All paths lead back to your website. So what happens when your visitor gets there? Once a visitor reaches your website, the next step is to encourage them to take action, as this begins the sales process.
But, how do you get them to take action?
You use a clear and effective CTA!
This is one of the more simple things you can do to make your website work better for you.
CTAs and Conversions – Explained
- When you encourage a visitor to take action, you’ll use a CTA (Call To Action). It’s the next step that you want the visitor to take. It typically is the main button on your page and in your header or menu.
- Your CTA should encourage your visitor to do something – book a call, fill out a form, purchase a product, sign up for your newsletter, or something else.
- Every time a visitor completes one of these actions, this is called a “conversion.”
- When you want to increase the number of leads or sales you generate through your website, you’ll want to increase the number of conversions. This is called “conversion rate optimization.”
If you care about generating leads or sales through your website, you must implement CTAs to show your visitors the right path to take. Here’s how.
5 Keys to CTAs that Convert
- Be clear, not cute. When you only have a couple of seconds to capture your visitor’s attention and get them to take the next step with you, make it as easy on THEM as possible. (Your website is not about you.)
- Keep the CTA the primary button throughout your page. If you need to add one or two other buttons, be sure to make them a different color. Your main CTA should stand out the most. Your homepage or landing page should not have multiple buttons – that’s why you have a menu. When you confuse your visitor, you lose your visitor.
- Repetition is good. Make sure to use your main CTA several times on your homepage or landing page so it is always within reach for your visitor. Alternatively, you can use a sticky CTA in your header. (“Sticky” means it stays (sticks) to the top of the website while scrolling down.)
- Avoid generic CTAs – Businesses should always avoid using a generic CTA on each website page. An example of this is “Contact Us” or “Learn More.” A generic CTA doesn’t offer any value to the visitor and doesn’t match the context or content of the page. More importantly, a generic CTA doesn’t meet accessibility standards or help with SEO. A good CTA will match the context and content of a page. For example, if there’s a website page that focuses on garden maintenance, the CTA’s text and tone should match the page’s content. “Learn how to make your garden beautiful” is way more exciting or interesting than “Contact Us.”
- Secondary CTAs – this would be the second most important thing you would want your visitor to do. Perhaps it is to sign up for a free download or be added to your email list. This should be highlighted as well, but less prominent than your main CTA. This is your fallback. If someone is not quite ready to commit, then this would be something that feels more safe for them.
In the example below, the business wants their potential clients to schedule a meeting so they can get to know them and see if they are a good fit. Therefore, the CTA is simply “Schedule Free Consultation“. The button not only implies the next step, but also that it is free. The CTA is repeated throughout the homepage so the user can easily take the next step with the business. There are only a few other sections on the homepage that use other buttons and those buttons are different than the primary CTA.
Take a peek at your website. Is your CTA strong, or is there room for improvement? Remember, a clear CTA is just one piece of your overall web strategy. Follow our blog or consider teaming up with us for a strategic website that actually works for you!
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