Get Conversion With The Right Call To Action
By: Karen Pattock
Have you ever gotten an email in your inbox and the email title was so intriguing you had to see what it was all about? As you began reading were you so captivated that you forgot what you were doing and where you were? When you got to the end of the email did you find yourself clicking on the link that was given because you just had to know more? Well my friend, you just responded to a call-to-action.
There are times as you begin reading an email that you find yourself clicking the delete button quicker than you can say Jack Robinson. But there are other times when you are drawn into the content because it feels like the writer is speaking directly to you. When you feel that way it creates an emotional response the results in you taking the next step. You click the link, choose the buy now button or call the phone number listed in the email. That’s the purpose of a call to action.
As business owners, it’s our job to give our followers direction so they know what to do next. That direction may lead them somewhere they hadn’t intended to go. However, it gives them the option to take an action if they so choose. A call-to-action is a powerful piece to any correspondence. The key is being sure it’s properly placed and structured.
The only time you use a call-to-action is when you want to link a reader over to a website sales page. Not! That’s the old school way of thinking. Business owners used to believe that the only time you used it was to sell a product or service. That’s not the case anymore, (thank goodness). Call-to-actions are now being used for many purposes other than the production of sales.
Let’s look at some examples of how you can use a call to action in your business other than for the purposes of making a sale.
1) Website header
A great example of using a call to action, for a response not resulting in a sale, is in the header of my website.
I had a web designer add the name, email and start now boxes to my header so they would be interactive. This is just one example of how you can give something away for free using a call-to-action.
The placement plays a primary role in its success. As you saw in the photo above, the placement of my call-to-action is at the top of my website leaning toward the right side of the page. That placement was intentional. It has been documented that when a reader visits a website their eyes naturally move to the top right corner of the screen. Interestingly when their eyes move that direction so does the mouse. Therefore it makes sense to have your free offer in that location.
2) Placing in a newsletter
This call-to-action should be placed near the bottom of the newsletter. It certainly could link someone to a sales page if that was the purpose of the newsletter. However, it could also link the reader over to your Facebook business page because you’ve asked for feedback on the article. I do this often within my blog posts as I find it to be a wonderful way to start a conversation with you.
3) Use a URL along with verbal instruction in videos
You can, and should, include a call-to-action in the videos that you are producing. The key here is to give a shortened, easy to remember URL along with verbal instructions. This is important for a couple of reasons. First, because the viewer can’t click on the URL so it has to be easy to remember. Second, if someone else embeds your video on their website your URL content and original message will stay in tact.
I’ll often point to the bottom of the screen in my videos when I’m giving the instructions and the URL. It’s just one more cue to get the viewer on the right track.
Do you see how easy it is to use a call-to action basically every single place you are interacting? All you need to do is include a clickable link or image, give brief instruction and voila, your reader or viewer will be taking action. It’s that simple.
One last quick tip – When giving a call to action, (wherever it is), remember to only give one option. If you give the reader more than one option chances are they will become overwhelmed and not take any action at all. This is especially true on your website home page. You don’t want a free offer at the top, a purchase my eBook on the right side and watch my video for free information on the left side. One call to action and one direction will result in far greater conversion.
If you didn’t watch Monday’s video on Call To Actions please do so now. It’s a short five minute video and it provides further critical information to help you successfully implement your next call to action.
Click here to watch the video: https://karenpattock.com/how-to-call-to-action
With love,
Karen Pattock
