Call To Action – a website essential!
In the world of websites, a call to action refers to a desired action (or actions) by the website viewer: call, buy now, register for a newsletter, subscribe, or donate, as examples. Well-designed calls to action can lend focus to a website, help direct viewers’ attention, and measure the effectiveness of web pages.
To encourage viewer action, consider offering incentives such as free gifts, a discount, or opportunity to enter a contest. Urgent language provides further encouragement, such as “for a limited time”, “while supplies last”, or “before prices go up”. Consider a call to action that identifies a problem and presents a solution, such as “Thinking of remodeling? – click here to get a free quote”, or “click here to see examples of our work”.
Calls to action can be clickable buttons (which can be measured in website statistics) or highlighted areas of static text, such as “Call Now” and a phone number. Visually, a call to action is most effective when placed near the top of the webpage. The color should be in contrast to the surrounding webpage colors. Leave enough space around the call to action graphic to allow the eye to focus, and make the button or graphic big, but not too big, which can overwhelm the surrounding webpage content.
Each page of a site should include a call to action, and a site can include more than one. Too many calls to action, however, may dilute your message or confuse viewers.
Want to add a call to action to your site? ACT NOW! DON’T DELAY! Operators are standing by!
Val
SPARKS! Web Development Maven
