A call to action is a button, graphic, or text message to motivate your visitor to complete the desired goal. The goal is to register, subscribe, buy, etc. The better your call to action, the higher your conversion rate.
Here are some examples of calls to action:
Subscribe here
Order now
Try our free demo
sign up here
Call now
These are some of your most basic calls to action, but it’s not as simple as it seems to get people to respond to these calls. Here are ten ways you can strengthen your response and increase your conversion rate.
1. Keep it simple: Your call to action should be clear, concise, and not cluttered or overloaded with distractions. Don’t confuse your visitors with too many offers, options, or stocks. Cluttering your call to action with too many items can cause the person to lose the confidence to make a decision.
2. Test and retest – Always test the call-to-action button for maximum efficiency. What will increase conversions for one website may not work for another, so you need to find the call to action that works best for your business. Using different text messages will produce different results. Try changing your text. For example: “Download Free Report” might work better than “Free Information”. Maybe “Add to Cart” doesn’t work as well as “Get Started Now”. Try other components like color, design, and placement.
3. Color: color makes the difference. Different colors bring out different emotions and put people in different moods. Determine what emotions you need to foster in your visitors and use the right colors. Red is a color of passion and energy. Red motivates us to act. Blue is a color that highlights feelings of trust and integrity. It is a color of quiet honesty. The green color creates feelings of stability and balance. Green also indicates prosperity and strength. The psychology of color is a fascinating subject and can make a substantial difference in the response to your call to action.
4. Location – We’ve all heard the popular saying for physical businesses: location, location, location. This is also true for many aspects of an online business. Where you put your call to action can be just as important as the colors or text you use. Make sure your call-to-action button is immediately visible. You don’t want people to have to scroll down to find you because they might just leave your site before seeing it. You also want your button on every page of your site. Many people think that using a popup or slide is considered spam, but they can be very successful. You should also have a call to action in multiple locations on each page.
5. Design – You want your call-to-action design to be visually appealing and eye-catching. Once attention is attracted, you want it to grab the reader’s attention and hold it. Color, text, shape, size, and content all influence the button’s effectiveness. There are no set rules on how to design your call to action. You have to try different design aspects and test them to get results.
6. Make me an offer I can’t refuse! – The first thing a person will want to know is what is in it for them. Make sure you give them a good, low-risk reason to respond to your call to action. For example: “Pay nothing to get started” or “Free 30-day trial.”
7. Sense of urgency – Creating a sense of urgency or clock for your offering can give people the little boost they need to act. “Only 10 free trials available” or “Free to start for a limited time.” Statements like these can get more people to respond and increase your conversions.
8. Use testimonials: Customer testimonials are very powerful and can provide proof that your offer is exactly as good as you say it is. Add short but effective testimonials to your call to action.
9. Add a bonus: give a little extra for every click. Add a discount or gift if the person completes the call to action. You see charities do this all the time. Donate now and receive a t-shirt, daily planner, or whatever free gifts they may be offering. Many calls to action are based on this tried and true method.
10. Share on social networks: Encourage people to share your offer with others. Make things easier for them by adding a share button to your call to action. Also be sure to share your call to action with your friends and followers. Infographics are very popular these days, so put your call to action in infographic form and share it on your social media.
Your business needs a credible number of successful conversions to survive. By using the above tactics and optimizing your call to action, you will motivate people to respond and your conversion rate could increase substantially.