If your goal is to increase conversions, you have to do two things – have something people want and start using a call to action. Since you can’t assume people will know what you want them to do, you need a clear CTA to explain it.
Most websites, even those that just have a newsletter, have some form of CTA. But, they’re not all created equal. Use these call to action tips to develop a CTA that helps you achieve your site’s goals.
Purpose Of Using A Call To Action
At first glance, using a call to action seems simple enough. Just put up a button or link that says “click here,” “buy now,” “download this” or something similar. However, it’s never quite that easy.
The purpose of a call to action is to not only direct visitors on your site to take a specific action, but give them a compelling reason to do so. If you saw a billboard that just had a picture of a store that said “visit us at XYZ address,” you probably wouldn’t care. If you saw a billboard that said “Deep daily discounts and unique items you can’t find elsewhere at XYZ address,” you’d be much more likely to stop.
This is what a CTA does. It makes visitors want to stop scrolling and take an action. This could be signing up for a newsletter, entering a contest, buying something, downloading something or whatever action you want them to take.
Make Your CTA Visible
Using a call to action only works if its visible. Hiding it in your footer or having it blend in on the side isn’t going to help much. One easy way to do this is by adding a button. This increases the average click-through-rate from 4.23% to 5.31%. A bright, bold button with active verbiage stands out from the rest of your site.
Some of the best placement strategies for increased visibility include:
- Above the fold
- Pop-up
- Video
- Within blog posts
- Sidebar
- Footer (always combine with another placement for best results)
Showcase Customer Benefit
Of all the call to action tips out there, this is the most useful. Your call to action is about the customer, not your business or brand. If you want them to take action, show them why. If they provide their email address, what’s in it for them? What makes your ebook or other freebie so much more useful than the competition?
You can also change the wording to make your CTA more clear. You might have a button that says “Learn More.” While useful, changing it to “Explore Features,” “Check Out Pricing,” “See All The Benefits” or something similar tells visitors exactly what to expect.
Make It Urgent Yet Friendly
You always want to instill a sense of urgency without coming off bossy. Using a call to action needs to persuade someone to take an action. Keep your message simple. Usually, 4-5 words works best, though a few extra is fine if it’s relevant.
When coming up with the wording, think about talking to a friend. You only have one sentence or phrase to get them to do something. What would you say?
Don’t worry, though. Test out different phrases to see what works best. In this CTA case study, Marketing Sherpa showcases just how effective changing a few words can be.
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