You built your website to help your business so it’s important to connect every dot that qualifies it as a success.
One of the ways to do that is to guide your visitors from point A to point B when perusing your website. This can easily be done with a Call-to-Action.
Often referred to as a CTA, a Call-To-Action is easy to implement. In fact, it’s likely you’ve seen them many times on other sites without even realizing it.
It’s simply the point where you have a button, image, or text link that directs the user to the next step in their website experience which, in SEO terms, is referred to as the conversion funnel.
Looking for help with your website strategy? Read our article: 7 Criteria for a Compelling Website About Page that Converts
Without a Call-To-Action on every page of your website, the user is often left without proper direction on where to go next. If they are not given a specific direction, you risk losing them to another website, possibly even your competitor.
Now it is human nature to look for more once done with something, so as a site owner, you need to determine what their next step should be.
An example of an effective Call-to-Action could be, after reading more about you, directing them to a page on your site that shows videos of you demonstrating your product or service offering. You know it’s important for them to see this demonstration to help them understand the value of what you’re offing, so lead them there.
What Makes a Call-to-Action
Essentially, a Call-to-Action is a means to get your user to take a next step.
Ideally, that step is to either make a purchase, contact you, book an appointment, or get into your newsletter list so you can continue to nurture the “know, like and trust” factor with them.
There are others as well such as guiding them to read an article, watch a video, share with their social followers, or even print the page.
Typical and effective calls to action should include direct language such as:
- Buy
- Register
- Subscribe
- Donate
- Book
- Contact
CTAs are great for cross selling too. When you have something related to the product/service your user is looking at, it’s a good idea to have a Call-to-Action that offers further considerations. We see this often in eCommerce applications positioned as product upsells or recommendations.
The key elements to a strong Call-to-Action are:
- It stands out and is easy to see
- It concisely conveys the value of the content it leads to
- It contains copy that makes the user want to take action and click
Have a look at your website. Are you making the most of user visits and providing them with proper direction on your website?
Many people get so used to their own site they don’t realize how much they’re taking for granted. Just because you know something else on your website is relevant, it no ways means they’ll know or make the connection to go check it out.
The SEO Benefits of CTAs
eVision Media provides search engine optimization for small businesses and a part of that is a complete user experience.
Every algorithm update Google makes has a strong element of analyzing user behaviour on your website. If users aren’t making it through your website easily, your rank will suffer because it shows that if Google sends a user to your website they can get lost and have a negative experience.
If you’re not seeing a lot of conversions from your website despite having decent traffic, then get in touch. Adding strong CTAs is important where a thorough report on your website should be done to address any points that has the potential to confuse and/or lose the user.
This month we’re targeting website must-haves, so you can make sure your website accurately represents your business and converts visitors into clients.
If you’re in the process of a website redesign or planning a new site for your business you’ll want to read our blog every week for more tips on making the most of your website for your business!
To your business success,
Susan Friesen
P.S. If you liked the article, you might want to subscribe to our newsletter. We publish tons of valuable content to help you learn more about marketing, and subscribing is the best way to ensure you don’t miss out. Additionally, if you’d like to learn more about building a search engine optimized website, click here for our free website guide.
About the Author, Susan Friesen
Located in the lower mainland of B.C., Susan Friesen is a visionary brand strategist, entrepreneur, and founder of British Columbia’s premiere boutique web development and digital marketing agency, eVision Media.
With over 20 years of experience in the industry, she is an expert in helping businesses establish their online presence and create a strong brand identity.
Her passion for empowering entrepreneurs and small business owners to succeed in the digital world has earned her a reputation as a leading authority in the branding and marketing industry.
Visit www.BrandIdentitySteps.com and download your FREE guide: "Unlocking Customer Trust and Business Growth: Your 7-Step Guide to Defining a Compelling Brand Identity that Appeals to Your Perfect Clients".
