Your Website Call to Action: The Lifeblood of your Website

Other than effective SEO, a website call to action is the lifeblood of your website.

So, you’ve designed and built your website and it’s really beautiful. You have lots of relevant images and content to inform your visitors about your products and services. Everything appears to be in place. You’ve built it and now they’ll come, right? Well, maybe. But there’s more to it than that…

Once you’ve been found, you want your visitors to feed you right? How? Via your CTA (Call-to-Action). Without this one component, your website will be nothing but pretty and pretty does nothing to keep you alive.

After you’ve gained some momentum in drawing visitors, without an effective CTA, your visitors will simply visit you and leave without your knowing. Well, you might know that you had a visitor. But, so what if your strategy didn’t include capturing their information so you can further your relationship.

So, what is a CTA? A call to action is anything that gets your visitor to enter his or her name, email address and possibly telephone number into your database so that you can, in the future, continue your relationship. Whether it’s asking them to subscribe to your newsletter or offering them some other relevant information in exchange for their contact information, a CTA is a critical component to your marketing strategy.

So, what are some effective guidelines in implementing your CTAs? Listed below are some how-tos, whys and ideas to get you started.

• Convey value. Your CTA sets up an expectation with your visitor and they’re giving you their contact information in return for your offer. Make sure that what you’re offering is what you’re offering. Meaning, don’t over promise and under deliver.
• Make sure your landing page (the place your CTA takes your visitor to) is consistant with the offer~ from a content AND graphics standpoint. Also, make sure your CTA stands out so it catches the eye and create a sense of urgency.
• Avoid vague language that leaves your reader guessing. Your readers are busy multi-tasking and don’t have time to guess what you’re offering. Your copy should be very clear and concise about what the reader is getting AND inspire them to follow through.
• Explain WHY your reader should pursue your offer. What’s in it for me? is their only concern.
• Keep your CTA “above the fold” so that your readers don’t have to scroll down the page to see it. This simple tip is a best practice that increases click-through rates.
• Your CTA should be consistant with the page your readers are on and reading already. Offering a free eBook that elaborates on the subject further is a great way to entice your readers to continue their relationship with you.
• Test, test, test. See what resonates with your audience based upon click-through rates and adjust accordingly. Try different colors, messaging and placements. Subtle changes can make big differences.

Because your CTA is an integral part of your overall marketing strategy, learning the hows and whys is crucial to your success. Would you like to learn more? Check our our CTA below!