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Your Call To Action (CTA) is the, number one, most important
part of your marketing campaign. Whether online or off, it
is the link from information to sale for your potential
customer. This is why what you choose to represent your CTA
should be well thought.
We are all used to the Click Here CTA. Nevertheless, you
would probably agree that due to its overuse this text CTA
has lost its impact. So how do you do to create an effective
CTA? Follow these simple rules to increase your sales in
your next marketing piece or website design or update.
Uniformity - Keep all your CTAs uniform. Your visitor will
easily recognize your CTA if you use it each time you wish
them to do something. We are creatures of habit and require
similarity to easily recognize things.
Size - Whether you choose to use text or graphics make your
CTA big enough to be seen from a distance. Whether your
audience is young or old, size alone can have a definite
impact on your turn-over rate. Too small and it may not be
seen; too big and it will be ignored. However, even when
your content can't be read at a distance, your CTA should
continue to be clearly seen and understood. Again, keep it
uniform in size as well as design.
Wording - Besides consistency in design, consistency in
wording is an important element in CTA design. When considering
the words to use, as I mentioned before, use something other
than the over-used Click Here. Be sure to start your CTA with
an ACTIVE VERB: get, learn, see, find, modify, add, submit, etc.
Consider including a benefit or result in the text of your
CTA, if possible: Get your free subscription, Learn more, etc.
Use fonts that are easy to read. Fonts such as Arial and Verdana
are the best choices, while Times New Roman or fancy, flowery text
are among the worst.
Placement - Due to the importance of your CTA you should always
place your CTA in an highly visible place on your page. If you
don't know where your visitor's eye falls on your page this will
be more difficult for you to choose. There are many studies that
indicate where the "eye path" of the Internet user falls. Considering
this one element can make logical sense when you wish to increase your
Sales Conversion Rate (SCR). Make your CTA the logical conclusion to
your page's content.
Design - As with your website, your CTA design should remain consistent
to your site's content. It is a good idea to use clean and professional
design in your business elements. Save the outlandish and garish for
your blog or personal sites. A clean, professional appearance coveys
both credibility and longevity. To further enhance your SCR make your
CTA button stand out with the use of the Web 2.0 3D effects that are
now available.
Roll-over Effects - If your visitor has made it to your CTA button with
their mouse they have already indicated an interest. A mouse-over effect
could be a good way to reinforce their action and may increase their
chance of taking the desired action.
No matter what CTA design your choose, track your results. The key to
effective marketing is knowing what works. When you want to know how
affective your efforts are, monitoring and assessing their effectiveness
will give you the necessary edge to keep your marketing efforts on
track. Never stop testing and gathering user input.
You the information you need.
For more information or assistance with your CTA button design contactginger.marks@documeantdesigns.com/.
© Copyright 2008 Ginger Marks
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