Solve Your Customers Problems

Have you ever been tempted to purchase something from an infomercial, even if it was a product you didn’t really need or want? One minute you’re watching your favorite television show and the next you’re entranced by the commercial, saying, “Yeah, I need that!” to a product you’ve never even heard of before. No matter if you’re shopping online, reading a magazine or watching television, advertisers are consistently using a technique called a “call to action.” If you’re in business to sell something, you’ll need a great call to action, too.

What is a call to action?

Simply, a call to action is how you convince a customer to do something. You could say “click here,” “buy now,” “register” or something similar that tells the person you’re speaking to that there is an action you’d like them to pursue.

It’s your chance to rally visitors to your website or viewers of your ad to go further and be exposed to your message and products. And it’s a great way to turn lookers into buyers by motivating a purchase.

Why they work

People will often follow instructions, so if you tell them to do something—many will. Simple as that.

A great call to action creates a sense of urgency or limited possibilities that must be acted on right now. Or, it creates a sense of well-being or offers a solution to a known or perceived problem. It also clearly spells out how a customer can make a purchase.

A great call to action works when:

• It clearly triggers an emotional reaction (I must have that, need it, want it, etc…).

• It clearly tells someone how to make a purchase (click right here to purchase).

• It creates some urgency to purchase immediately (offer ends at midnight tonight! Buy now!).

• It provides incentives or added details that make it impossible to refuse (free shipping!).

Incentives are a great call to action method. Offer your reader something for making a purchase; offer free shipping or double the product for one low price. Shoppers love extras and incentives and the feeling they are getting more than what they are paying for. When you add in incentives, you create a call to action the many people can’t refuse.

Where to use a call to action

The beauty of call to action methods is that you can use them anywhere you promote or sell your product or service.

Article attributed to Justine Grey