Want to know what’s under the ‘marketing’ hood here at WriterAccess? This series will give you a better understanding of what marketing concepts we think about, and it’s straight from the man responsible for keeping WriterAccess marketing moving.
Calls to action are crucial for turning impressions into clicks, and clicks into conversions. They take an understanding of which part of the buying process the customer is in, and then they try to walk the customer to the next step. Below are examples of different calls to action (CTA) and the psychology behind each of them.
And remember, these are only examples. A smart marketer is always tinkering and A/B testing.
Websites
Website CTAs vary depending on the goals of the site. Some sites look to collect information, others are looking for immediate purchases, and then some are just looking for you to spend more time on their site.
Example: Google AdWords
Purpose – Get customers into the AdWords platform.
Things to note:
- Same CTA follows you throughout the site
- Using a basic and simple color scheme
- Not using an oversized button
- Supporting phone number CTA
Meta Titles and Descriptions
Meta titles and descriptions are HTML tags that most people don’t identify as a CTA. They appear in search results and convince people to click on your site.
Example: Netflix
Purpose – Get information seekers on the website.
Things to note:
- Company name in the title
- Action verb “Watch” in the title
- Support description with succinct and complete explanation
- Description of value and costs in complete sentences
- Use of Google’s sitelinks
Emails
Email CTAs are extremely important for tapping into the value of emails. Some emails are looking to give you information, while some are looking to remind you of a purchase, and others are looking to introduce you to a new feature. The overarching theme is usually getting you out of the inbox and onto their site.
Example: ion interactive
Purpose – Getting people to sign up for a webinar.
Things to note:
- Clear message – webinar promotion
- Two plain “Register Now” buttons at the top and bottom of the email
- Two bright orange text links
- Use of text arrows and exclamation point
Feel free to check out my post DIY Email Marketing post on how to start email marketing.
Banner Ads
Banner ads are great for targeting specific traffic on other websites. Their main purpose is to push traffic back to your site.
Example: Harvard Business Review
Purpose – Getting people signed up for a webinar.
Things to note:
- Clear message and webinar time
- Relatively small button (even thought the whole banner is clickable)
- Top half has a complex background and a short message
- Bottom half has a simple background and a detailed message
- Use of color to draw eyes to the center strip, time, and then “Register Now” button
Glen Jackman is the Marketing Specialist at WriterAccess and ideaLaunch. He’s responsible for managing the database, running email marketing campaigns, executing SEO and content marketing strategies, and managing social media marketing. Contact Glen on Twitter @GlenJackman or by email Glen (at) WriterAccess.com.
