The Call to Action
The call to action can be equated to the “close” is selling. A call to action is basically a question or instruction for the reader to take another step – to do something.
If you have ever heard the phrase “You don’t get what you don’t ask for!” this is specifically what we’re talking about here. This is probably the most important marketing element on your website yet very few websites have a call to action.
Try it for yourself. Do a search for your type of business such as “sales consultant,” “dentist,” or whatever your business is. If your business is mainly focused on local area customers add the city to the end of the search term, “plumber San Jose” so you can see your competitors.
Now visit the various sites that come up in the search and look for one where there is a direct invitation for you to engage the proprietor other than the word “call” which is common.
The most likely thing you will find on the sites is “Get my newsletter” or take a free trial or complementary meeting of some sort. However, even these more common offers are not on most sites.
The NEXT level
What most business owners don’t realize is that a call to action is only effective if is puts you in communication with the prospect. And that calls to action that offer newsletters and meetings are not actively taken by prospects.
Most people don’t want more mail – if they don’t really know what your newsletter will provide and how it will be of real value to them, they aren’t likely to subscribe. On the other have free trials and evaluations are not something most prospects are willing to commit to – it’s too big a commitment from where they stand in the decision process.
A call to action must be perceived as high value and have minimal risk if you want the prospects to engage you.
One more very important thing.
Your call to action mechanism must be part of a planned strategy of communication and is best when that communication can be automated and not dependent on human intervention until the prospect becomes a customer.
This same system should be used to enable communication with your existing prospecting clients and prospects who should be drawn into it as soon as possible.
Summary
If you have read the list building article on this site you know that most of the visitors to your site or social media profile are “prospects” but not ready buyers. To lose these people to cyberspace is the greatly reduce your opportunities for new business.
Having a powerful call to action in combination with a list building strategy is the best way to maximize the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. Without such a strategy most of the money or effort you spend sending people to your site will be wasted as you won’t get any of the prospects from that effort.
