The ultimate goal in marketing is to convince the potential customer to make a purchase and become your actual customer. Internet marketing is a necessary component of any marketing effort in today’s environment. But how do you engage the customer in a way that leads them to take your desired action? A compelling and enticing message is not enough.

Potential clients may see your ad or video and appreciate the message, but unless they are drawn in at that moment, they will likely continue on without any response.

The purpose of a Call to Action (CTA) is to prompt immediate action from that contact. A call to action that invites the prospect to continue with their engagement must follow your compelling message.

Phrases such as Shop Now, Learn More and Contact Us Today prompt the visitor to take action and make the next step in becoming your customer.

Your CTA must be clear and help the visitor to take the desired action; Whether you are asking for contact information, an immediate purchase or providing a free report.

Websites

Banners, buttons, graphics, and text can all be used as CTA’s on your website. For instance, when selling a product, a prominent picture of that product may serve as your call to action by adding a link that will take the visitor to the appropriate information.

You want to use something which will grab and hold their attention and helps them to take action. So, how do you determine what will work best as your CTA?

A common and effective method is A/B Testing; various graphics, text, and buttons are used to determine which of them receives the most clicks. This testing helps to determine the format you should use to engage more visitors.

This entire process is aimed at convincing visitors to explore further and to follow your conversion funnel until they perform your desired action. You may have multiple conversion funnels for different products and services. These various funnels may focus on different demographics or products, which often requires a unique CTA for each.

If this is the case for you, it is best practice to perform the same process of A/B Testing and evaluation of results for each different category. Remember, the focus is on the customer and results. Make sure you are sending the right message.

Typically, a call to action will invoke an emotional response and instill a sense of urgency. A common technique is to use a series of smaller, less obvious CTAs throughout a promotional text; questions, or statements that invoke a response from the reader or viewer. These smaller CTAs help to lead the potential customer to your ultimate CTA and guide them to take action more readily.

A properly developed CTA may also become part of your personal or business branding. How many times have you had a jingle with a phone number permanently stuck in your head? This is a common technique for using a call to action as part of branding.

No matter what your business is or the goal of your marketing, a well- defined and developed call to action is critical.