It doesn't take new inbound marketers long to realize one key (yet not immediately obvious) truth: you're not actually giving content away. You're trading it. Specifically, you're swapping the content for personal information that turns a visitor into a sales lead.
The interesting thing is that most experienced Internet consumers understand this arrangement, even if they don't know the marketing terminology. Giving away your email address or Liking something on Facebook means giving implicit permission to be marketed to. So, even for something as simple as "give us your email address in exchange for this eBook," you have to engage in real salesmanship to close the deal.
Calls-to-Action (CTAs) are the first stage in this process, but they don't do much on their own. You can have CTA buttons in place, and yet still fail to convert visitors into leads by simply not convincing them to give up their information.
Here's a quick guide to how to make sure your Call-to-Action is effective and lead to effective Landing and Thank You Pages.
Calls-to-Action: The Basics
Calls-to-Action are graphical elements scattered throughout your website that invite people to trade personal information for content. At their most basic, a CTA could be nothing more than a graphic that says "Click Here to Download Our Free eBook!"
In general, these are a few attributes of good CTAs:
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Graphically distinct, standing out from the page.
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High contrast colors and fonts to make them more distinct.
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Iconographic elements (such as a downwards arrow for downloads) that further reinforce the action to be taken.
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A short blurb that says what benefit the visitor will receive.
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A prominent and unmistakable button to click to begin the transaction.
What Comes After the Calls-to-Action
CTAs are little more than a sign outside a shop, inviting a visitor to step in the door. It's what's inside that really matters.
The next step in the process is a Landing Page, which every associated CTA leads to. A Landing Page is, fundamentally, a sales page except that rather than convincing them to give up their credit card number, you're just asking for a few details about them. None the less, proper design will make the difference between success and failure.
And you have to do it quickly, because you only have about three seconds to grab their attention before they wander off.
Some elements of highly successful landing pages:
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The landing page should be a virtual dead-end. Don't have any links to other pages on your site, not even your standard header bar. Give them no choice but to either proceed or manually click "back" in their browser.
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Begin with a prominent headline that quickly explains the benefits of the content being accessed.
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Keep the sales copy brief and to the point, just a couple paragraphs in most cases. Over-selling will make people suspicious.
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Use bullet point lists to highlight the main features rather than blocks of text.
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Use action-oriented words in your description to further sell the benefits. "Boost site visits!" "Increase your ROI!" Avoid passive language.
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Make it clear exactly what they're giving up in return. Don't get greedy. Try not to ask for much more than their name, necessary contact information, and possibly (for B2B) their position or company name.
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Include a graphic that displays what's on offer, even if it's just a picture of the eBook's "cover" or the title frame of a video.
Once you've convinced them, there's still one more element: the Thank You Page.
Thanking Leads Properly
The final step in ensuring your Calls-to-Action pay off is a good Thank You Page. This serves several functions, although fundamentally, it's about setting them up to feel positively about the experience and, therefore, more receptive to future marketing.
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Obviously, thank them sincerely.
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Explain clearly what's happening next. Will the download start immediately? Will they receive an email or phone call with further information? Ensure they understand the process.
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Suggest they follow you on social media or share the offer with friends.
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Place further CTA buttons to entice them into accessing more content.
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Give them a prominent link leading back to the main site.
Tying it Together
CTAs are only the first step in the visitor-to-lead conversion process. Following a call-to-action up with a convincing Landing Page and then a sincere and helpful Thank You page is the best way to ensure your Calls to Action are a success.
What do you do to make your Landing and Thank You Pages a success?
