Google is apparently playing with click to call. Greg Yardley has the scoop including screenshots, and there is more on searchenginewatch.
The click-to-call model has received lots of attention lately, not the least because of Ebay’s acquisition of Skype. In the presentation explaining the acquisition (PDF) , slide 23 and following talk about how Ebay can add click-to-call with Skype for example to its auctions, where buyers can click-to-call the sellers.
For those who haven’t been following the click-to-call story, the idea is that rather than copying the phone number of some merchant or service provider you want to call from the screen and entering it on your phone, you click on a link on the merchant’s page or ad. The link prompts you to enter your phone number and you’ll receive a call back (for example, German Yellow Pages provider goyellow.de offers this.) In the future, the link may also initiate an automatic VoIP calll from your computer, using software like Skype or Google Talk.
The business model behind this is “lead generation” - i.e. each call that gets placed to a merchanct or service provider is considered a lead, for which the call receiver has to pay a fee, usually to the tune of a few $/Euros. If you consider what a customer is worth for example to a home improvement contractor, it makes sense for the contractor to spend some money on making sure he gets a call from someone looking for his services.
Click-to-call is the translation of Internet advertising into the offline world, and a lot of people place high hopes into it. I’ll keep reporting on it as I learn more.
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