Does your website have a call to action?

Date posted: 07/11/11

Most companies now have an online presence. But you can't assume that a potential customer will get in touch with you, just because you have a website. Unless it's crystal clear what a user should do when they arrive at your site they may quickly go elsewhere.

One essential thing you can do to improve the conversion rate of site visitors to active enquiries or sales, is to ensure that your website has a clear call to action.

When arriving at the homepage of your website is it clear what you'd like your visit to do next?

Visual prompts, copy based links or buttons can all be used to encourage people to take the next step whether it is to make an enquiry through your site or pick up the phone and call you. Prompts can also be used to direct a site visitor to the areas of your website you wish them to explore further.

Some websites might require several calls to action aimed at different user types, or in order to promote different products and services.

Typical homepage calls to action could include;

• A prominent telephone number - it sounds obvious but it's amazing how many sites have hard to find contact details buried deep within the site.
  
  
• Mailing list sign up - capturing data such as email addresses from your site will allow you to build a list of contacts that you can start to have a dialogue with in the future.
  
  
• Social media book marks - making social media bookmarks obvious on the homepage or in the header or footer area of your site will encourage people to impulsively click on the icons and start to follow you.
  
  
• Special offers - shopping sites or service providers could include a dedicated special offers area on their homepage.
  
  
• Get in touch - again it sounds obvious, but if you don't ask your visitors they might not get in touch. Use hints such as; book an appointment / make an enquiry / Call us / Visit us. Call to action buttons that link through to a web form on your site will allow you to vet enquiries as they come through and respond to them in a timely and appropriate manner. You can also pre-qualify prospects and go back to them armed with some facts they may find useful or interesting.
  
  
• Follow up - there is no point having calls to action on your website if you aren't going to follow them up, so have a clear strategy in place for dealing with any enquiries you receive. Web enquiries could be sent to the mail box of a dedicated staff member who will follow them up.  Have electronic or printed documents and additional information prepared that can easily be sent or emailed to a prospect if they have made an enquiry or responded to a particular offer or promotion.
  
  

Next steps
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