Website Optimization: Optimize your Calls to Action
Posted by Dave on 20 Jan 2010 | Tagged as: Analytics
Continuing with the theme of conversion that we touched on in our previous blog post, this post focuses more on Website Optimization and how to get users to actually find, acknowledge and click on the calls to action that will result in maximum conversion for your site. Seeing as we’re focusing on getting visitors to do exactly what you want, I’m going to get straight to the point here as my objective for this blog post is to get you to 
1. What do you want your customers to do again?
This is the VERY FIRST QUESTION you need to answer before going any further to optimize your website. You are creating a website for a purpose. Before you’ve even thought about any layouts or page wireframes or anything of the sort, you need to know exactly what you want from you site. Do you want visitors to buy something, register their details or maybe you just want them to call you? Don’t go any further until you have answered this question.
2. Understand the conventional buying cycle.
The buying cycle for internet users is similar to a normal customer entering a shop. Below is a basic summary of the basic cycle of converting visitors to buyers:
- Needs: You need to know why the customer has landed at your site and what they are looking for.
- Awareness: Make sure the customer is immediately aware of what your site has to offer them and if they’re in the right place. Whether it’s Website optimization services or selling cricket balls, make sure it’s clear.
- Consideration: This is where you sell your product to the customer and persuade them that your product is the best of its kind and the most valuable.
- Purchase: The checkout process needs to be simple and fast. Many sites lose their customers here because they either don’t have sufficient checkout methods, or they are too complicated for your average user to cope with.
3. Have a simple flow from arrival to checkout
Once you have the basic understanding of the buying cycle you can apply this to your website. Optimize your site by ensuring that the customer can ideally get from arrival to checkout in about 3 – 5 clicks (if they know what they are looking for). Not every single phase of the buying cycle needs to be targeted on every page, or even on the homepage. Logically plan which calls to action will go on which page. You don’t want your own calls to action competing for space on the same page.
4. Don’t make your customer think
It is important to remember that very few visitors have your full attention, especially first time visitors who have arrived at your site purely because of your successful SEO strategy (Website search engine optimization). Visitors are initially just screening your site to check if you have what they want. Whilst evaluating the relevance of your site, they are most likely watching telly on the side, waiting for their dinner to cook or chatting to a friend so ensure that your calls to action are simple, clear and grab the user’s attention immediately upon landing on a page.
5. Use actionable lingo
When choosing what text or phrase to place on your various calls to action, ensure that your phrase has an active feel to it. Active language results in users taking action.
EG: Instead of saying “Contact us” – You could say “Contact us now”
Some other examples of good calls to action:
- Register now
- Order now.
- Subscribe to our newsletter.
- View pricing plans.
- Choose a product.
6. Take advantage of prime page space
Users read web pages in the same way they would read a book – Their eyes go from left to right, and top to bottom. Yes, web users know how to scroll down and find out more information, but hey, as mentioned before, they aren’t concentrating and it is important that your calls to action are above the fold (immediately viewable space on page without having to scroll down) and in immediate view. Accomplishing this means that the user know exactly what their options are to proceed without having to look too far down the page. This is one of the most important website optimization tips that should never be forgotten.
7. Use good anchor text
Web users have come a long way and understand web conventions (as should you or whoever you’ve hired to optimize your website), so there is no need to say things like “click here to view Media Vision’s site”. Instead, you simple just have to hyperlink the words “Media Vision”. This enables you to easier manage a larger volume of links to external or internal pages within your website.
8. Keep your site seasonal
Ensure that you stay with the times. If it’s nearly Christmas, be sure to incorporate this into your site, if it’s Valentines Day, add a call to action on your homepage for Valentines Day gift ideas etc. The idea is to ensure that your site is fresh and up-to-date and taking advantage of the numerous crazes that people experience year in and year out.
EG: South Africa is hosting their first World Cup Football tournament this year and you cant actually visit a single website or shop in South Africa that doesn’t somehow incorporate this into their sales and web optimization strategies. You should do the same.
9. Make your calls to action eye-catching
Ensure that your calls to action do not only incorporate active text and a good position, they still need to be eye-catching. Remember to use a bold colour and bold text to ensure that a user’s eye can easily find the call to action on the page. Avoiding a cluttered page is also a great way to ensure that your calls to action are easy to find.
10. Test, analyze and test again!
Once you have designed your site and launched it, don’t stop thinking about conversion. The concept you need to follow is known to web experts as “rinse and repeat”. Basically, this points to the fact that you need to constantly try new ideas and experiment with different angles of conversion. If something doesn’t quite work out, fear not, simply just RINSE and REPEAT! The web evolves continuously and so should your website. Use analytic tools or website optimization software to regularly analyze your traffic and do whatever you can to optimize your site. This is probably the most important of website optimization tips; all websites eventually become outdated if not constantly pampered. Do not fall into this trap.
If you examine your website and are confident that it adheres to the above principles then you’re already on the right track to increased ROI. Website Optimization is essential so ensure that you spend some time or hire someone to spend time on ensuring that you’re constantly on top of the conversion game!
Related Posts
- Write calls to action that convert
- More website conversion tips from Brian Eisenberg
- How to use action words
- Don’t forget your website!
- 6 essential tips for effective web copywriting!
Tags: Conversion Analysis, conversion rate, rinse and repeat, website optimization
