Sensis offers click-to-call for online advertisers

Stuart Corner
Friday, 02 December 2005 08:50

Your IT - Home IT

Sensis claims to have become the first company in Australia to trial a system that allow visitors to a web site to click on an advertisement and be put in phone contact with the advertiser.

Once a person clicks on the click-to-call button in an advertiser's listing, a window opens asking them to enter their area code and phone number. They can then select whether they would like to be called immediately, in one minute, three minutes or five minutes.

The person's phone will ring within the selected time and the click-to-call system will then connect the potential customer to the advertiser. Advertisers will only be charged for successful calls once the call is connected and the minimum time period is reached.

Alex Parsons, group manger - sensis.com.au, said that the US click-to-call market had been forecast to reach $US4 billion in 2009. "We see tremendous growth opportunity and strategic business benefit by becoming an Australian pioneer in this space...We are confident that over time advertisers will flock to uptake this new technology given its associated benefits. Leads generated via the telephone allow businesses to talk to prospects one-on-one, explore their needs and establish immediate rapport."

He said the company would review the success of the trial after the beta period, the duration of which was not specified.