You’ve done the hard marketing ground work. You’ve got potential clients and customers on your website, clicking-through your products and offerings… a final conversion is mere seconds away, right?
Well, to be honest? Not always.
All your investment to this point – the resources used to reach people, engaging with them in a meaningful way, having them interact with your business – all of it, is absolutely imperative. But there’s still a chance for that final ‘sale’ to get sidelined, and it can come down to a few simple words.
Which is why your call-to-action copy is so important.
A call-to-action is the wording used on your digital and offline offerings – your website, social media posts and links, email newsletters, pitch documents – that guides a client or customer to follow through with a specific action. It could be buying a product, signing up for regular communication, confirming a subscription, or simply hitting the ‘like’ button.
Call-to-action copy is not as simple as it sounds. In fact, it’s sometimes left as the last-minute add-on to a website, social offering or traditional pitch – but it can make all the difference to whether a client or customer follows through with an intended action.
Forget the quick-and-easy approach to call-to-action copy (‘click here’ or ‘submit’ or ‘join now!’) and freshen up your wording for best conversion results.
1. Keep it short and sharp.
A good call-to-action isn’t lengthy – it shouldn’t be a disposition on why a client or customer should engage with you – it should be short, sharp and effective. Create copy that conveys why a person should follow-through with you, within two to 10 words for best results.
2. Avoid overused call-to-action language.
The words you choose should inspire people to take action. For this reason, it’s important to think outside the box and avoid overused language and clichés you may see on other websites, newsletters and pitch documents. Upgrade from ‘sign up here!’ to creative language that links in with your business, like ‘get in the inner circle!’ or ‘get the inside info others don’t have!’ or even ‘be one of the first to know what we know!’.
3. Stick to the simple.
It may be tempting to over-think your call-to-action copy – but the most effective wording is simple and easy for customers and clients to understand. Don’t spend too much time trying to think up witty, impressive wording – often the most simple statement with a bit of a twist does the job perfectly.
4. Keep it clear.
A good call-to-action should always clearly imply what the customer or client will receive when following through. If they are directed to a landing page or receive an email with slightly different information to what was intended, it can backfire. Be creative, but don’t be confusing.
5. Use active language.
A call-to-action should prompt a client or customer to take action almost immediately. Its purpose is to create conversion on the spot, or as close to it as possible. Using active language ensures your copy is interesting, engaging, and facilitates a quick response from the reader.
Freshen up your call-to-action copy, get creative and see better conversion results!
