Phone calls vs Online Forms: Which One Drives More Quality Leads?

Your goal as a business owner or marketer is to generate leads and drive growth.

You’ve mastered lead generation, lead tracking, and analytics and you are getting traction.

But which channel works best for you?

The two contenders on the ring are phone calls vs. online forms.

So, let the battle begin!

We’ll dissect the pros and cons of each method and finally crown the heavyweight champion of high-quality leads.

Before the phone calls vs. online forms match begins, let’s talk about some basics first. 

Reach out for the fruit of a tree, any tree, and you will notice one thing. Not all of its fruits are the same. Some are bad, some overripe, some rotten. Most of them will be average and only a select few will be just perfect. Shiny, well-shaped with a nice, attractive color.

The same goes for leads. The vast majority of them aren’t really worth your time. You need to invest what resources you have on high-quality ones if you don’t want to stretch yourself too thin and damage your lead conversion rates.

But what makes a quality lead?

A quality lead goes beyond superficial metrics, like website visits or surface-level questions. Quality leads display a high intent, meaning they are looking for the solution your product provides. They have probably spent some time researching and interacting with your content already. 

Relevancy is another key factor, where the lead’s needs and pain points align closely with what your business can solve. Finally, the potential for conversion is a crucial characteristic; quality leads are more likely to move through the sales funnel and ultimately become customers.
To effectively identify and nurture these leads, businesses often utilize tools like Nimbata, a call tracking and analytics platform. Nimbata helps capture valuable data from phone calls, allowing companies to better understand the quality and behavior of their leads. By analyzing this data, businesses can focus their resources on leads with the highest potential, improving the overall efficiency of their sales process.

Metrics used to measure lead quality

Besides your personal experience and intuition, there are some concrete metrics you can use to gauge the quality of your leads.

• Conversion Rates: This measures the percentage of leads that take the desired action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a service. Higher conversion rates indicate that the leads are well-qualified and interested in your offerings.
• Sales Readiness: This metric assesses how prepared a lead is to engage with your sales team. Leads that have already shown interest through multiple touchpoints—like downloading a whitepaper or participating in a webinar—are often more sales-ready.
• Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): This measures the total cost associated with acquiring a new customer. A lower CPA generally suggests a more efficient lead generation process, where high-quality leads are converted with fewer resources.
• Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): This metric estimates the total revenue a business can expect from a customer throughout their relationship. Quality leads typically result in higher CLV, as they are more likely to be loyal and have a greater potential for repeat business.

Track these metrics to have a clear understanding of the effectiveness of your lead generation. And since we will talk about phone leads a lot, make sure to incorporate call tracking in your analytics tools, since they are the only ones that can provide data and insights from phone calls.

Now, pick up your favorite snack, and let’s watch the main event. Phone calls vs. online forms!

Our first contender!

Customers like to talk with the business, before making an important or expensive purchase. They want to know more information and make sure another real human being is on the other side that will care for them and they can trust.

This is why phone calls remain an important part of lead generation.

Let’s talk about the benefits first.

• Personal Touch and Real-Time Interaction Phone calls provide a level of personal engagement that digital channels often cannot match. Speaking directly with a potential customer allows sales representatives to build rapport, address individual concerns, and create a personalized experience that fosters trust and confidence. This real-time interaction can be instrumental in turning a lead into a customer, as prospects feel heard and understood.
• Ability to Qualify Leads on the Spot One of the most significant advantages of phone calls is the ability to qualify leads instantly. During a conversation, sales representatives can ask targeted questions to assess the lead’s needs, budget, and timeline. This immediate qualification helps in identifying high-quality leads, allowing businesses to prioritize follow-ups and allocate resources more efficiently. Nimbata provides AI tools like word and phrase spotting, call summaries, and a plethora of filtering criteria with which you can easily design automations that will qualify leads on the spot.
• Immediate Response to Questions and Concerns Unlike emails or online forms, which may take hours or even days to receive a response, phone calls enable businesses to address queries and concerns instantly. This immediacy can significantly improve the customer experience, as prospects receive answers when they are most engaged and interested. It also reduces the likelihood of leads falling through the cracks due to delayed communication.

Not all that glitters is gold though. Phone calls have some drawbacks too.

