70% of small B2B websites lack a call to action - smallbiztrends
For those that are still unsure, a call to action (CTA) is a prompt for readers/viewers to carry out an act such as making a telephone call, clicking a link, or sending an email. Why are CTAs so important? Well, every piece of marketing activity has an objective; typically this is driving prospects and leads towards a sale – and CTAs are the instructions that guide prospects through the sales funnel towards this goal.
With no calls to action, your website, content, blog posts and emails etc are just a nice read – they’ll be engaging, but the reader will be left high and dry with nowhere to go. Without directing readers/viewers of where the next piece of content can be downloaded, or how they can contact your company, they’ll simply lose interest and go elsewhere.
So, to ensure your calls to action convert prospects into pounds, we’ve created the following handy tips:
Be clear and specific
Nothing confuses readers/viewers more than a page that has lots of different CTAs on it. And when prospects find they are confused, they typically don’t click any of the calls to action. For this reason, only include 1 or 2 CTAs on the page. When you’ve decided on the CTAs you’re going to use, make sure they include a verb. A CTA should provoke an action so the call to action should include a verb such as click, read, download or call.
Keep it short
Short, sharp and punchy is vital with calls to action. Don’t waffle on and end up writing War and Peace. A good call to action should be as short as possible - typically 3-5 words. In order to provoke an immediate response from your readers/viewers, add some urgency to the CTA by including words and phrases like ‘Now’ and ‘For a limited time only’. An example of a good call to action is ‘download the latest ebook now!’
Be bold
If a call to action blends nicely into the design of your webpage, email or blog post, then it has failed. In order to generate the most engagement, make sure your CTA is made using contrasting colours and it’s clearly visible on your page. Ensure it is positioned clearly for the reader/viewer to see without having to search for it; and if you’re using an online channel, make sure the CTA is hyperlinked and clickable.
Use images and numbers
To ensure that your calls to action are as eye-catching as possible; use high-impact images that stand out from the page’s other images. Use of creative on your CTA buttons is another way of to attract attention. To really guarantee standout, try using numbers such as ‘7 steps to winning tip sheet – download now!’
Test, test and test again
If there’s one thing that you can endlessly experiment with, it’s calls to action. Every piece of content, blog or webpage you create can have a different CTA that can be compared to previous benchmark results. By continually testing your calls to action, you can begin to generate better results (i.e. more sales and increased revenue).
To find out more about driving prospects through the buying cycle towards a sale…
