5 Tips For Effective Calls-to-Action On Your Website
For most of us, our ultimate goal for each one of our website visitors is to get them to “do something.” That something can be picking up the phone, placing an order, clicking a link ““ whatever it is, it’s a goal that should be in your mind when you’re thinking about the user experience of each and every page of your website design. An effective call to action should speak directly to your visitor and urge them to take some for immediate action. Here are 5 tips to help get you thinking about your own websites calls-to-action:
Keep it Simple
For the most effective call to action, remember to keep it simple. We mean really, really, simple. Using a lot of verbiage or providing too many options for the user is a turn off. Remember that your audience’s attention span is super minimal. It’s the job of an effective call-to-action to capture and direct that attention in just a short amount of time. Don’t leave them guessing, tell them exactly what you want them to do. Also avoid having too many calls-to-action on one page. Be selective and provide only one or two calls-to-action per page. Then focus on making them big, bold, and S-I-M-P-L-E.
Make it Urgent
Don’t under estimate the power of urgency. Adding urgency to your call to action is simple to do and important to remember. Let’s say your current call to action says something like “Get 30% off.” Try adding urgency like this: “Get 30% off Today” or “30% off expires Monday.” It may seem like a small difference, but this sense of urgency often means the difference between “I have to do this now” and “I can do this later.” And we know all too well, when it comes to our website visitors, now is better because later usually means never.
Consider the After-Action
So you’ve done it! You’ve gotten your user to click on that call to action button you’re hoping they’d click on. Don’t drop the ball here. Make sure that the user feels they’ve gone to the right place. If your link said “Click here for a discount” make sure you show them the discount, clearly and without a lot of distractions. If a form is required to be filled out by the user make sure the form is short and relevant. Avoid making too many fields required. For example you may need to require the user to type their email but leave the phone number optional. Remember that when it comes to your audience reaching out to you ““ something really IS better than nothing.
Emphasis on Look & Location
The placement and design of your calls-to-action will greatly affect their effectiveness. Determine if your call to action is something that should come before the information on that page or below. On the one hand, asking for a call-to-action before you’ve given them anything to think about can be premature. In some cases you’ll determine that it’s best to have the call-to-action at the top of the webpage so they don’t have to scroll.
When it comes to design, aim for contrasting colors. Make your buttons pop on the page by using a color that contrasts with the rest of your page. Test your calls-to-action out on friends. Seeing how quickly they find the call will help determine its effectiveness. Don’t forget to include a call to action on EVERY page!
Reassure the Ease
We like easy. If you’re finding your audience just isn’t quite committing to the call-to-action try reassuring them that this is going to be an easy. Let’s say you have a “Sign up for Free” button. Try adding some smaller text beneath that link that says something like “Takes less than 2 minutes!” or “3 Easy steps & you’re done!” Your website users like knowing what they’re getting into. Take the fear of the un-easy away and you’ll be eliminating one more reason not to take that action.
Need to bounce your calls-to-action off some industry experts? We’re here to help! Give us a call at 813-321-1300 or shoot us an email.
Author: Julianna Stoll
