Author Archives: Jodi Kaplan

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Get More Clicks on Your Calls to Action

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Have you got calls to action on your site? What is a call to action anyway?

Examples of Calls to action

Not quite sure what a call to action is?  It’s the button, the sentence or the line in a script that tells your readers to do something. It might say, “buy now” or “instant access” or “get your free ebook.”

There are lots of ways to word it, but the key is to make it as appealing as possible.  The more urgent and attractive the offer seems to your readers, the more clicks you’ll get. More clicks means more downloads, more subscribers, and more orders. Here are some examples of how to improve your call to action.

Have a call to action button

I know, it seems obvious, but sometimes it gets left out. If there’s no way to order, ask for the free information guide, or sign up for your newsletter, you won’t get orders or get inquiries. It sounds odd, but there are plenty of Web sites with hidden contact information and no button or phone number.

Make your call to action colorful

Sometimes web designers get caught up in making something beautiful, rather than functional. I’m not advocating yellow highlighter and red type, just buttons that are big, that stand out from the background, and are clearly marked.

For example, if the other buttons on the site (contact us, support, etc) are white, make the call to action blue.

If the button is by itself, contrast it with the rest of the page (so, if the background is white, make the button red).

Make the call to action prominent

If they can’t find it, they won’t click on it.

Layer it over other page elements. Or, make it larger than other buttons on the page (such as related posts or continue reading). Put it in a prominent place, such as the top right hand corner of the page, or in the center.

Put lots of space around YOUR BUTTONS

Set off the call to action button from other text or design elements on the page. If there are other button options, such as a “learn more” vs. a “buy now,” put lots of space between the call to action button and the other buttons on your page.

Test the wording

Try out different wording, such as “subscribe now” vs. “get your copy”) or “try it now” vs. “free demo.”  More examples of calls to action.

Make it clear what to expect

If there’s a download, or a newsletter, or a free e-book, make it clear exactly what will happen, and whether there’s a fee (either in actual money or an email address). If it’s confusing, people won’t click.\

Button image from stylewebdesignusa.com

Get Your Customers to Love You

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Since we discussed “marketing sins” yesterday, today my thoughts turned to religion (sort of).

Many years ago, when I was working for the Direct Marketing Association, I attended the Nonprofit Conference in New York. At the event, charities and other nonprofits shared stories and strategies they used to raise money for their causes.

Build Connections

One story in particular stuck out. A Catholic school wanted to raise money to support the school and other charitable work. So, they sent out a fundraising letter from the head of the school (we’ll call him Father Xavier).

Standard stuff, but this had a different twist. Included with the letter was a note printed in a font that looked like Father Xavier’s handwriting. It also included a copy of a picture of him with Pope John Paul II.

The response was overwhelming. People not only sent donations, they also returned the photos, with notes thanking the priest for sharing it.

Develop a Genuine Relationship

The people who got that letter felt such a strong connection to the school that they thought the letter had been sent to them personally.

Marketing (says Seth Godin) is “just like dating. It turns strangers into friends and friends into lifetime customers. Many of the rules of dating apply, and so do many of the benefits. A marketer goes on a date. If it goes well, the two of them go on another date. And then another. Until, after ten or twelve dates, both sides can really communicate with each other about their needs and desires.”

If you communicate, you’ll get friends, and lifetime relationships. If you shout, talk about yourself, or don’t listen, you’ll get enemies.

Photo: suchitra

Seven Deadly Web Copywriting Mistakes

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sevenWhat are the seven deadliest web copywriting mistakes? These nasty little errors can sink your web project almost before it even gets started.

Luckily, if you know what they are in advance, you will be able to avoid them!

1. Creating the design before the copy

The images are there to enhance the words (not the other way around). Writing can be edited to fit. removing design elements to fit the text will mess up the entire design. Write the copy first, then you’ll be able to use design to highlight your testimonials or your great guarantee.

