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 the most basic calls to action, but getting people to respond to these calls is not as simple as it seems. Below are ten ways you can beef up 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, choices or actions. Cramming your call to action with too many elements can cause the person to lose confidence in making a decision.
2. Test and retest – Always test your call-to-action button for maximum efficiency. What will increase conversions for one website might not 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 to change 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, layout, and placement.
3. Colour: Color makes the difference. Different colors bring out different emotions and put people in different moods. Determine what emotions you need to encourage in your visitors and use the appropriate colors. Red is a color of passion and energy. Red motivates us to take action. Blue is a color that evokes feelings of trust and integrity. It is a color of calm honesty. The green color creates feelings of stability and balance. Green also indicates prosperity and strength. Color psychology 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 brick-and-mortar 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 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 slider is considered spam, but it can be very successful. You should also have a call to action in multiple locations on each page.
5. Design – You want the design of your call to action to be visually appealing and appealing to the eye. Once the eye is drawn to it, you want it to grab the reader’s attention and keep it. Color, text, shape, size, and content all have an impact on the effectiveness of the button. There are no set rules on how to design your call to action. You have to try different aspects of the design 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’s in it for her. Be sure to give them a good, low-risk reason to respond to your call to action. For example: “Pay nothing to get started” or “30-day free trial.”
7. Sense of urgency: Creating a sense of urgency or a time clock for your offer can give people the little push they need to act. “Only 10 free trials available” or “Get started free 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 offer proof that your offer is exactly as good as it says it is. Sprinkle short but effective testimonials into your call to action.
9. Add a bonus: give a little more for each click. Add a discount or free gift if the person completes the call to action. You see charities do this all the time. Donate now and receive a free t-shirt, daily planner, or whatever goodies they may be offering. Many calls to action are based on this tried and true method.
10. Social Sharing – Encourage people to share your offer with others. Make it easy 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 the form of an infographic and share it on your social networks.
Your business needs a credible number of successful conversions to survive. By using the tactics above and optimizing your call to action, you will motivate people to respond and your conversion rate could increase substantially.