Web Design - Call To Action For Your Business.
- By info
- •
- 29 Jul, 2015
- •
The Best Websites Have Great CTA.
Ok, hands up how many of you tried to click the image above? Admission will be properly dealt with in the comments box below!
So what is "Call To Action"? CTA 4 Short.
We have done all the hard work of designing the website and setting up an online marketing plan for our new business venture. All that keyword research and content gathering that had us up all night making sure we had every inch of text covered. We are about to go live and drive enormous amounts of visitors to the website. We've got all our different variations of products loaded up into our content management system. Ok is there anything we have forgot? Oh wait where is that "Buy Now" button? I can't seem to find it on my page.....
I know I'll just click on the help button and see if I can find it...... Dear me I'm sure there was a help button here not too long ago....... Ok what do I bloody click on this website to get this sorted. Where is the number for my web developer I need to call him and get this right!
NO PHONE NUMBER BUTTON, PLEASE HELP ME!!!
Ok so you get the picture? I hope? Sounds silly doesn't it but how many great web designs have you browsed and actually got to the point where you made a decision to buy only to discover that the business owner has made it difficult for you to buy or contact them for a service simply by not putting a call to action on the website?
I know I'll just click on the help button and see if I can find it...... Dear me I'm sure there was a help button here not too long ago....... Ok what do I bloody click on this website to get this sorted. Where is the number for my web developer I need to call him and get this right!
NO PHONE NUMBER BUTTON, PLEASE HELP ME!!!
Ok so you get the picture? I hope? Sounds silly doesn't it but how many great web designs have you browsed and actually got to the point where you made a decision to buy only to discover that the business owner has made it difficult for you to buy or contact them for a service simply by not putting a call to action on the website?
Having A Good Responsive Website Is A Process
CTA is a simple process of delivering good informative information of your product or service to your website visitors and placing an instruction like a "Buy Now" button directly in front of the user that makes them want to click it. Or it could be simply offering a service telling the user that you offer the best service and following it up with a "call me button" or simply having a contact number for them to call you.
I think the best call to action I've seen has to be the episode of Father Ted when they are on the plane, there in front of Dougal is a big red button that says "Do Not Press". Oh Dougal it's amazing what a big red button can achieve.
I think the best call to action I've seen has to be the episode of Father Ted when they are on the plane, there in front of Dougal is a big red button that says "Do Not Press". Oh Dougal it's amazing what a big red button can achieve.
Don't Just Look Great, Your Web Design should Also Sell Great!
As I mentioned in the title the best designed websites have plenty of call to action. Remember having a business website serves many purposes but the overall objective is to generate enquiries that lead to sales.
So not having a "click to call" function in clear view of the website visitor is going to keep that telephone oh so quiet or not having a special offer tab will keep those items on their shelf. And every good web designer should be capable of making such functions fit the theme of the website and keeping it a pleasant experience for your customers.
In fact good call to actions on the website will be a huge factor when it comes to repeat business because if the user finds it easy to buy from you or call you, they will almost certainly use your website again.
So not having a "click to call" function in clear view of the website visitor is going to keep that telephone oh so quiet or not having a special offer tab will keep those items on their shelf. And every good web designer should be capable of making such functions fit the theme of the website and keeping it a pleasant experience for your customers.
In fact good call to actions on the website will be a huge factor when it comes to repeat business because if the user finds it easy to buy from you or call you, they will almost certainly use your website again.
Sometimes Simple Things Are The Best - Tips
So let me outline some basic tips for the small business out there to help improve interaction with their customers and generate some sales.
Have a sales phone number in an obvious position on your website. On your mobile website have a "click to call" button in view as soon as the page loads.
If you use your website to get customers to visit your bricks & mortar premises, having a prominent map on the page is ideal. On the mobile version of the website having a "find us" button is a great feature. The find us button can also be connected to Google maps navigation and will deliver the customer right to your front door. This is great if your premises is hard to locate.
If you are selling items on your website, having some "Special Offer" tab is also advised. Again on mobile have it as a button to encourage the user to click and browse and finish it off with a "Buy Now" feature.
Having a link to download your brochure that may carry more information about your products is also a compelling feature to have for customers. If you are building a leads list having a "sign up to our newsletter" is good way of capturing data that can then be easily used to re-market your business.
If you are a trades service putting out a "Free Quote" is alway going to create some extra interest and will also help you plan a job better. But having that all important "Emergency Call Out" click to call feature will give easy access for a customer to call you while they are more than likely in a distressed situation.
