Are you looking to add a click-to-call button to your WordPress site? Over 50% of all web traffic now comes from mobile devices – adding a "Tap to Call" button is one of the best ways to engage these visitors and drive more phone leads for your business.
In this step-by-step guide, I‘ll show you exactly how to add a click-to-call button in WordPress. Whether you‘re a beginner or an advanced user, you‘ll learn how to implement this powerful feature in a matter of minutes.
But first, let‘s dive into why adding a click-to-call button is so impactful.
The Power of Click-to-Call for Mobile Conversions
Consider these eye-opening mobile usage statistics:
- 58% of smartphone owners have used click-to-call to call a business directly from search results (Google)
- 40% of online transactions happen over the phone (Invoca)
- Mobile searches including the phrase "call now" have grown by 120% (Google)
The data is clear – mobile users overwhelmingly prefer to call when they‘re ready to make a purchase or booking. If your WordPress site doesn‘t make it effortless to call, you‘re likely losing out on valuable leads and revenue.
Other key benefits of click-to-call include:
- Shortcuts the sales process by connecting prospects directly to your team
- Caters to the growing percentage of visitors who primarily use mobile devices
- Provides a better user experience than forcing users to write down and dial your number
Now that you understand the "why", let‘s look at the "how". Here‘s a step-by-step walkthrough of adding a click-to-call button using a WordPress plugin.
How to Add Click-to-Call with the WP Call Button Plugin
For most WordPress users, the easiest way to add a tap-to-call button is with a plugin. My recommended plugin is WP Call Button, a popular free option with robust functionality.
Here are the step-by-step instructions:
- In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New
- Search for "WP Call Button" and click "Install Now", then "Activate"
- Go to Settings > WP Call Button to access the plugin settings
- In the "Phone Number" field, enter the number you want calls to go to, starting with the country code (e.g. +1 for US)
- Customize the button text – e.g. "Call Now" or "Tap to Call"
- Choose a button color that stands out against your site design
- Configure where the button will be displayed – you can show it on all pages, only on specific pages, or only to mobile visitors
- If desired, enable Google Analytics tracking to measure clicks and conversions
- Click "Save Changes"
Your click-to-call button is now live! Here‘s what it might look like on your site:
By default, WP Call Button creates a sticky button that floats at the bottom of the screen, staying visible as the user scrolls. This is considered a click-to-call best practice, as it keeps the call option front-and-center throughout their visit.
In addition to the floating button, WP Call Button also includes a shortcode for adding inline tap-to-call buttons within your page or post content. Simply insert the shortcode [wp-call-button] wherever you want an inline button to appear.
The plugin offers several advanced features as well, such as:
- Custom button images/icons
- Detailed click reporting and analytics
- Display rules to only show during business hours
- Hiding the button for logged-in WordPress users
Implementing these customizations is just as simple – go to the plugin settings, adjust the options to your liking, and the changes will reflect automatically.
Adding a Click-to-Call Link Manually
Don‘t want to use a plugin? No problem. It‘s also fairly straightforward to add a click-to-call link to your WordPress site manually.
Here‘s the basic HTML format for a tap-to-call link:
<a href="tel:+15555551212">Call Us at (555) 555-1212</a>To break this down:
ais the HTML tag for a linkhrefspecifies the destination of the linktel:indicates this is a phone number rather than a web URL+15555551212is the phone number to call in international format- The anchor text wrapped in the
atag is what will be displayed to the user
You can add this HTML snippet directly to any WordPress page, post, or widget that accepts HTML content. For example, to add the link to a page, open the page editor and switch to the "Text" tab to access the raw HTML.
If you want to turn the link into a graphical button, you can achieve this by wrapping the a tag around an img tag pointing to your desired button image file:
<a href="tel:+15555551212"><img src="http://example.com/call-button.png" alt="Call Now"></a>Make sure to upload the image file to your WordPress Media Library first. For a free selection of phone/call icon images, check out Flaticon.com.
To further style the button, you can add a CSS class to the a tag and define the styles in your theme‘s stylesheet (style.css):
<a href="tel:+15555551212" class="phone-button">Call Us at (555) 555-1212</a>.phone-button {
display: inline-block;
background-color: #4CAF50;
border: none;
color: white !important;
padding: 12px 24px;
text-align: center;
text-decoration: none;
font-size: 16px;
border-radius: 4px;
cursor: pointer;
}This CSS code will produce a green button with rounded corners and white text, similar to the "call now" buttons you‘ve likely seen on other websites. The !important declaration ensures the link text will be white even if your WordPress theme specifies a different link color.
