Want to easily add call tracking capabilities to your website? Consider Skype‘s recent partnership with Marchex Call Analytics to offer “Click and Call Advertising“.

From the announcement:

Advertisers pay for qualified inbound calls via Skype on a pay-for-call basis. Call volumes are tracked by Marchex so advertisers can monitor the results of their campaign and also view detailed call analytics.

Here’s a short video for you visual learners:

In theory, the execution is simple. Web users see phone numbers all over the web – in online directories, local search results, and company websites. With Click and Call for Advertisers, they will see a blue “Free Call” Skype box appear over a phone number and can simply click to call the business directly via Skype. The advertiser would then be charged a predetermined amount for the call and Marchex Call Analytics would track the basics: call source, status, ring duration, call duration, etc.

As Marketing Pilgrim points out,

Skype’s Click & Call system might seem like a good alternative to acquiring an expensive toll free number, but there is a downside to the system and it’s a pretty big one. In order for the call to connect, the callee must have Skype software on their computer and Skype’s browser plug-in. The system is also not available for Macs and it won’t work on Skype mobile.

Anybody out there using this service yet? What do you think and is it working for you? Is the dependence on pre-existing Skype software going to limit its reach and effectiveness?