Pay Per Call: Challenges and How to Beat Them

Pay Per Call marketing offers businesses a direct way to connect with potential customers but comes with several challenges. Tracking performance, handling unqualified leads, and staying compliant with regulations often disrupt campaign efficiency and reduce ROI.

Fraud risks, scaling issues, and technical complexities further complicate the process, leaving businesses struggling to maximize results. In this post, you’ll discover the key challenges in Pay Per Call marketing and provide actionable solutions to help you optimize campaigns and drive better performance.

Main Challenges in Pay Per Call Marketing

Pay Per Call marketing presents challenges that can limit its effectiveness if not addressed properly. From tracking call performance to managing lead quality and complying with industry regulations, businesses must face a complex landscape to succeed. Here are the main challenges of Pay Per Call marketing:

1. Tracking and Attribution

The Challenge

Tracking phone calls to specific marketing efforts is a key challenge in Pay Per Call marketing. While online conversions are easier to track, phone calls require specialized systems. Without proper attribution, businesses risk wasting ad spend and missing valuable opportunities.

Solution

Call tracking software assigns unique numbers to campaigns or keywords, helping businesses pinpoint the source of each call. These insights reveal which efforts drive results, improve decision-making, and increase ROI. Integrating call data with Google Analytics provides a deeper understanding of caller behavior.

Example

A home services company running multiple Pay Per Call campaigns across platforms like Google Ads, Facebook, and Bing struggles to pinpoint which platform is generating the highest-quality leads. Without visibility into performance, the company risks over-investing in underperforming campaigns.

2. Call Quality and Lead Qualification

The Challenge

Not all phone calls result in qualified leads. In Pay Per Call marketing, the quality of calls is just as important as their quantity. Receiving a high volume of unqualified calls can waste time, increase costs, and reduce the overall ROI of a campaign.  

Solution

Call screening and routing strategies improve call quality by filtering unqualified leads. Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems pre-screen callers with targeted questions, ensuring only qualified leads reach representatives. Additionally, call scoring models help prioritize high-value leads by evaluating factors such as intent, location, and demographics.

Example

A legal firm specializing in personal injury cases may receive numerous calls from individuals seeking free legal advice instead of clients interested in hiring their services. These calls increase the call volume but do not contribute to revenue, wasting valuable resources.

3. Compliance and Regulations

The Challenge

Pay Per Call marketing must adhere to strict regulations, especially in sectors like healthcare, finance, and telecom. Non-compliance can lead to fines, legal issues, and reputational harm. To maintain trust and safeguard data, businesses need to apply these complex rules carefully.

Solution

Businesses can overcome these challenges by collaborating with legal experts and ensuring campaigns meet industry regulations. Using secure call recording and data storage solutions helps protect sensitive information. Regular compliance audits and employee training further ensure adherence to rules and reduce liability risks.

Example

Healthcare Pay Per Call campaigns must comply with HIPAA rules to protect patient privacy. Providers must securely store and handle patient data per strict guidelines. Non-compliance can result in penalties and damage trust.

4. Fraud and Unethical Practices

The Challenge

Fraud is a significant issue in Pay Per Call marketing. Some unethical actors generate fake calls or use automated systems to inflate call volumes, resulting in wasted ad spend and distorted performance metrics. These fraudulent practices not only drain budgets but also undermine trust in the campaign results.

Solution

To reduce fraud, businesses can implement fraud detection tools that monitor call patterns and flag suspicious activity. Partnering with reputable Pay Per Call networks reduces exposure to unethical practices. Regularly reviewing campaign performance, auditing calls, and using technologies like voice recognition can also help identify and eliminate fraudulent activity.

Example

A financial services company running a Pay Per Call campaign may encounter fraudsters using automated dealers to generate high volumes of fake calls. While these calls appear legitimate, they do not convert into leads or revenue, wasting valuable marketing resources.

