How to Write a Call-To-Action That Actually Converts
Have you spent hours poring over every word in your sales copy? Did you craft the perfect landing page for each of your service items? Great job, but now what?
One of the most forgotten steps in writing sales copy online is ending with a strong call-to-action. As the marketer, you know what you want your audience to do next. You want them call, fill out a form, request a free report, or follow you on Facebook.
But here’s the trick: Your audience and you are not on the same page. They have their own ideas about what’s going to happen next.
The person who lands on your website is busy. She has kids to pick up from soccer practice. She has a family to feed when she gets home from a grueling day in the office. She’s busy, busy, busy. When she finally finds you online, all she wants is for your business to make her life a little bit easier.
When you write a call-to-action that pushes your audience to the next step in the sales process, you make the transaction a little bit easier.
But wait! Before you start tacking on “Call Me Today!” to each of your webpages, take a minute to put yourself in your reader’s shoes. Is “Call Me Today!” really going to incite the person to pick up the phone? Maybe. But probably not.
Here are a few ways you can add oomph to your call-to-action and write in a way that boosts your conversion rates.
1. Clarify What Happens Next
When I read “call me” I immediately think, “I don’t have time for that.”
We live in a world where instant gratification is a demand, not a delight. People expect to get the information they need in a moment’s notice. When you say “call me” I don’t know what to expect.
• Will I have to wait on hold?
• Will I get an unwanted sales spiel?
• Will I be able to talk to a human or have to wade through an automated system?
There is a time and a place for a phone call. If that’s what you want from your audience, clarify what will happen when she picks up the phone. Will she speak to you directly? Say that! Will she be able to instantly resolve her issue? Say that!
Here are a few examples of how the “Call Me” call-to-action can work better for you:
• Call my direct line so I can give you a fast answer.
• Call our sales team for a quote – no waiting required!
Clarify what will happen as soon as your reader punches in the ten-digit number.
2. Make it Easy
Are you handing out a free report? Do you want your reader to sign up for your email newsletters? Don’t make her have to jump through hoops to get it done.
Connecting with your business is one of many things your reader has going on. She doesn’t have time to wait for a confirmation email to come in before she can click through and get in touch with you. Make the process as simple and straightforward as possible to avoid having your audience get lost along the way, costing you a sale.
3. Don’t Leave the Burden On Your Reader
Think about your last big purchase. How did you decide what to buy? What process did you go through to make your decision?
Your reader is going through a similar process with your product. This process must be taken into consideration with each call-to-action you place on your website.
On each page, you should lead your audience to the next step in the sales process. If your reader just landed on your website from a blog post, encourage her to sign up for your newsletter. This is the first step in building your relationship with her.
When you send your email subscriber a message, tell her what to do next. Reply to you directly? Click a link to get a free report? Buy?
When your audience lands on a landing page from a Facebook ad, what do you want to have happen? Should she sign up for your webinar?
No matter what comes next in the process, the important thing is to learn how to write a call-to-action that is clear, to the point, and simple for your reader to take that next step.
