Many online marketers look at the call to action as a critical gateway to sales. This is a pretty accurate assessment. Calls to action are commands designed to trigger a desired action. They let visitors to your site know exactly what you want them to do.
But, it’s not as simple as telling them to CLICK HERE! The best calls to action are carefully crafted to attract attention, provide incentive and give direction. Here are 7 ways to improve your calls to action for better results:
1. Prime the pump. In other words—lay the groundwork. Let people know the benefit of responding. Before they “click here”, they need to know what’s in it for them. So, identify a problem, then spell out a concise and compelling solution.
2. Offer an incentive. Benefits are great, but sometimes people need a little bit more. Before you ask for that email address, consider offering an incentive. This could be a free download, coupon or free trial.
3. Limit and focus. Limit your calls to action to one or two per page. Focus each call to action on the purpose of the page. For example, if your ultimate goal is to get visitors to “Buy Now”, it’s not a good idea to put that CTA on the first page. Lead them to it by starting out with initial CTAs that move them in a natural progression to that action.
4. Use strong, active language. Calls to action should be direct and to the point. Effective verbs include:
- click
- call
- buy
- download
- register
To supercharge your CTAs, accompany them with phrases that instill a sense of urgency, such as:
- limited time offer!
- free gift for subscribers!
- register now to receive 10% discount!
5. Position them properly. The call to action is the star of your landing page. So, give it center stage. Ideally, the CTA is located in the center of the page “above the fold”. It should be easy to see and attract the eye. To ensure this, keep the page uncluttered and free of visual and auditory distractions.
6. Sprinkle generously throughout. There’s no rule that says your calls to action can only appear on landing pages, squeeze pages and home pages. In fact, having a call to action on every page is a good strategy because it helps to ensure that your visitors are never left stranded, wandering your site aimlessly.
Remember—every page on your site is a landing page! With an effective content strategy and calls to action, you make each page work harder for you.
7. Plan them out. Any call to action should be created with the ultimate goal in mind. What happens when your visitor does click on that button? The first consideration is how the CTA corresponds to the page it leads to. Make sure that you deliver what it promises.
And, when they do land on that form, only ask for the basic information you need to get started. Many a form has been abandoned due to the request for too much, too soon.
