Today we’re going to look at Calls to Action (CTAs). Have you heard of these before? They are a very important piece to the puzzle when it comes to building a website that works for you.
CTAs can get you leads. But, you have to do them right.
What does that mean? It means you have to use the right wording, set up the right message, talk to your potential clients so they feel like you understand them. Everything needs to be set-up and ready for someone to WANT to take action.
So, how do you make someone want to take action?
Go where your potential clients are and listen to them. What are they looking for? Do they have problems you can solve? What do they need done? Then, provide solutions for them. Give them the answers. For example, I am on a Facebook group for small business owners and I observe that a lot of them are upset because their website doesn’t generate any leads. So, what can I do? I can write a blog (like this one) that explains the tweaks they can make to their own website to help it generate leads.
Provide recommendations like writing an article about a service you provide and then add a button at the end that has a strong call to action. Use a phrase like “Get Results” instead of “Contact Me” or “Learn More.” You want a definitive action that will appeal to your potential client’s need.
CTAs that provide further free information in exchange for the user’s contact information are also often very well received. For example, I could include a PDF download here with a variety of different CTA phrases that you could experiment with on your own website, and see what works best. In exchange for that information I would get your email address and add you to my weekly Web Wednesday newsletter where you would get further free information to help enhance your website.
I know many people will say, “Why give all the information away for free? It took me a long time to learn it. I don’t want to just give it all away!”
The reason you give away the information you know is to show your expertise and knowledge. It’s to build trust (remember we talked about that a couple weeks ago?) and a comfort level with you, as the people who read the information you provide don’t always know who YOU are.
Yes, some people will never become a lead, or a client.
They’ll take the information you give them and use it as they need it. Perhaps they try it and see positive results. Maybe they’ll pass your information on to friend, family and acquaintances–and those people may become leads or even clients.
Or, you may have people that read what you provide and think, “This all makes sense, but I don’t have the time to implement this – I need help!” So, they reach out to you to help them implement the changes they need.
You really never know what results you’ll see. But, you can do things the right way. You can provide helpful information for your audience and it will help your business. The key is to not only provide the right information but to also ask for them to take action on that information, whatever that action may be: download a free resource, sign-up for a newsletter, join a class, schedule an appointment, pick up the phone.
Be clear in your messaging of what you want them to do, and you too will see results.
