First of all, what is a “call-to-action (CTA)”?

You may not realize it, but you’ve seen thousands of these both online and offline. A CTA directly asks your potential customers to call, e-mail, or purchase from you. You can write super boring ones that don’t get much in the way of conversions, OR you can write amazing CTAs that sell off the charts.

Let’s take a look at an example of a rather ineffective CTA (in this case, aiming to encourage people to subscribe to a newsletter):

• “Subscribe to Our Newsletter Via E-Mail”

Why this doesn’t work: Yes, it’s simple and straightforward; but there’s no answer to the ever-so-important customer question of “What’s in it for me?”

You talk about subscribing, your newsletter, and e-mail. Customers can get these things anywhere, so there’s just nothing unique about it. While this will still win you some subscriptions, you’ll get many more of them when your call-to-action mentions benefits such as:

• “Score FREE Monthly Tips to Become More Energy-Efficient”

If you sell HVAC services and equipment, this is a great CTA since you already know your market is hungry for this information. You can also test two different options to assess how your market responds:

• Be the First to Learn about Our Special Offers
• Sign Up & Receive a FREE HVAC Inspection ($100 Value)

Sometimes, you never really know which will work best for your market. As customers can become blind to your CTA if you repeatedly use the same one, switch things up occasionally.

Other CTA Tips

Now that you’re familiar with CTAs, here are a few more tips to make them work well for your market:

1. Show the value of your offer: People are more likely to act if they understand the corresponding value they’ll enjoy. Put a number on it. Don’t lie or exaggerate: use a realistic number just like I did in the example above.
2. Put a limit on the offer: It’s not enough to say, “For a limited time only.” Make this timeframe specific (e.g., “The next 25 customers who sign up will receive…” or “Just 7 days left until our FREE offer expires…”).
3. Use emotional language: Words such as “breakthrough,” “proven,” “astounding,” and “amazing” successfully emphasize that your offer is unique. Avoid lying at all costs, as your customers will feel extreme disappointment if the final product isn’t astounding or amazing.
4. Increase urgency: Words such as “now,” “today,” and “immediately” will increase the urgency to act.
5. Make it as easy as possible: If you ask people to enter their contact information into a form, use as few fields as possible. Yes, even just one fewer field boosts conversion rates by 15%, 20%, or even 25% or more—depending on your website.
6. Use sensory words: Did you the word “sizzling” pop out at you at the top of this page? This is a sensory word that summons a vivid picture in your mind. These aren’t just your ordinary, run-of-the-mill tips. They’re “sizzling!” It’s a great word to use if you own a restaurant, for example.

Wrapping Up

There is so much more to CTAs than the tips listed in the confines of this article. Yet, if you implement these as appropriate for your business and market, you’ll enjoy many more website conversions both now and in the years to come.