10 Effective Call To Action Tips For Bloggers And Webmasters

Guest post by Bethany Wesch

A call to action is a series of words or images that encourage people to perform an action.

This could be getting the visitor to buy a product or service, click on the ads subscribe to the blog’s RSS feed among others.

Unfortunately, most webmasters pay too little attention to their calls-to-action focusing on design, content and SEO.

It is a great tool to use to help increase the conversion rate.

Here are 10 tips to maximize the benefits of using Call to Actions.

1. Encourage immediate action
Get people to act immediately by including phrases such as “Click now” or “Try it today.” Making them feel that the offer might end soon will encourage people to make a decision and act quickly.

2. Make it clear
Give clear instructions on what you want the person to do. Inform them of what to expect when they click links or subscribe to the blog. Avoid making them guess as they may end up not doing anything at all. Use powerful verbs to get them to act such as download, call, order or join. The verbs are also effective even in cases where in the action expected is not immediate. Examples include phrases such as “Learn more” or “Find out more.”

3. Use vibrant colors
Grab the attention of your visitors by making the text or button stand out from the rest of the page. The colors should be bright and vivid. Use contrasting colors if possible. For instance, if your webpage uses light blue hues, use bright orange colors for the call to action buttons.

4. Size matters
Another way to make the button stand out is by playing with its size. Create over-sized buttons that use large, clear fonts. You can also use multiple call to action buttons within the same page. If the choices are of the same importance, then use the same size each of the buttons.

5. Positioning
Consider how the eyes would naturally scan the website. Make it easier for the visitor to see the call to action button by putting it on the top section of the page. Avoid making the reader scroll down. Images that are placed on the sidebar or at the center of the page do not do as well as call to action images placed along the top.

6. Create clickable links or buttons
Make the link or button more appealing by making creating simple graphic animations. There is no need to use Flash to create this effect. Create a 3D effect by simply changing the color of the button or link to another color once the pointer hovers over it. In the case of simpler text links, you can opt to have underlined links in the traditional blue color.

7. Use lots of space
Avoid crowding the button or link with other elements. Use lots of white space to set it apart from the rest of the content. White space does not necessarily mean white-colored spaces. It just means giving it enough blank space to breathe and stand out.

8. Include numbers
Include as much relevant information on the call to action button. Be sure to incorporate numbers in the design, especially if you are selling an item or informing customers on how much they will save by doing business with the company.

9. Offer incentives
Some people need an additional push to get them to act. You may need to offer a small reward to make deal more irresistible. This may include getting a discount or voucher for new subscribers. You can also offer small trinkets or items such as a free pen or t-shirt.

10. Include a call to action on each page
Incorporating a call to action is not restricted to the website’s homepage. You can include one for every page as long as it is effective and adds to the overall objective. Guests that reach a page that has no obvious call to action may think it is the final page and may leave without doing the expected response. If you decide to include a call to action for every page, you can use a different design for each page. Create various designs to make it appear more interesting or stick with the same design for consistency. It is up to you on how you want the website to look.

About the author: Bethany Wesch writes about blogging, branding and online marketing. She writes for Quantumlinx.com.au - an online marketing agency which specialise in providing online marketing solutions to local businesses and sales people.

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