BIA/Kelsey: Purchase Intercepts to push to nearly $5b

Earlier this month the firm reported mobile would push in-call and call based advertising higher over the next few years as calls to businesses from search engine queries would push to nearly 14 each month. According to the new report in-call analytics and call quality assurances are needed to help businesses deal with the rapid increase in the number of calls as well as to help the consumer get to the right place via phone to receive the information needed.

"We universally hear from call-based businesses that while call volume is growing, getting enough high-quality calls to businesses is the single largest challenge," said Matt Booth, chief strategy officer and program director, Interactive Local Media, BIA/Kelsey. "The massive influx of calls combined with a high percentage of unwanted calls, opens up a new and critical business segment around call analytics and call quality."

"Like BIA/Kelsey we expect mobile call volumes to increase significantly, but the key will be optimizing programs for quality calls," said Bill Dinan, president of call measurement company Telmetrics. "Businesses are already using mobile call-based ads to capitalize on consumers' expanding mobile usage. From Q1 2011 to Q1 2012, we saw an increase of more than 30 times the number of mobile pay-per-call ads on our network."

Once calls are intercepted they are then targeted by category and re-routed to businesses who want to speak with those potential customers.

The forecast predicts that nearly 4 billion calls will be 'intercepted' and retargeted by 2016, a 52% CAGR increase from the 144 million calls intercepted in 2010.

Tags: BIA/Kelsey Group, call based campaigns, in call ads, mobile marketing, purchase interceptors