Most importantly look at your business website as if you are the customer. Think logically about what will make it easy for them and most importantly what will help you create the sale. Don't just have a website that looks great, have a website that sells great!
Have a sales phone number in an obvious position on your website. On your mobile website have a "click to call" button in view as soon as the page loads.
If you use your website to get customers to visit your bricks & mortar premises, having a prominent map on the page is ideal. On the mobile version of the website having a "find us" button is a great feature. The find us button can also be connected to Google maps navigation and will deliver the customer right to your front door. This is great if your premises is hard to locate.
If you are selling items on your website, having some "Special Offer" tab is also advised. Again on mobile have it as a button to encourage the user to click and browse and finish it off with a "Buy Now" feature.
Having a link to download your brochure that may carry more information about your products is also a compelling feature to have for customers. If you are building a leads list having a "sign up to our newsletter" is good way of capturing data that can then be easily used to re-market your business.
If you are a trades service putting out a "Free Quote" is alway going to create some extra interest and will also help you plan a job better. But having that all important "Emergency Call Out" click to call feature will give easy access for a customer to call you while they are more than likely in a distressed situation.
Most importantly look at your business website as if you are the customer. Think logically about what will make it easy for them and most importantly what will help you create the sale. Don't just have a website that looks great, have a website that sells great!
Please feel free to share, we all know someone who is a small business. Sometimes the simple things makes all the difference.
All your comments are very welcome and I will do my utmost to reply to all questions.
Thanks for reading & stay sane.
Liam
All your comments are very welcome and I will do my utmost to reply to all questions.
Thanks for reading & stay sane.
Liam
Ok, hands up how many of you tried to click the image above? Admission will be properly dealt with in the comments box below!
All very dramatic I hear you say...Well it is Google we are talking about here, where you expecting anything different?
Ok lets explore some cliche's, I love this little red herring below.
"Am I going to fall off the face of the earth if I don't update my current website and get a website designed for mobile?"
Well you won't disappear totally but as time goes by Google will deliver mobile web design first and everything else secondary, it only logical. So eventually you are bound to feel the ground slip under your feet.
The rational in that statement always gets me if I'm honest, everyone is worried about disappearing off Google searches but never mind that maybe a new key customer is currently fumbling their way around your website while reading this just after you paid for an Adword campaign to get them onto your website that doesn't render right on a mobile. And there they are trying to find your email address or get your number to call you, to offer you business. Crazy isn't it?
Yes, you heard correct, some of you business owners out there are actually paying Google to send potential customers to your website that actually doesn't work right on a smart phone.
My question to you, as a business owner...
Would you like better engagement from your customers?
OK here is a different question, as a business owner would you like your customers to navigate your website in a much more user friendly way?
Last question, do you simply want your customers to have a good time while visiting your website?
It is much more important to realise if your website is not designed for a smart phone or tablet it is more than likely having a serious impact on your enquiries and sales, so falling off a Google cliff is only part of your problem. More importantly you are frustrating the life out of your customers both existing customers & new customers in an age when they need and want to find things like phone numbers, contact details & a simple map, quickly and easily.
Ok lets explore some cliche's, I love this little red herring below.
"Am I going to fall off the face of the earth if I don't update my current website and get a website designed for mobile?"
Well you won't disappear totally but as time goes by Google will deliver mobile web design first and everything else secondary, it only logical. So eventually you are bound to feel the ground slip under your feet.
The rational in that statement always gets me if I'm honest, everyone is worried about disappearing off Google searches but never mind that maybe a new key customer is currently fumbling their way around your website while reading this just after you paid for an Adword campaign to get them onto your website that doesn't render right on a mobile. And there they are trying to find your email address or get your number to call you, to offer you business. Crazy isn't it?
Yes, you heard correct, some of you business owners out there are actually paying Google to send potential customers to your website that actually doesn't work right on a smart phone.
My question to you, as a business owner...
Would you like better engagement from your customers?
OK here is a different question, as a business owner would you like your customers to navigate your website in a much more user friendly way?
Last question, do you simply want your customers to have a good time while visiting your website?
It is much more important to realise if your website is not designed for a smart phone or tablet it is more than likely having a serious impact on your enquiries and sales, so falling off a Google cliff is only part of your problem. More importantly you are frustrating the life out of your customers both existing customers & new customers in an age when they need and want to find things like phone numbers, contact details & a simple map, quickly and easily.
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