| Pay Per Call is the next wave of | | | | effectively 24 hour businesses, so this |
| advertising on the Internet. Similar to | | | | should not be an issue for them. |
| a Pay - Per -Click advertising. Pay Per | | | | My next question concerned wrong numbers |
| Call has a lot more to offer and a wider | | | | and short calls. We have all done it. We |
| audience in mind. The Pay-Per Call | | | | see one number and dial another. Or, we |
| (PP-Call) is geared towards small | | | | see something and on impulse we reach |
| businesses that do not have a web | | | | for the phone, and then change our mind |
| presence on the internet. However, this | | | | ten seconds after dialing. So, does the |
| form of advertising can be used by all | | | | advertiser pay for these types of calls? |
| types of business or services offered on | | | | Is there a time limit a person needs to |
| the net. | | | | be on the phone for? There answer is |
| Advertisers create an ad similar to a | | | | yes. The calls need to last at least ten |
| Pay-Per-Click (PP-Click) ad. Advertisers | | | | seconds. This should be more than enough |
| choose key terms in which they would | | | | time to establish that a wrong number |
| like to appear under. They also choose | | | | has been dialed. I also wondered about |
| their geographical location (local, | | | | people trying to beat the system. The |
| regional or national) Pricing starts at | | | | trouble with PP-Click is that people may |
| $2 and can exceed $20. The ad itself | | | | dial and occupy a salesperson with no |
| consists of a headline and 2 additional | | | | intent other than to try and boost their |
| lines of text, (including a URL if the | | | | revenue off the ads placed on their |
| company has one). Surfers then call the | | | | site. Ingenious has taken this into |
| toll free number shown in the ad. After | | | | account. They can track calls that come |
| the surfer calls the number, the call is | | | | in through their system. Any numbers |
| forwarded to the actual business phone. | | | | seen abusing it can be blocked. |
| Seems pretty basic doesn't it? But, I | | | | Hopefully, this will discourage any type |
| had a few questions I needed answered so | | | | of scam to boost profits on sites that |
| I contacted Ingenio and spoke to them | | | | sponsors these ads. |
| about their service. | | | | I was also interested to know about ads |
| My first question regarded calls placed | | | | that did provide a URL. Was there an |
| after business hours. If my business | | | | additional charge levied when someone |
| phones are manned Monday - Friday, 9 to | | | | clicked on the ad? Fortunately, there is |
| 5, will calls still come in after 5pm on | | | | not. If a business sells over the net as |
| Friday? The answer is that currently | | | | well, they could certainly use this to |
| there is no automated scheduling that | | | | their advantage. Of course, one of the |
| will turn your ads on or off at a | | | | main advantages to this type of |
| specified time. However, you can go in | | | | advertising is that it caters to |
| manually and pause your account so that | | | | potential customers that do not, for |
| your ads are not shown during | | | | whatever reason, like to make purchases |
| non-business hours. The automated | | | | online. Overall PP-Call may be worth its |
| scheduling is in the process of being | | | | weight in gold. At least the potential |
| implemented but there is currently no | | | | is there. Will it surpass PP-Click as |
| set date for this to take effect. Of | | | | far as the preferred method of |
| course, you can place your business | | | | advertising? Probably, not. It does |
| hours in the ad as well but this may | | | | however give advertises who couldn't |
| take up valuable space that could be | | | | advertise on the net before a reason to |
| better utilized describing products or | | | | start. Maybe then they will see the |
| services. Businesses that have a call | | | | importance of having a web presence on |
| center for after hours calls are | | | | the Internet. |