CALL TO ACTION: HOW TO TURN YOUR WEBSITE INTO A SALES TOOL
by Carla Reis | August, 2006
Developing a Web site that Converts Visitors into Clients
When I was just starting out as a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) consultant in 2001, I came across a book called “Don’t Make Me Think” by Steve Krug. At that time I laughed; it seemed a silly title for a book about Web site guidelines. Today, I find myself bowing in homage to Steve. His marvelous book has become my bible for understanding how visitors interact with a Web site and what will get them to take a specific action. As Steve Krug so wisely advises, with calls to action and conversions on your Web site, don’t make your visitor think.
It's the Conversion, Not the Rankings that Matter
Many people believe that top visibility is the most important factor in a SEO campaign. It isn’t. The ultimate goal of a SEO campaign and Web site development is to convert visitors into customers. This conversion happens when visitors take the desired Call to Action (CTA) you have laid down on your Web site.
Having your Web site ranking high on search engines is useless if you are having the famous one page visits or if your visitors are stuck on a page trying to find the information they are looking. It doesn’t matter on which page of the Web site a visitor lands, the Calls to Action have to be right there in their faces. That's where the “Don’t Make Think” rule comes to action. And remember, when Calls to Action are obvious to visitors, they are also obvious to search engines.
Calls to Action – Primary and Secondary
Whenever I develop Web sites for my clients, the first thing I ask is: what do they want visitors to do when visiting the site? Once we know that, we can determine each page's primary and secondary Calls to Action.
The most obvious primary Call to Action is "Contact Us." I often advise adding this link at the very end of the main navigation menu so that it is easily visible and placed where most people expect it. To emphasize the action to contact the company, we also add another specific link on the right side of the page. However, visitors may not be ready to contact the company right away. They might need more information on its products and services. The company location might be a factor in their decision, as well as client testimonials about its products and services. In this situation, visitors will browse around the Web site to answer their questions before contacting the company. This leads us to secondary Calls to Action.
Examples of Secondary Calls to Action
Secondary Calls to Action communicate with visitors, providing “short cuts” to important pages and information within the site. They are the key link between the “can this company provide what I need” and “I want to contact them” stages of the visitor’s decision making.
In order to get a visitor ready to make contact, there should be obvious links that will lead them to information on specific products, services, affiliates, and/or testimonials. They should be listed underneath the primary CTA; however, still easily seen without scrolling down.
Balance – Key to Good Conversion
A SEO consultant, who specializes in site usability and Call to Action, should understand how to create an effective balance for a wide variety of industries related Web sites. If site visitors feel pressured into taking an action with pop-ups or other forceful techniques, they'll likely leave the site. On the other hand, if visitors don’t have a CTA screaming in their faces and are forced to ‘think’ about what they are expected to do next, they are more likely to return to their initial search.
Summary: Of course, I don't really believe Internet users don’t want to think at all, but I do believe they want to browse a Web site without struggling to find what they are looking. When you create a Web site, think first about what actions you want your visitors to take so you can more easily convert them into customers. 
Carla Reis
President
Quest Quality Solutions
www.questqualitysolutions.com
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Copyright 2006 - Quest Quality Solutions.
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