Give me money! Now!
You probably know that a CTA like that isn’t going to get you anywhere, but here at TrafficforMe we’ve seen some attempts at selling that are just about that subtle (and that effective).
We’re all about giving you the traffic you need to generate some awesome profits, but let’s be real for a second. Once you have all those great prospects at your door, you need to be the one that tells them what to do.
If you think of your customers like sheep (bear with us), then you’re the shepherd. You can either herd them all into your shopping basket like good company owners, or you can kick the wool out of them until they bolt and jump your fences in favor of your competitors’ greener pastures.
One of the easiest and most popular ways to boost conversion rates is to optimize your calls to action. A call to action, or CTA, is a button or piece of hyperlink text that tells your users what you want them to do next after they’ve arrived on your blog, landing page, or product description. Unfortunately, most digital marketers aren’t using CTAs effectively when it comes to trying to engage their customers – and some still aren’t using them at all.
According to research, about 70% of small business B2B websites have no call to action, and additional research suggests that:
- Adding CTAs to your Facebook page increases click-through rates by 285%
- Emails with calls to action increase sales by 1617%
- Adding personalized CTAs to content converts 42% more visitors.
So, what can you do to convert more often?
1. Use Words That Inspire Action
I know it seems like simplistic psychology, but the words that you use in your call to action do have an impact on what your customers choose to do. If your prospects think that they only have so much time to act on an incredible deal for instance, then they’re more likely to ignore that little voice in their head that tells them to put off the purchase for another day.
There’s a reason why it’s called a call to “action.” Whether you’re asking customers to “subscribe now,” “buy here,” or “sign up,” you’re asking them to do something. In other words, the copy that you offer should not only give direction, but provide a comprehensive insight into what your audience can expect to get from their action. Simply adding one word after “Submit” on a button can boost your conversion rates by up to 320%. Here’s some examples that can get you started:
- Submit now to change your life!
- Submit today and start making money!
- Submit for instant benefits!
2. Make the Button Extra Click-able
The little things do make a difference.
I’m not suggesting that your customers won’t have a clue what to do on your webpage or email if your call to action isn’t surrounded by flashing red arrows, but the truth is that if your buttons or links don’t seem clickable – then your audience isn’t going to click. At Traffic for Me we deal with a hell of a lot of emails on a regular basis, and we find that the ones that make buying easier for the customer generally work best. Call it crazy – call it laziness – your customers don’t want to work for their purchases. Go figure.
The Report for e-consultancy User Experience found that over 95% of respondents believe that “good user experience” is essential in their consumer journey. In other words, if you don’t make every step from seeing your product to purchasing it as simple and smooth as possible for your audience, you’re missing a trick.
When you’re selling, every piece of content that leads up to your Call to Action will be preparing your customers for that all-important final conversion. That’s why you need to make sure that the button you design looks clickable. Most of the buttons that have the best responses on websites, emails, and other correspondence have a range of very specific features, including:
- Contrasting colors that are easy to spot
- Distinct button text
- Plenty of white space surrounding the button
- Rectangular or rounded shape
- A complimentary border
3. Keep It Simple
Treating your customers as though they’re dense isn’t going to get you the sales that you want, but that doesn’t mean that you should be making life complicated for them either.
If your customers are just a single click away from conversion, you don’t want to confuse, or offend them just before they take the plunge. While a fun CTA can stand out from the crowd, keep in mind that you don’t need to try and be “too clever” – it’s best to stick to words and suggestions that are straightforward, simple, and easy to understand.
Relax your creativity muscles a little when inserting your CTAs into website pages and copy so that you can make simplicity a priority instead. Most effective CTA copy is no more than five words long, and it shouldn’t overwhelm your entire page, unless you want to look like you’re desperate for sales.
Pro Tip: Write in the first person. ContentVerve saw a 90% increase in click-through when they used the first-person phrasing “Let’s start my free trial”.
4. Find the Perfect Spot
Positioning matters – in more parts of life than you might imagine.
Placing your buttons where people are more likely to click means that your chances of getting conversions automatically skyrocket. Duh. So how do you figure out exactly which parts of your page are getting the most attention? Well, an Nielsen Norman Group study on eye tracking learned that people use an F-shaped pattern to read web content.
On top of that, it’s worth noting that people generally read your content in a horizontal progression, starting above the fold and scrolling down with the draw of the information. This means that placing your call to action in the first place that your customer sees is bound to boost your click rate.
Think of it this way: Your customers are lazy – they want buying your product to be easy. Indulge them!
5. Create a Sense of Urgency
Hold up for a second! Before you start simplifying your emails to the point of baby talk, let’s remember that you’re talking to adult audiences here.
Just because your call to action should be simple and straightforward doesn’t mean that it can’t be compelling enough to push your reader closer to a profitable action. In fact, one of the best things you can do to enhance the performance of your CTA is to create a sense of urgency. Remember what we said above about adding a word like “now” to your content?
Simply adding words such as “today”, “now”, or even “while stocks last” to the end of your copy could be enough to encourage some individuals to make up their mind and act. After all, you’re far more likely to take the risk associated with buying a product if you think that your chances of doing so are running out. Human beings don’t like to have the “choice” of buying taken away from them.
Even if you have no intention of ending a promotion for months after it starts, that doesn’t mean your call to action should let people know that they have plenty of time to play with. A little urgency is quite the spice for a sale or promotion. Think of all the other urgent situations we’re willing to make time to act on.
6. The Pleasure Button
While having a sense of urgency is important for your CTA, It should never come at too high of a price. In other words, if your time-based words make your customers feel uncomfortable or anxious then they’re having the wrong effect. Instead, your aim should be to invoke positive emotions in and around your button. The better you make someone feel about clicking, the more likely they are to say “yes” to whatever you’re selling.
Positive emotions are generated in a range of different ways. You might use something inspirational – like a tear-jerking story about someone who changed their life thanks to your outstanding product. On the other hand, you could opt for something simple – like some comedy, or a quick joke at your own expense.
As simplistic as it sounds – sometimes simply using copy like “Get Started” will be enough to make your prospects feel more optimistic and ready for action. The phrase removes the idea of objections and prompts the desire for making a positive change.
7. Put the Benefits First
Finally, what matters most your customer? Is it your incredible personality? Your fantastic smile? Your killer bank account? Nope – it’s what you can do for them. Your call to action must offer some kind of benefit to the customer – otherwise why would they even bother to click-through in the first place.
Unfortunately, putting the benefits of your product or service out there for the world to judge can be a complicated task. After all, walking the line between boasting and positively marketing your product could leave you with some pretty wobbly moments.The best rules of thumb to take with you in this instance are:
- Be honest and authentic. Don’t promise the moon if you can’t give it, and tell your customers exactly what you can do for them.
- Don’t blather on. As much as you love your business, no-one wants to read about your obsession with your company for sixteen paragraphs straight. A few words before your call to action should be enough.
- Let other people speak for you. If you have testimonials, use them. People are far more likely to believe the words of another customer than a faceless corporation.
Go Forth and Multiply!
… Your conversions that is.
In any strategy for successful marketing, there are two key elements to keep in mind. The first is that you need to drive traffic to your website – enough that you have a good selection of “potential” customers to choose from – and the second is that you need to convert that traffic into paying consumers. After all, you could have millions of visitors going to your website each day, but if nothing you do converts them into customers, then your business is bound to fail.
The tips above should give you a basic insight into the things you need to do to make your CTA work for you as a conversion engine. Get out there and get started!
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