Fantastic, benefits heavy copywriting is great, but it is better when coupled with a powerful call to action. And yet, you’d be amazed at how many people completely forget to add one. 
For hours, they slave over their copy, analysing every word until it is as strong as possible only to forget the call to action. The result? The reader is convinced by your copy, is ready to buy, but then reaches the end and wanders off – all because you didn’t tell them what to do next.
If you don’t have a call to action, your conversion rate will take a nose dive.
Many would argue that you should give your customers some credit and they’ll know what you want them to do. Well, if that was the case, why is your conversion rate so low? And besides, what harm is there in a call to action? Even if your customer knows you want them to buy, why not reinforce it by having a simple sentence that tells them to do exactly that?
To make sure your call to action works it should be:
- Relevant
- Clear
- Part of your copy
- Visible
Let’s take a look at those in more detail:
1. Relevant
Make sure it actually asks them to do what you want them to do. If you want them to sign up for your newsletter, ask them to; if you want them to call you, ask them to and add your phone number etc.
2. Clear
Don’t make them hunt down your call to action. Make sure it stands out and is commanding. A line like ‘If it’s not too much trouble, would you mind giving us a call, when it’s convenient…’ is no use to man nor beast. But adding something like ‘Call us now on xxxx’ or ‘Register now by clicking here…’ shows them exactly what you want them to do.
3. Part of your copy
Don’t leave it until the end of your web page, newsletter or email. You can dot them liberally throughout the text (where they fit the context) in locations where they would be expected.
4. Visible
The best way to make them stand out is to place them in bold text and to have them in a paragraph of their own.
Expanding the previous point, by adding them in several locations, as soon as the reader has reached a buying decision, they can take action. And if they are highly visible, they won’t be left hunting around for your details.
The best calls to action are:
- Clear
- Simple
- Commanding
Make sure you make it very clear what you want your reader to do.