Last week we explained what a call to action is and what it can do for your business. Now that you know how important call to actions are for driving your customers toward a sale, how do you create effective call to actions?
1. Step 1
Start with a goal. You have to figure out what you want your visitors to do before you can create a call to action. What is your most important goal right now? Most business owners would probably say “sell my stuff” or “sell my services.”
That’s a good start, but you want to determine what is going to make your visitors take that first step. Say you are a interior designer and you need to meet with clients before you make a sale.
You’d have a very different call to action than a blogger looking to increase readership. Getting the goal right before you create a call to action will save you a lot of time and money in the long run.
2. Step 2
Once you have your goal in mind, now you need to think how to entice your customers to make that first step.
For the designer who needs to meet with potential clients first, a possible call to action would be “call for a free consultation.” For the blogger looking to increase readership, you might create a “subscribe now” call to action.
The language you use is the most important part of a call to action. Your visitors should know exactly what you are asking them to do.
If the call to action is unclear, visitors won’t click on it. Need some help coming up with the words? Here are some examples of call to action words that can help get you started.
3. Step 3
Design an eye-catching button. You have the verbiage down, so now you need to design the button. Above all, you want to choose a color that contrasts with the background.
A dark color on a light background or a light color on a dark background helps separate the call to action from the rest of the page and makes it easy for visitors spot.
Additionally, choose a size that is larger than the surrounding elements. A tiny button fading into the background will not do you any good. It needs to draw the visitor’s attention.
Here is an example of a call to action that is easy to spot:
Notice the bright blue design and brief, direct language. Don’t try and overdo the design or text — simple is smarter.
4. Step 4
Now that your button is ready to go, place your call to action on your website. There have been all sorts of discussions as to the best place to place a call to action on a web page.
The rule of thumb is to place it to the right above the fold because that is the most prominent position. This isn’t the only position, but it is a good place to start.
5. Step 5
Test, test, test. How are you to know your call to action is working? You have to test it out. Conduct A/B testing or if you aren’t ready for that, watch your leads.
If your leads seem unusually low, try a different placement. The main thing to remember is you have to give the call to action time to start working. At the minimum, test for 3-6 months and then review.
See Also: How To Promote Your Business Facebook Page
Want to learn more? Join us next week when we will discuss tips and resources for creating effective call to actions for your business.