5. Optimizing for Mobile Users

The Challenge

With the growing reliance on smartphones, a good portion of Pay Per Call traffic now comes from mobile users. Optimizing campaigns for mobile presents challenges, such as ensuring seamless user experiences and reducing call abandonment rates. If mobile users encounter slow-loading pages or unclear CTA buttons, businesses risk losing valuable leads.

Solution

Businesses can improve results by building mobile-friendly landing pages with visible, easy-to-use click-to-call buttons. Fast, responsive designs enhance the user experience and increase call completion rates. Testing on various devices ensures a smooth and consistent customer journey.

Example

A travel agency running a Pay Per Call campaign notices that most calls originate from mobile users. However, their mobile landing page is not optimized, causing users to leave before making a call. This leads to missed opportunities and reduced campaign performance.

6. Measuring ROI and Campaign Performance

The Challenge

Measuring the ROI of Pay Per Call marketing campaigns can be difficult, especially when compared to online campaigns where conversions are easier to track. Without a clear understanding of the revenue generated by each call, businesses may struggle to determine whether their campaigns are profitable or need adjustments.

Solution

By integrating call tracking with CRM systems, businesses can trace the full customer journey from call to sale. Analyzing metrics like call duration and conversion rates reveals top campaigns. Accurate revenue attribution ensures precise ROI measurement and better campaign optimization.

Example

An e-commerce company running a Pay Per Call campaign finds it challenging to measure ROI because many calls do not lead to immediate sales. The lack of proper attribution makes it difficult to connect the calls to revenue, leaving the company unsure about the campaign’s overall effectiveness.

7. Scaling Pay Per Call Campaigns

The Challenge

Scaling Pay Per Call campaigns can strain resources, making it essential to maintain infrastructure and staffing to meet demand. Without proper support, businesses risk lost opportunities, customer dissatisfaction, and negative reviews.

Solution

To handle fluctuating call volumes, businesses can adopt cloud-based phone systems or virtual receptionists. Efficient call routing ensures even distribution among agents, minimizing wait times. Outsourcing to trusted providers helps scale operations while preserving service quality.

Example

A plumbing company running a successful Pay Per Call campaign experiences a surge in call volume during peak seasons. Without enough staff to handle the influx, many calls go unanswered, resulting in lost leads and dissatisfied customers.

Beat All the Challenges of Pay Per Call with UNIK360

Pay Per Call marketing has incredible potential, but challenges like untracked calls, low-quality leads, and compliance hurdles can stand in the way of success. The good news is that with the right tools and strategies, you can overcome these obstacles and turn every call into an opportunity.

At UNIK360, we aim to empower businesses to succeed in a competitive marketplace. We provide a platform designed to simplify marketing and automation, enabling smarter, faster, and stronger growth.  

Join UNIK360 today and get everything you need to start growing your pay per call business

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Challenges in Pay Per Call Marketing

Why are tracking and attribution so challenging in Pay Per Call marketing?

Unlike digital clicks, phone calls require specialized tools to trace their source. Without proper call tracking, it’s difficult to determine which campaigns, keywords, or platforms generate the most valuable leads, leading to wasted ad spend and inefficient optimization.

How can businesses deal with unqualified calls in Pay Per Call campaigns?

Unqualified calls often result in wasted time and resources. To address this, businesses can implement screening tools like Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems, use call scoring models, and prioritize high-intent leads through routing strategies.

What are the biggest compliance risks in Pay Per Call marketing?

Compliance risks include mishandling sensitive information or violating industry-specific regulations like HIPAA in healthcare or financial disclosure rules in finance. Failure to comply can lead to fines and damage to a brand’s reputation. Secure call recording, regular audits, and expert guidance are essential to avoid these risks.

How can UNIK360 help manage these challenges?

At UNIK360, we provide tools to solve these challenges, from advanced call tracking and fraud detection to scalable solutions and compliance support. Our platform ensures businesses can grow smarter, faster, and stronger while navigating the complexities of Pay Per Call marketing.