The Importance of Clear Calls-to-Action on Your Website
One of the first things we tell any new CT web design client is the importance of a clear call-to-action (CTA) on their business website.
According to research released by Google, most first-time visitors to a website will stay on a landing page for less than 30 seconds before moving on. Most website users are lazy and won’t put it the extra work to find buried details when trying to get a sense of your business and what you can do for them. They won’t spend long minutes clicking through your drop-down menus and they won’t bother scrolling endlessly down to get to the “good stuff.” If they can’t find what they’re looking for right away, you’ve lost the battle to convert them into a customer.
We see this every day with our CT web design clients.
Think about that for a second – as a business, you have less than half a minute to make it clear to your visitor who you are, what you’re about, and what you want them to do next. That’s where a call-to-action (CTA) comes into play. Call Now. Buy Now. Contact Us for a Free Quote.
A Call-to-Action is an instruction you give your visitor to perform one specific task.
Examples of CTAs include signing up for a newsletter, liking a social media page, or clicking a “buy now” button to purchase a product.
For a CTA to be effective on your landing page, it needs to be prominent and well defined – you generally won’t be able to convince a website visitor to perform more than one action (one action is difficult enough!), so you need to choose well. It’s important to have clear goals for your business and for your business’ website. Some examples include:
- If you want a website user to visit your brick and mortar restaurant, make sure your address and directions are easy to find. Additionally, make a mobile-friendly menu available.
- If you want a website user to fill out a form to capture their contact details, make sure the form is front and center on the homepage, or at the very least, make a button linking to the form clear and obvious on your landing page. Don’t make your visitor search for it.
- If you want your website visitor to buy a specific product, show it on the homepage and make sure your checkout experience is easy and secure.
Other good advice when it comes to your website making a good first impression includes listing prices if you’re able. It’s easier to list your prices up front than to deal with unreasonable expectations later. Having transparent pricing information also helps you build trust with new customers.
Lastly, be sure your site is mobile friendly.
In today’s smartphone age, most people do at least some of their browsing on their phones or tablets and if your website falls apart when the screen size changes, you’re losing potential business before you can even make your first impression.
For more information about how we can help you with your CT web design needs, or to get a quote, go to www.skyeline.com/website-design/.