Imagine this, you go into a shop to buy trekking gear. The salesperson gives you the best advice and you find the perfect model. You want to buy, but nowhere do you see a cash register. You walk around and get more annoyed by the minute. Irritated, you put the trousers on a pile and vow never to return ad waste your time in that shop again.
Figuratively speaking, if customers can't find the "checkout" on your website, they will leave your shop, or rather your site. Therefore, you need to clearly show your customers how they can do business with you. Call-to-action (CTA) is the name of this crucial step.
On average, almost 80% of all online purchases are abandoned. This should not be the case. A clear, visible CTA helps your customers overcome the last hurdle and cross the finish line.
The other steps of our storytelling method have prepared your customers for this moment. A quick recap:
- We talked about the problem you solve for your client, which should be the focus of your communication.
- We covered your role as a guide. You understand the client's needs while showing empathy and authority.
- We showed that as a guide you need to offer the client a plan on how to solve their problem.
- You should also show your customer what his world will look like once he has solved his problem with your help and what will happen if he does not.
The call-to-action (CTA) is an essential element: become a customer or stay a prospect? That is the question. To bring us back to classic storytelling: we are at the point where great cinema stories are decided. Does the hero make the right decision or do they fall into misfortune?...
In the cinema classic Rocky it is the scene when Rocky visits the big stadium and still does not believe he can beat Apollo. But he makes a decision. He will go through the whole fight… and thus become a hero.
With our storytelling method, you have drawn the prospect into your story, shown them a solution to his problem and given them a plan. Now it's time to get them to make a buying decision - with the call-to-action.
Above all, a call-to-action must be clear.
"Learn more" should be deleted from your website forever. You don't want to teach anyone, you want to generate customers. "Learn more" is passive, it’s not a concrete instruction for action.
Instead, try call-to-actions that work such as:
- Buy now
- Book a consultation
- Call now
- For retailers: Buy a product
- For consultants: Book an appointment
- For agencies: Arrange an audit
And there's one more important point you should keep in mind: Don't hide your "checkout". Your call-to-action must be visible and within reach everywhere. Just as large, well-organised department stores draw attention to their cash registers with illuminated signs, you should display your Call-To-Action. Nobody would hide a cash register behind a curtain in a department store.
Therefore: After each section on your website you should insert the Call-to-Action. It must always be just one click away.
The customer doesn't want to do business with you (yet)? Don't worry, that's what the Transitional Call-To-Action is for. To return to the image of the clothes shop: You like the trousers, but you want to think about them a bit more, so you put the goods down at the checkout and reserve them for later purchase.
The transitional call-to-action performs a similar task. Instead of the direct CTA, it asks for the customer's email to come into the shop with them later. The transitional call-to-action is perfect for gaining your customer's trust, because the transitional calls-to-action leads into a parallel funnel, the value-added funnel. 
However, no customer gives their email without value in return. To lead the customer into the value-added funnel, you need a lead generator that offers value in exchange for the email address. This could be a tips and tricks document, advice, or a short training video.
Here are ideas for successful lead generators:
- White paper (PDF)
- Video tutorials
- Demonstration
- Podcasts
- Webinars
- Testimonials
- Free trials
The easiest way to create a PDF is to help your customer solve their problem and add value.
Here's inspiration for successful lead generators:
- 5 tips for creating a website that converts
- The 3 most common mistakes in LinkedIn marketing
- 5 things you need to do to make your sales emails generate sales.
But beware. We often see the following mistakes:
- The call-to-action remains vague
- It is barely visible
- There are several (sometimes even different) call-to-actions on one page
- There is no call-to-action at all
Now you know the most important things about the Call-To-Action - what you should pay attention to and what you should do without. We too use Transitional and Direct Call-To-Action within our posts. Can you spot the difference between the two? Why not try one and see what happens…
Make an appointment here so that together we can invite your customers into your story and create a successful Call-To-Action that will get you into business with your customers.
