Does your website or blog have a call to action? If not, you could be missing out on a more favorable rate of return for your small business.
What is a call to action?
A call to action is a method of getting website visitors to take some sort of action after reading, viewing, or visiting your website. It could be to download a whitepaper, “Like Us on Facebook”, or comment on a blog post. Because website visitors tend to be a reactive bunch, having a “call to action” is a great way to get visitors to do more than just read your website content.
Where are the best places for a call to action?
Of course, the homepage is a great place for a call to action, but it’s not the only place that can benefit from this strategy. Call to actions can be placed within your site, but don’t over do it. If there are too many calls to action, it may be overwhelming for the visitor, who then may take no action at all.
What are some call to action best practices?
- Although some call to actions may be best suited at the end of the page, such as commenting on a blog post, don’t always bury them. The ideal place for your most prominent call to action is high on the page, in the center section.
- Sometimes, it’s a good idea to present call to actions in pairs. Include a second call to action that requires less of a commitment than say a purchase, such as “download the free trial” , “request a free sample”, or “subscribe to our newsletter”.
- Use urgency in your call to action language. Words such as “limited”, “free”, “reduced”, “offer expires”, “for a short time”, and “discount” give the impression that the deal is only available temporarily.
- Make sure your call to actions include action verbs, such as buy, purchase, get a quote, add to cart, subscribe, register, download, listen, enroll, contact, call, donate, find out more, watch (video), and so on.
- Surround your call to action by white space. Don’t clutter your call to action with text and images. Having adequate white space around your call to action, makes it stand out.
- Make it big. It’s a good idea to make your call to action a larger font than surrounding text.
- Make it colorful. Use an alternative color to make your call to action stand out even more.
So, tell your website visitor exactly what you want them to do. And while you’re at it, give them an offer they cannot refuse.