For advanced users, you can take the manual implementation even further by dynamically inserting the click-to-call link with PHP based on the user‘s device type. This allows you to display the link only to visitors on smartphones or tablets.
Here‘s a sample PHP snippet to detect mobile users and conditionally output the link:
<?php
if (wp_is_mobile()) {
echo ‘<a href="tel:+15555551212" class="phone-button">Call Us at (555) 555-1212</a>‘;
}
?> Place this code in your theme‘s header.php, footer.php, or another template file where you want the button to appear. The wp_is_mobile() function is a built-in WordPress function that detects if the visitor is using a mobile device.
Measuring the Results of Click-to-Call
However you implement click-to-call, it‘s crucial to measure the results so you know what‘s working. At a minimum, you‘ll want to track:
- Number of clicks/taps on the button
- Number of resulting phone calls
- Number of those calls that convert to customers
An easy way to track clicks is with Google Analytics event tracking. If you‘re using WP Call Button, the plugin includes a built-in option to enable Google Analytics tracking automatically. If you‘ve added the link manually, you can still track clicks with Google Tag Manager using this guide.
To track the actual phone calls, you‘ll need a call tracking system that generates unique phone numbers for each visitor and logs the incoming calls. Many VoIP phone services include call tracking features – look for services like CallRail, CallTrackingMetrics, or Phonexa.
By syncing your call tracking data with your website analytics, you can tie calls back to the specific marketing sources and webpages that drove them. This allows you to calculate your cost per lead and optimize your funnel for phone conversions.
Choosing the Right Business Phone System for Inbound Calls
If you implement click-to-call and start driving more inbound calls, you‘ll need a reliable phone system to handle them. Here are a few key considerations when choosing a business phone service:
- VoIP vs. Landline – VoIP (internet-based) phone systems are typically less expensive and more flexible than traditional landlines. They‘re also easier to scale up as call volume increases.
- Automated Attendant – Also known as a virtual receptionist, an auto attendant greets callers and routes them to the appropriate department or staff member. This is essential for handling a large influx of calls efficiently.
- Call Forwarding – Automatically forward calls to your mobile phone or another number when you‘re out of the office. That way you never miss a potential customer call.
- Voicemail Transcription – Some phone systems can automatically transcribe voicemails to text and send them to your email inbox. This saves you time listening to messages and makes it easier to follow up.
- Call Analytics – As mentioned, choose a provider that offers detailed reporting on your call metrics. Look for data points like caller ID, location, time of call, and call duration.
My top recommendations for business phone providers are:
- Nextiva – Best overall for features and reliability
- RingCentral – Good for scaling to large call teams
- Grasshopper – Best virtual phone system for solopreneurs and small teams
Be sure to evaluate your specific needs and compare plans from multiple providers before making a decision.
WhatsApp and Live Chat – Call Alternatives to Consider
Click-to-call is a powerful tool, but it‘s not the only way to engage mobile visitors. Depending on your business model and target audience, offering a click-to-chat option could be just as effective (if not more).
Over 2 billion people worldwide use WhatsApp, the popular messaging app, making it a highly accessible channel for customer support and sales inquiries. You can add a "click-to-WhatsApp" button to your WordPress site using a plugin like WAme or WhatsApp Chat WP.
Other website chat options include:
- Facebook Messenger – Let visitors start a Messenger chat with your business directly from your site
- SMS Text – Add a "Text Us" button that opens the user‘s native text messaging app with your number pre-filled
- Live Chat – Embed a live chat widget from providers like LiveChat, Tidio, or Zendesk
Keep in mind that live chat requires active management, meaning someone needs to be available to respond to incoming chats in real-time. If you implement this option, consider staffing a dedicated chat agent or using a chatbot to handle initial inquiries.
Key Takeaways & Next Steps
Phew! We‘ve covered a ton in this guide. Let‘s recap the key points:
- Adding a click-to-call button is an effective way to drive phone leads from your mobile website traffic
- You can use a WordPress plugin like WP Call Button to add a sticky "Tap to Call" button to your site in just a few clicks
- Alternatively, you can add a click-to-call link manually using the
tel:HTML attribute and custom CSS styling - Be sure to measure clicks, calls, and conversions to optimize your funnel and calculate ROI
- Choose a reliable business phone system to handle the influx of calls
- Consider offering click-to-WhatsApp or live chat as an alternative to phone support
Now I want to turn it over to you:
Do you have a click-to-call button on your WordPress site? If so, what has your experience been? If not, what‘s holding you back?
Let me know in the comments below – I read and respond to every one.
And if you found this guide helpful, I‘d be grateful if you shared it with your network or linked to it from your own website. Together, we can help more businesses unlock the power of click-to-call!
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