Keeping a track on Web conversion is fairly simple. Google’s GCLID can then connect the conversion back to the ad that it originated from, since everything is online. But it’s a bit trickier to track calls: once you click your ad, you have to get a real person to pick up the phone and call you, which interrupts that neat sequence of online tracking numbers.
Dynamic number insertion (DNI) is the solution – it automatically replaces your website’s phone numbers with unique tracking numbers depending on who they are and what marketing channel they were accessed from. Callers that call your business will call using a tracking number which marketers can then map back to the marketing source of the call.
This is a thorough guide of all you need to know about dynamic number insertion:
What Is Dynamic Number Insertion?
Dynamic number insertion is a call tracking solution that uses a different tracking number for each website visitor. When someone arrives at your site, DNI changes your business number with one from a pool of tracking numbers. Every visitor gets a unique number, allowing you to obtain full information about the visitor’s path to your site and how they interacted with it.
Suppose you have two prospective customers coming to your site at the same time:
- Sarah visits your site and views tracking number A
- Mike visits after the first and finds tracking number B. After the first, he is visited by Mike who sees tracking number B.
If you receive a call from tracking number A, your call tracking software can associate that call with the click-through received on the tracking number A landing page, and the marketing campaign that sent the click-through.
When Sarah and Mike are done with their calls, those numbers are open to new visitors. This rotating pool system coupled with advanced customer tracking gives you 100% visibility of the marketing journey each call has taken, from click to final conversation.
How Does DNI Work?
Call tracking comes in three forms with DNI:
i. Keyword-Level Tracking with Dynamic Number Pools
The level of tracking is the most comprehensive, and it is known as keyword-level tracking, because it is based on rotating pools of numbers assigned to each individual that visits. This approach collects full marketing information like source, medium, campaign type and even keywords and allows for improved conversion tracking and optimization in your ad platform.
Dynamic number pools are available for keyword-level tracking, which is utilized by most businesses for the most complete data. It works as follows:
- Visitor Detection: The DNI script generates a unique visitor profile by applying first-party cookies and tracking parameters when a visitor visits your website.
- Number Assignment: The system will give that visitor a number out of your pool of numbers, so that no one else in your pool of numbers will see that number.
- Data Collection: WhatConverts will collect over 70 data points when someone dials their assigned number:
- Source/medium
- Campaign details
- Keywords
- Landing pages
- Lead pages
- Data on users (e.g. IP, Browser, Device)
- Full visitor journey
This visitor-level tracking enables you to follow every call back to the precise marketing that brought the visitors. Numbers are rotated intelligently to ensure accurate counting even in high-traffic situations.
ii. Marketing Source Tracking
The simpler approach is to give one tracking number for each marketing source, which means that everyone who visits your site from a specific marketing source will see the same tracking number. It’s simpler to establish, but it doesn’t give a lot of information, and you cannot monitor keywords or pass conversion information to ad platforms.
The tracking only works for the marketing sources you have specifically set up and if more than one person from the same channel clicks on an ad at the same time, you won’t be able to keep track of each click back to the specific ad the person clicked on.
iii. Offline/Third Party Site Tracking
The method is used for non-website marketing channels—such as flyers, magazine advertisements and direct mail—for which dedicated numbers are used. It records basic call information such as caller ID, call length and recordings, and is perfect for tracking offline campaign performance.
Companies that market their products on the internet and in other media can use this technique in conjunction with one or both of the other techniques mentioned above.
Benefits of Dynamic Number Insertion
Here are the key benefits of dynamic number insertion :
i. Accurate Call Tracking
With dynamic number insertion (DNI), you can better track the calls coming from various marketing channels—including search ads, social media or email marketing—by assigning a different phone number to each.
The DNI script sends the unique tracking number to your website whenever a visitor visits your website, replacing the default phone number. This can help you identify which specific marketing channel has brought in each call, which can help you to get the granular attribution and accurate assessment of each campaign.
ii. Improved Marketing Analytics
DNI can be a powerful way to enhance your marketing analytics. You can assign phone numbers to particular ads or ads groups, and view in real-time which ads, channels and content is getting the most calls and conversions.
