The ability of your call-to-action to convert can make or break an otherwise successful marketing campaign.
Your site might get a lot of traffic. You might have a strong social media following. Your users might be interested in your site and in your products. But none of that is going to matter if you don't have an effective call-to-action, which bridges the gap between "user" and "customer," finally generating revenue from your marketing efforts.
Unfortunately, creating a successful call-to-action isn't exactly straightforward. There are some solid best practices to rely on, but there's a degree of artistry and subjectivity that prevents there from being a one-size-fits-all approach.
Still, if you follow these steps and think critically throughout the process, you should be able to develop something that effectively converts your potential customers.
Step One: Make It Simple
People don't want to waste time on long or annoying processes. Make your call-to-action easy to complete, whether it's filling out information fields or purchasing something from your site.
Step Two: Make It Visible
You won't earn any conversions by tucking your call-to-action away on some unseen internal page. Make your call-to-action prominent on several pages, and consider using banners or popups to make it even more visible.
Step Three: Make It Sensible
Don't go overboard with creative copy. Keep your headline and explanatory text short and to-the-point; the more straightforward and transparent you are, the better.
Step Four: Make It Trustworthy
Include indicators that people can trust you. This might include showcasing badges of your affiliations, listing some reviews and testimonials, or offering a money-back guarantee.
Step Five: Experiment With It
The last step is the most important. You never know what could influence people to convert or not convert--it could be a single word in your headline or the color of your clickable buttons. Make subtle, gradual changes to experiment in an AB testing environment, and work to improve your conversion rates over time.
Anyone can build a great call-to-action if they start with the basics and experiment to make iterative improvements. Don't be afraid if you don't see results right away; the longer you run your campaign and the more changes you try, the better your results will be.
Jose Vasquez is a serial entrepreneur and tech enthusiast dedicated to helping startup technology companies get the direction and momentum they need to succeed. As the founder of Build. Brand. Blast., Jose has established a collective resource for tech entrepreneurs to consult when brainstorming, creating, launching, or expanding a new business. Jose is also the founder and CEO of Quez Media Marketing, a marketing firm that combines technology and creativity to help new and growing companies get the results they need.