Call to Action – How to Make Users Click Wishfully, not Forcefully!

Before we start with some of the best ‘Call to Actions’ that actually gets some action, here is one tip to remember – Avoid ‘CLICK HERE’. This has become monotonous and visitors rarely click where you want them to. ‘Do Not Click Here’ will work much better than ‘Click Here’.

Below are some examples that companies are using on different platforms to engage customers or to get the ball rolling.

Amazon and eBay’s ‘Add to Cart’:

‘Add to Cart’ works the best for online shopping sites. With this option, you are not forcing your website visitors to take immediate action. As this creates no pressure on them, the first step towards sales is easily taken. The products are added to the cart with the intention of purchase in the near future.

How innovative you get with your ‘Add to Cart’ option depends upon you. For example,

Amazon always gives an option of buying one more product with the featured one with a discount asking customers to add both the products to the cart. With offers like these, there are high chances of people buying the products immediately.

Bark Busters’s ‘Free Phone Consult’:

Have a look at the image first,

The ‘Call of Action’ here is intelligent. No one is forcing you to take any action here, but yes with the kind of copy they have written, the pet owners will immediately take action. After clicking on the highlighted button, you are directed to the real action:

If you ask your website visitors to fill the form, they will not. But focussing on the issues your target audience faces, your visitors will certainly take the action you want them to.

Groupon’s ‘Try it Now’ and Walmart’s ‘What’s on your Mind?’

GroupOn and Walmart has come up with some smart ‘Call to Action’ on Facebook.

GroupOn

It is a known fact that people today need reason with proof. Reason – why they need to take action and Proof that your reason is valid. GroupOn has smartly done both the things on their facebook’s landing page.

Action – ‘Try it Now’. Why? The discount – 50% to 90% off. Proof – More than 4.5 Million facebook users with 497k likes.

Walmart

Here, again the copy gives utmost importance to the customer and then calls for action. If you look at the options given, you will see how Walmart has engaged their fans here. If you have any doubt you can get it solved on this page. And if you have an answer to the questions posted on the page, then you can share your knowledge. This will lead to increased engagement on the page with more number of satisfied customers.

Mashable’s Call to Action

There are websites that just say ‘Like Us’ and ‘Follow Us’ and then there are sites like Mashable that target the audience with the right copy – As you see in the above image, there is copy that read ‘For more Entertainment coverage’ followed by the options to follow the site on different platforms. This section will not be seen on every page of the website. This is targeted to entertainment readers and is shown just below the entertainment news. This works the best with the blogs.

Let us now have a look at what not to do for ‘Call to Action’

Disappearing ‘Sign up’ Bars: Do not have a different bar for ‘Sign Up’ that disappears as and when the visitor scrolls the page. People will not search for the bar again. It is better to have this option on the home page or after a particular write-up. But it should be a non-flickering and a non-flashy one.

Do not Force the Action: There are websites that ask the visitors to fill a form or ask for your details like email id and phone number the moment you visit the website. And restrict you from proceeding further, if the details are not submitted.

If the person is the first time visitor, he would prefer not to visit your website than submitting the details as he/she do not want his/her inbox to be full of deals, discounts and newsletters.

Do not Charge: Never charge while asking your visitors to act. There are websites that ask for a big price to give membership to the visitors. If your membership is not free then it is better to personally speak with them. So, ask them to call for a free consultation and then give reasons why being a member of your firm is beneficial.

If you have any more ‘best call to action’ examples or the ‘worst call to action’ examples, then let us know in the comments below.