This valuable information can help you fine-tune your marketing campaigns and more accurately spend your budget to improve return on investment.
iii. Enhanced Customer Experience
Dynamic number insertion can also help boost the customer experience, and can offer marketers valuable data. Having several tracking numbers means you can send the calls to the best possible department or agent depending on the marketing source.
This makes sure that customers get the most appropriate details and assistance regarding their query, which contributes to a smoother and a lot more positive interaction with your brand.
How to Add Dynamic Number Insertion?
It will depend on the call-tracking provider, but a typical process has several steps.
i. Choose a Call-Tracking Provider
The first step is to choose a platform with dynamic number insertion, and one that offers the tracking tools your business requires.
ii. Get Tracking Numbers
The provider supplies a group of tracking numbers that can be displayed to website visitors.
iii. Enter the Tracking Code
Normally, a tracking code is added to the website in JavaScript. This enables the system to recognize visitors and to substitute with the tracking number instead of the normal phone number.
iv. Define Tracking Rules
You can set the numbers to be displayed to different visitors.
Some examples of rules you may make are:
- Paid search
- Organic search
- Social media
- Specific campaigns
- Referral traffic
- Geographic locations
v. Install Calls to Your Phone System.
The tracking numbers can be set to forward calls to your existing business phone system, VoIP provider, sales department or call center.
vi. Monitor the Results
Businesses can view call data and compare the outcomes from different marketing channels once everything’s up and running.
Common Applications of Dynamic Number Insertion
If businesses rely on phone calls to generate leads and sales, DNI is often very beneficial.
Some examples include:
Local search and advertising are tracked by plumbers, electricians, and repair companies to monitor calls from their home services.
- Healthcare: Clinics can track how many calls are coming in from different online campaigns, while complying with privacy laws.
- Real estate: Agencies can correlate real estate-related marketing efforts and inbound calls.
- Legal services: Law firms are able to monitor calls from search advertising and organic traffic.
- Travel agencies can determine which campaigns drive phone calls to their businesses.
- VoIP providers: Communication companies can track the number of calls that are generated by various marketing campaigns and landing pages.
FAQs on Dynamic Number Insertion
Q1. What is DNI (Dynamic Number Insertion)?
Dynamic Number Insertion (DNI) is a call tracking solution that automatically replaces the phone number on a website with information about the visitor that the marketing source or campaign provides.
Q2. What does the DNI do?
The primary goal is to determine which marketing avenues lead to phone calls.
Q3. Does DNI call track?
Yes. DNI is often deployed alongside call-tracking software that retains data on incoming calls and correlates this with visitors to a website or a marketing campaign’s origin.
Q4. Does DNI work with VoIP?
Yes. DNI also can integrate with VoIP systems, with tracking numbers directing calls to the company’s VoIP system.
Q5. Is DNI the primary telephone number?
Not necessarily. When a visitor accesses a website, DNI typically shows a tracking number, and directs the call to the company’s existing phone system.
Q6. Is it possible for DNI to follow Google Ads calls?
Yes. DNI can be set up to recognize visitors from paid search campaigns and connect their calls to paid search.
Q7. Is it possible for DNI to monitor organic search calls?
Yes. DNI can be used to track calls from visitors who are coming from organic search results on a business’s website.
Q8. Is it DNI same as call forwarding?
No, call forwarding redirects call to another destination and DNI is mainly used for the identification and the tracking of the source of calls generated by the website.
Q9. Does the Dynamic Number Insertion cost a lot of money?
The price varies based on call volume, features needed, tracking numbers and the provider. The provider should be compared according to the tracking requirements of the business.
Final Thoughts
Dynamic Number Insertion is a great technology for companies that are creating leads via the telephone.
DNI can not only show a business that someone called, it can also show the business where the caller was calling from. Can integrate phone leads with Google Ads, SEO, social media, referral traffic and other digital marketing efforts.
DNI, combined with call tracking and VoIP, can give a more accurate view of the customer journey, from website visit to phone call.
This extra data can be particularly useful for marketers in businesses that heavily rely on phone leads to measure the performance of their marketing efforts, analyze customer behavior, and make informed decisions about their marketing campaigns.
