By the time you have designed your email template, filled it with quality content, and crafted an intriguing subject line, you may be running out of fresh ideas. Perhaps that explains why so many email marketers fall back on a boring “click here” button as their call to action. It’s easily understood, but it’s not inspiring.
Prominent Placement
Your call to action must be easy to locate. Don’t tuck it away at the end of paragraphs of text. Place it in the top half of your email where it will catch the reader’s eye.
Design Matters
The shape and color of your call to action button can influence the number of click-throughs you receive. Tailor the design to the action required. Red is a useful color if you want to establish a sense of urgency. BMI, a leading UK airline, increased their conversion rate by 2.5 percent by adding a red background behind their message “Hurry! Only XX seats left”.
What’s In It For Them?
Clearly and concisely summarize the benefit to the customer if they click on the link. Entice them by including the first few lines of an article and then have a clickable link if they want to “read more”. Offer incentives or discounts for clicking, if it fits with your sales strategy.
Is One Call To Action Enough?
61 percent of email marketers include three or more calls to action in their emails, according to a 2010 survey carried out by JangoMail, a leading permission-based email marketing company. This figure rises to 67 percent among respondents reporting consistent campaign success.
Providing several calls to action allows you to engage customers at several points along the purchasing journey. Browsers and comparison shoppers may be more comfortable clicking on a “learn more” call to action, while serious shoppers will be looking out for a “buy now” button.
Take Your Customers Where They Expect To Go
When customers click on your call to action, they should not be surprised or disappointed by the result. Ensure your landing page effectively continues the theme of the email and progresses the customer towards online conversion. Otherwise, all the effort you have put in to secure the click-through will be wasted.