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If you want to instantly increase your site's sales, take a close look at the most important elements of your web site.
Do you have a "call to action".
Your efforts probably have focused the headline... salescopy, graphics, navigation, testimonials, and opt-in offers.
But all these are meaningless if there isn't a call to action!
Your visitors want you to tell them what to do. If you don't tell them to purchase your product or subscribe to your free newsletter, they won't.
The Power of Suggestion
A call to action is a strongly worded suggestion that clearly states what action you want your visitors to take. It encourages people to take that action and tells them what will happen if they do.
These are typical calls to action:
* "Click Here to Subscribe!" * "Join Our Affiliate Program" * "Add to Your Shopping Cart" * "Order now to take advantage of this limited-time offer!"
It's a good idea to include an emotionally appealing benefit in your call to action. This convinces visitors of the value of your product and encourages them to take the action. For example: "Read on to learn how you could save tens of thousands of dollars on your next home purchase."
You want to pique people's interest and make them believe that taking the specified action will offer them a direct benefit.
The most obvious and important call to action, of course, is the one that asks visitors to make a purchase.
It's amazing how many people simply neglect to ask for the order. This simple oversight can be deadly for your business; in fact, studies show that you can increase your sales by at least 80% by clearly instructing your visitors how to make a purchase!
Don't Rush Them!
The call to action tis the make-it-or-break-it moment. Closing a sale is like lining up a golf shot -- you don't want to rush it!
You can't just skip to closing the sale right away. Before you get there, you have to
* Answer the all-important customer question: "What's in it for me?"
* Establish your credibility by citing credentials, including customer testimonials, etc.
* Overcome objections to buy
* Build value into your offer
* Back up your offer with a strong guarantee
* Offer valuable bonuses with the purchase
Then ask for the order. In fact, you must ask for the order at that point! Otherwise, all the great work you've done will be wasted.
Try to instill a sense of urgency so your visitors feel compelled to make a purchase right away rather than leave and return to your web site later. You can create urgency in several ways. For example, you can
* Limit the time for which your offer is available: "Available for the next 5 DAYS ONLY!"
* Limit the quantity of products or services: "Available only to the first 100 people who order!"
* Include a discount for a limited time or on a limited quantity of products.
* Include bonus items for a limited time.
However, you have to follow through on any such claims you make, or your credibility will be ruined.
Final Thoughts
After your headline, your call to action is THE most important element on your web site. It should stand out from the rest of your copy and be easy for your visitors to find. In order to draw attention to it, use bolding, a larger font size, a different color -- whatever best suits the style of your web site.
To test the effectiveness of your call to action, ask others to look over your homepage. How long does it take them to find your call to action? As a general rule, it shouldn't take people any longer than 3-4 seconds.
Your call to action is what reflects the true purpose of your web site. It's what gets your visitors to do what you want them to do. Take the time to craft enticing copy that encourages your visitors to take action. If you make people an offer they can't refuse, your sales will really soar!
About the Author:
Derek Gehl, CEO of The Internet Marketing Center trains Internet business owners on how to create incomes of $100,000 to $2.5 MILLION or more per year online. Check out Derek Gehl's Internet Business Builder
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