Before she started working with Get Clear, one of my clients noticed conversions dropping on her website.
She was generating more traffic than ever but her visitors were not turning into customers.
I asked if there was any changes that she made that could have led to the change in data. My jaw dropped when she told me what happened. She said that her new home page did not include a “Buy Now” button on the header. She took it off… and that’s when sales started to decrease.
I knew exactly what the problem was: Go back and put a “Buy Now” button on the page right away. Make it big and make it a different colour than anything else.
What A Call To Action Doesn’t Make You Do
One of my favourite experiences in my life was the year I got to study at the University of Oxford. I had the opportunity to study under some of the finest minds in the world. I put my nose in more books that year than almost every other year combined. Such study demanded a level of sophisticated reading the likes of which had never been demanded of me. I slowly learned the skill of reading academic literature.
I will tell you this much - that kind of reading is not how I read websites. In fact, if you go to the entire opposite side of the spectrum and that is how we read online.
Here’s my confession:
I know the act of thinking is good for me but I personally don’t like to think any more than I have to.
If you want me to do business with you, make me think as little as possible. Neurologists say that every time you have to think, you burn calories. My brain likes to work as little as possible.
If it doesn’t clearly capture my attention by showing that it can improve my life, I will pass over it with little concern.
If, however, you convince me with a clear header about what you offer and a strong image that shows me what success looks like, I will be closer to doing business with you. I will be even more motivated if you tell me a step I can make to do so.
The definition of a “call to action” is an invitation for visitors to engage in whatever you are offering. Once you learn the value of including a clear, call to action (and see the results of including one), you will be shocked how hard it is to do business with companies that make you scroll all the way down to the fine print to find a number to call.
Another mistake is to make potential customers click through to the “Contact” tab and load up another page and then scroll through more info to find a number to call.
A “Call to Action” keeps me moving in the direction that you are leading me to and doesn't make me do what I really don’t want to do - think too much. I want to spend that time thinking about other important things.
Make the call simple. Make it clear.
The right call to action moves the visitor forward and it is clear where forward is.
Do you have a call to action on your website? If not, you are missing out on sales.
It is critical that you do not wimp out here. “Learn More” is a weak call to action. “Learn more” is passive and it tells me that you’re not confident enough in what you are presenting.
Here are some clear, confident calls to action:
- Buy Now
- Schedule a call
- Register here
- Get a quote
These four popular options are strong choices.
You might ask, “How do I know what my call to action should be?” It depends on what you want people to do. Perhaps, at your business, they can get a quote, a call, a coaching consultation, and a product. Donald Miller recommends leading people to your most dominant revenue stream. What generates the best growth for your business?
Take people there first.
That should be the focal point of your website. To ensure it is the focal point, make it a different colour than the rest of the buttons. It has to stand out and draw the eye. The visitor needs not have to think much if you want to take them on the easiest path to doing business with you.
Here's Another Option
When I took the Building Your StoryBrand Workshop, I was taught that one way you can serve a potential customer who isn’t quite ready to buy is with a “transitional call to action”.
This is an opportunity to give away some valuable information through various mediums such as a PDF, a video or a webinar. These are invitations to begin a relationship. They provide their email in exchange for a free download or access to a resource. With effective marketing, this will lead to the visitor eventually taking the stronger call to action and making a purchase with you.
Having a quality transitional call to action is a proven strategy for growing your business. While space does not allow me to cover all that is needed to implement one, consider what kind of insight you offer or resource you could create that someone would be willing to hand over their precious email address.
In summary, a clear call to action is an essential component of your website. Without making it stand out, the website visitor will have no clear idea of where you can help them.
Remember, you do not want people doing a lot thinking - just a lot of clicking.
