If you want the visitors on your website to become customers, you’re going to need to construct an effective, precise, and compelling call to action. It’s that extra push that caps off all that you’ve had to say about your product or service. Setting up people to succeed, assisting them to reach your goal and their goal, is much more effective than the wait-and-see approach.
On the other hand, you can’t just tell people what to do any way you want, because that will not be effective. What you need to do is give them precise steps to follow, so that they won’t get frustrated, and help them get through the process smoothly. Calls to action are simple if you know how to construct them the proper way. They are important because even if people have the desire, motivation, and ability to follow through, it’s still difficult for them to turn the knob and walk through the door. According to Marketing Charts, calls to action may increase the click rate of a video by 12 times in comparison to a clickable link with a passive word choice.
The following are five essential steps to take in creating a proficient call to action:
1. Precisely express the outcome that you want.
Tell the visitors on your website what you would like them to do, and why they should do it. This will allow them to know that you believe the product or service you’re advertising is going to help them out. It will also give them something to follow, and project your confidence in the positive outcome of their purchase.
2. Define the correct behavior that will allow for the desired outcome.
Express what types of individuals have passed through before them, and followed through with purchasing the service or product. Additionally, let them know that the individuals that have gone through the process were completely satisfied (as they should be with the product or service you’re providing).
In letting your potential client know about the caliber of people or amount of people that have purchased your product, and were satisfied, it will build up their trust in your product or service, influencing them to make the transaction.
3. Identify the steps the visitor needs to take to perform the action.
Make the steps familiar to the visitor, as people tend to gravitate towards doing something they’ve done before rather than doing something completely new. Even if the steps are new, present them in a familiar way so that the visitors will feel comfortable with the transaction.
Simple clicks and forms to fill out will be easy to present to your visitors; however, if you’re asking for personal information to complete the transaction, always ensure that their information is completely secure.
4. Make the steps as simple as they possibly can be.
Let’s face it, people hate doing things that are complex, and if you’re trying to advertise your business with a complex call to action, chances are you’re not going to have many that will follow through.
Create simple steps for your subscriptions or transactions on your site. If they happen to be complex, break down the steps so that they’re easy to understand. Keep it short, and straightforward.
5. Consider your target audience’s ability when constructing the call to action.
Study your target audience, and gauge their level of ability and motivation, so that you can personalize the call to action to fit them. In addition, you’re going to want to gauge your request.
Is it a low-level request (ex: asking for someone’s e-mail) or does it involve more? Consider this while you form your call to action. If it’s complex, then you’ll want to appeal to their personal safety. Your customers will want to know that all their information is safe, and will not go into the wrong hands. Click here for steps to ensure credit card transactions are secure and smooth.
Now, let’s look at some examples of different methods of calls to action:
Calls to Action Using Targeted Keywords:
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Purchase boxing gloves on sale today!
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Download nutrition software now.
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Double your online traffic with these steps.
Calls to Action Using a Promotion:
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Save 50% when you order online today!
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Schedule your harbor cruise at the lowest price.
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Print out this coupon to save $10 off your next purchase.
Calls to Action with Urgent Promotion:
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Purchase this week while the offer lasts!
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Subscribe now before the offer ends.
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Only 5 days left. Register today!
Constructing a well thought out call to action is essential for the success of any business online. Make sure that you follow these five steps to help you create a call to action that truly is effective. Once you create it, try it out first on friends and family that would fit your target audience, and then make changes if necessary.
Check out different websites and try to spot their calls to action. Do they have you hooked? You can actually build your new site based on your call to action, and add from there. If you’re just starting out on creating your new site, remember to check out reviews of web hosts on sites like Who Is Hosting This.