Calls to Action
Are visitors to your website or blog doing what you want them to – opting in for future communication, clicking through to links, commenting, purchasing products or services? If not, look at your content and ask yourself, “Did I ask them to?” Chances are, you haven’t – you don’t have a call to action.
Online content is, in many ways, no different than print or broadcast ad copy – or a sales call, for that matter. And the sacred rule, the bottom line (literally and figuratively) of advertising copy as well as sales technique is, “Ask for the order.” Think of it this way: do your kids clean up their rooms if you don’t ask (tell) them to? Of course not. They know they should, they know they have to eventually, but they won’t move until they’re TOLD to do so – and often, HOW and WHEN. More importantly, think about the customer who wants your product or service. He or she has decided to make a purchase, but without a strong, implicit, easily spotted call to action – the directions to finalizing the sale – your prospective customer doesn’t know how to go about placing and paying for the order. And that’s why so many websites fail to convert visitors to customers.
The Buck Stops There
If you don’t include a call to action, everything before is a waste of time and effort. You may have the most expertly written, riveting sales copy that brings the prospect careening to the finish line -– the purchase. But, without that critical call to action, all forward motion comes to a screeching halt, and your prospect, not knowing what to do, wanders away to the next URL on the Google list of search results.
Be Specific
Don’t be afraid to take your prospects by the arm and guide them to the action(s) you want them to take.
A strong call to action is NOT: “Contact us for more information.”
A compelling call to action IS:
“Call 800-600-7000 today to place your order.”
“Click here to place your order using our convenient order form.”
“Quantities ARE limited, so place your order NOW by calling 800-600-7000.”
“Ordering couldn’t be easier – just click here and you’ll have your order placed within 5 minutes.”
“If you don’t order today, right now…. will you remember to tomorrow?”
“For the peace of mind you long for, call Jim Smith today at 555-450-6789 or email jim@smith.com”
“Now that you know this product (service) is what you need, your next step is to….”
Don’t Want to Seem “Pushy” or Desperate for the Sale?
If you don’t have enough confidence in your product or service to believe that your prospects should have it, then you’re either in the wrong business or your product is no good. In fact, it’s almost rude to sell your prospect on your product, and then not tell him or her how to get it. It’s frustrating to want something and have no way of knowing how to get it. Be perfectly, crystal-clear about what action you want prospects to take; don’t leave it to chance. If you want your reader to take action, use highly specific language with clear, concrete details. Don’t leave any question about what you want to see happen. And don’t be afraid to be a little “too obvious.”
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