According to an article written in Newsweek called, Hi-Tech’s New Day, 75 percent of Americans use the Internet and spend an average three hours a day online. So why is it advertisers and marketers feel they have to dumb down their marketing ads with huge, sometimes really ugly buttons telling customers what to do? “Buy here, Shop Now, Subscribe Here, Click Here”, etc. Why? Because it works!
“If you are offering a special promotion or have an incentive based product or service, stating a clear call-to-action is very important. In most cases, this will be the most important part of your ad.” (payperclickratings.com)
It is known throughout the marketing industry to include a call-to-action in any form of advertising. The most effective way to use a call to action for pay-per-click is in your landing pages and ad text. I find a lot of people forget to include these all-important statements in their ad text. Whether it’s a promotion you want people to take advantage of, or a magazine subscription you want them to subscribe to, be sure to convey that message clearly in a form of an action not only in your PPC ads but in your landing page as well.
Vanessa Williams has a great post on call to action phrases. Some tips of hers include: Tell your customers when and how to contact you if that is your goal. Can they call, email or fax? She also mentions you should instill a sense of immediacy. You can say things like “Subscribe Now” or “Buy Today.”
“A call-to-action can be as simple as saying “order today” or as elaborate detailing a seven-step process. A good call-to-action ties in with the goal of your copy. If you’re goal is to sell, don’t ask them to call you for more information, ask them to purchase your product today.” (Vanessa Willams).
Studies have shown, that if a visitor doesn’t find what they want in three seconds or less they will leave your site. The same I’m sure is true for PPC ads. 3 seconds is more than enough time to read a PPC ad, and if the user doesn’t know what to do by reading your ad, they’ll move on to the next.
More examples of great calls to action are:
- “Click here to subscribe!”
- “Join our affiliate program.”
- “Add to your shopping cart.”
- “Order now for your free gift!”
Remember next time your writing your PPC ads or landing page copy to include a call-to-action. It’s a great way to increase sales, leads and subscriptions.
