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Creating Call-to-Actions that Will Actually Get Action

Creating Call-to-Actions that Will Actually Get Action

Your website is finally finished! You have added great content, cool images, the whole nine-yards. Now that your site has been done for a while, you've been doing data analysis for your site and realize people don't seem too interested in downloading your content. Most likely this isn't due to the content on your site, because you have been getting heavy traffic on your blog. Have you ever thought that there could be something wrong with your call to action?

Let's say someone is surfing through your blog and find a topic they are really interested in. They love what you are talking about in your blog post and want to learn more. After devouring every last word on the topic, they still want more. They can't seem to get enough!

They decide to scroll down to the bottom of your page to see what other additional resources you have on the topic but instead of finding a call to action about that topic, they finds a call to action about a different topic. Or maybe they can't find your call to action or it's not appealing. There are many reasons why your call to action could be sacked. Let's review some of the "uh-oh" moments of call to actions.

Call to Action Tips

The call to action (CTA) can often get dismissed as being unimportant. However, if you think about it, it's the thing people click on to move further down the Inbound Marketing Funnel. There are a few key things to keep in mind when it comes to not only designing your CTA, but deciding the location of it too.

When designing your CTA, it shouldn't be white and boring. Instead, it should have color and images to intrigue the reader. A great way to see what resonates best with your readers is to do what is called A/B testing.

A/B testing can be used to test different colors on your site. For example, you can create a CTA with a yellow button and another CTA with a blue button. Now put them to the test on your website and see which one receives the best results.

Another helpful tip when it comes to color is to look up the definition of a color. It may sound weird, but colors actually trigger different words in a person's head. For instance, the color blue can be related to the words: loyal, calming, intelligence, strength, wisdom, and trust. Now those words sound like some great things you would want people to associate with your content. But before putting all your CTAs in blue, test it out! Color Wheel Pro is a great website to find out more about the different colors. 

Another CTA design tip is to add a picture or graphic. Let's say you are offering people a download for a free eBook; put a picture of the eBook's cover on the CTA. People want to know what they will be getting if they download it.

As for the size of your CTA, you don't want it too small, or too big. I know that's pretty vague but think of it like this: you don't want people to get scared away at the sight of your offer (billboard style). You also don't want people to be unable to read the text in your offer (teeny-tiny style). Find your happy medium where the CTA is big enough to attract visitors, but not to the extent where they feel like you are in their face, shouting at them.

Now that your CTA isn't boring, let's find the best location for it on your website. You should definitely have a CTA at the bottom of your blog post. This is a great strategy because once people have finished reading your post, they may want more information. This is your chance to make it easy on the reader.

Not only should you have your CTA at the bottom, but make the content offer relate to what the article is talking about, and make sure they know what exactly you are offering. If the content offer is about a completely different topic than the blog post, people will be less likely to click on it. Let's face it, people won't search around your site for what they want, so put it where they can easily find it.

Another important place to put a CTA is on the right side column of your website. This would be a great spot for it if it your post has the reader scrolling down to continue reading (you always want a CTA above the fold). Now the reader can see your content offer toward the top of the article while they are reading, as well as the bottom after they've scrolled down.

I know that was a lot of information thrown in your direction. Don't worry, I will make it easy for you. I've put together a checklist for your CTA. You can even pull up your website and mentally check off each CTA tip as you go through the list.

CTA Design

  • My CTA is colorful (a/b tested for color accuracy)
  • My CTA is happy medium size
  • My CTA has a related image

CTA Content

  • My CTA clearly describes my offer
  • My CTA offer relates to post

CTA Placement

  • My CTA is at the bottom of my article
  • My CTA is present in the right column if it's a long post

I hope you found this information helpful for creating your CTA. Enjoy!

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