangs up or leaves a voicemail.
This helps you keep potential leads from slipping away.
Track Website Calls With Analytic Call Tracking
Your website isn’t just for clicks. It also drives phone calls, and those calls should be measured like any other lead.
Analytic Call Tracking helps you connect each call to the ad, page, or traffic source that brought the visitor to your site. With better data, you can adjust your strategy and focus your budget on profitable marketing campaigns.
You can set up a tracking number in minutes. Use dynamic number insertion to track by campaign and review call recordings and outcomes in one place.
Plans start at $29 per month. There are no contracts, no hidden fees, and no minimum requirements. A 15-day free trial is included with every plan, so you can try it without any pressure!
Start tracking the calls your website is already bringing in. Book a demo with Analytic Call Tracking to get started!
FAQs About Website Call Tracking
How can I track a phone call from a website?
You can use call tracking software that assigns unique phone numbers to your website visitors. This lets you see which traffic sources or pages led to the call.
How do you track phone numbers from a website?
You can track phone numbers by using call tracking software. It shows different phone numbers to visitors depending on how they found your website, such as through Google, Facebook, or a referral link. When someone calls, the software records which number they saw, so you can tell which source brought them to your site.
Can I make a phone call from a website?
Yes. If your site includes a click-to-call link or button, users can tap it on mobile devices to call your business directly.
What is call tracking?
Call tracking is a way to measure where your calls are coming from. It helps you connect phone calls to specific ads, campaigns, or pages so you can see which marketing efforts bring in leads.