• Time-consuming for both parties: Phone calls require a significant time commitment from both the business and the lead. Scheduling and conducting calls can be a lengthy process, especially when compared to the simplicity of submitting an online form. For businesses, this means dedicating considerable time and resources to manage phone interactions, which can be a challenge if the sales team is small or if there is a high volume of leads to handle.
• Limited reach due to time zones & availability: Unlike online forms, which can be filled out at any time, phone calls are constrained by time zones and the availability of both parties. This limitation can reduce the effectiveness of phone-based lead generation, particularly for businesses with a global audience or those targeting busy professionals who may not be easily reachable during standard working hours.
• Potential for high operational costs: Phone-based lead generation can be costly, especially if a business is handling a large volume of calls. This includes expenses related to staffing, training, and maintaining infrastructure for handling calls effectively. While phone calls can yield high-quality leads, the associated costs can add up, making it less viable for some businesses. However, Nimbata addresses this concern with its affordable pricing model. With low subscription fees and by charging only for answered calls, Nimbata helps businesses manage their costs more effectively, ensuring they pay only for meaningful interactions that have a real chance of converting into sales.

And on the other corner, online forms!

Online forms are perhaps one of the most streamlined ways for businesses to capture information from potential customers. They can collect data at scale and offer an essential tool to grow your customer base. They still have their challenges though.

We will start with the advantages.

• Automation & scalability: One of the primary benefits of online forms is their ability to automate the lead capture process. Forms can be integrated into websites, landing pages, and digital campaigns, collecting information 24/7 without the need for manual intervention. This scalability allows businesses to gather data from a large number of prospects simultaneously, making it possible to reach and engage a broader audience with minimal effort. With Nimbata you can track phone calls and online form submissions and get the full picture of your lead activity. Nimbata’s ability to measure conversion rates, tag and identify lead sources, and analyze the performance of different channels will help you make smarter, data-driven decisions.
• Convenient for prospects (can be filled out anytime): Online forms provide a level of convenience that is hard to match. Prospects can fill out forms at their own pace and at any time, without the pressure of real-time interactions. This flexibility is particularly valuable for busy professionals or those in different time zones, who may not be available for phone calls during regular business hours. By accommodating the prospect’s schedule, businesses increase the likelihood of capturing more leads.
• Easier to segment & qualify leads based on responses: Online forms allow businesses to collect specific information that can be used to segment and qualify leads more effectively. By including targeted questions about a prospect’s needs, budget, or industry, companies can quickly determine which leads are a good fit and prioritize them accordingly. This structured approach to lead qualification helps sales teams focus their efforts on high-potential prospects, improving conversion rates and overall sales efficiency.

• Hard to establish trust: Forms lack the personal touch and instant feedback of phone calls, which can make it harder to establish trust and address any concerns in real time.
• SPAM: online forms may attract spam or incomplete submissions, requiring businesses to implement measures to filter out low-quality leads.

What makes them tick? Factors that influence the effectiveness of each method

So, phone calls or lead forms? 

Well, the answer is not that easy. They both have advantages and drawbacks. The decision comes down to certain factors you need to consider.

Industry & Business Type

The effectiveness of these two methods varies significantly between different industries and business models. In B2B for example, phone calls are more effective since transactions there are typically more complex and require long and detailed conversations.

On the other hand, B2C businesses lean towards online forms since their products and services are usually simpler and require fewer explanations.

But, this isn’t set in stone. There are B2C high-ticket items or services as well that still need the personal touch of an expert.

Audience

Demographics play a crucial role too. Different audiences have different preferences. Younger and more tech-savvy people prefer the convenience and immediacy of online forms, while older demographics might favor the personal touch and clarity that comes with a phone conversation.

You should take psychographic factors into account as well. For instance, high-level executives or business owners may appreciate the efficiency of a phone call that allows them to get straight to the point and ask specific questions. Conversely, a busy consumer looking for a quick quote or more information might opt for an online form that they can complete on their own time.

Complexity of the product or service

We talked about this above already, but we will expand on it here a bit.

Products that are straightforward to understand are perfect for online forms. Leads can quickly provide their information and move forward in the sales funnel.

More complex offerings, such as financial services or extensive home repairs, for example, tend to draw in more phone calls. These interactions allow sales representatives to explain detailed features, answer questions in real-time, and provide tailored advice based on the prospect’s unique needs. In such cases, the ability to have a nuanced conversation is often crucial to moving the lead toward conversion.

Drumroll, please!

So, who won? Did we just hype up the phone calls vs. online forms match, only for it to end in a boring draw?

Well, yeah. Kinda.

You see, both methods have their merits. Phone calls are great for personal communication with leads and high-value offerings. But, online forms provide scale and simplicity.

In the end, the answer to the phone calls vs. online forms question relies on your industry, business type, audience, and the complexity of your products or services.

Final verdict? A resounding “Up to You!”