2. Do-it-yourself copywriting

Thinking that you can write the copy yourself. Copywriting is a specific skill. There are books and blogs you can read (email me if you’d like some recommendations), but you have to convince people to do something and hand you their hard-earned money. Besides, is this the best use of your time? Read this before you hire someone.

3. Burying the lede

In the newspaper business, the lede is the sentence that sums up the story – and draws you in. In copywriting it’s the sentence that should tell readers why they should read the second sentence, and the third. Start with a bang – so readers will keep going. Try moving the paragraphs around. Often your best sentence is buried in the second or third paragraph.

4. Not stating the problem

If you want people to trust you and buy from you, you’ve got to establish trust and empathy. Point out a problem, a concern, or a desire.

5. Talking about yourself too much

Saying “me”, “my” and “our” will drive people away. They don’t want to hear about your background or your MFA, they want to know how your knowledge and skills will help solve their problems.  Take the one-minute marketing test to find out how your site copy stacks up.

6. No solution

Years of experience or number of employees isn’t a solution. Instead, explain how your product or service solves their problem. Tell them what they’ll get, how it works, why it works. Explain how other people have benefited from it. Answer common questions (yes, this is why sales letters are long – to answer all the questions that people may have).

7. No call to action

Don’t forget to write a call to action. Make it absolutely clear what to do, and how to do it. The buttons should be big, easy to find, and clearly labeled. You don’t want people hunting around to find them.

Have you made any of these mistakes? Or, do you have another to add to the list?

Photo:  eurritimia

Is Your Marketing Missing Its Target?

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missed target

I got an odd email a few days ago. It was from a star copywriter (and a rare error). The subject line said, “Read this only if you are over 50.” Well, I’m not. Since it wasn’t relevant, I didn’t care what it was. So, I didn’t open it, didn’t read it, and it went straight to the trash.

During the baseball World Series, (YAY YANKEES!) the games were full of ads for light beer, car insurance, and er, male products.

The companies running these ads spent millions and millions of dollars on advertising.

All of it irrelevant to me. I don’t drink light beer (ick!), don’t own a car (I’m not nuts, I live in a big city, where cars are unnecessary), and I’m not an older man. They can spend all they like, I still won’t buy their products.

Big companies can afford to waste their money. Small businesses can’t. Find people who want what you’re offering and talk to them. Pick a niche. It’s a lot better than spraying and praying, hoping to hit something.

Image Jay Lopez

A Marketing Mistake You Should Never Make

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vote for burns

Yesterday was election day in the United States.

Among the races was a special election to fill a vacant Congressional seat in upstate New York (near Canada). The seat had been a safe Republican district for over 100 years.

But, this year was different. Not only did it attract national attention, but the Democratic candidate won.

What Happened?

Prominent conservatives thought the Republican candidate was too moderate, and refused to support her. So, they got their own candidate, and ran him under a Conservative party ticket.

The trouble was, he didn’t live in the district. When the local paper interviewed him, they discovered he knew very little about the issues that were important to the area. In a meeting with the paper’s editorial board, his high-powered Conservative advisers dismissed those issues as “provincial” and unimportant.

This is not about Republican (generally more right-wing) or Democratic (generally more-left wing) politics; it’s about what happens when you ignore your real customers in favor of your own needs and desires.

Run Again. And Again. And Again.

Here in New York City, the mayor changed the rules so he could run for a third term. He spent $100,000,000 of his own money to get it. He won, but just barely, against an underfunded opponent who could barely fight back. The mayor ran because of what he wanted, not because of what the people wanted.

Ignore Your Customers (and Lose Them)

The conservatives in upstate New York completely ignored what the voters in the district (the customers) wanted. A candidate for local office who thinks local issues aren’t important is doomed to failure. A company that thinks its own needs are more important than its customers’ needs is also doomed.

When you develop your systems, policies, Web site, or marketing, think what your customers want.

Photo: laverrue