How To Create Call-To-Actions That Work

Are you running pay-per-click campaigns, creating content for your website, and then posting that content on social networks like Twitter and Facebook? If you are, that's awesome and a great first step but if you are not generating the number of leads you want to, then maybe it’s time to evaluate what you're asking your website visitors to do once they land on your site. It's not enough to just attract visitors to your site, you need to get them to take action and for that you need a solid call-to-action.

What Is Your Call-To-Action?

Sadly, for many of the real estate sites I visit, the only call-to-action I find is just a 'contact me' page. A website visitor needs a real reason to reach out to you or share their contact information with you. That is where a 'call-to-action' (CTA) comes in. A CTA is meant to convince a visitor to click on a button or link and continue down a conversion funnel. It can be a simple non-intrusive request like "watch this video", or a much more demanding request like "request your free ebook". The purpose is to request the visitor to provide personal details and contact information. A good CTA will ask for their information in exchange for something of value.

When you are competing for Internet leads, it’s going to take more than a 'contact me' page. Here are some things to consider.

Unless you have incredible and consistent new articles on your site, the 'Sign Up For My Newsletter' CTA has to be the weakest call-to-action on a real estate site. Aside from the 'contact me' page, of course. Make your call-to-actions bold, with graphics and colors that your visitors can’t miss. Offer things of real value to make it worth their time and worth giving up their precious contact information.

Let’s face it, most people are lazy. Me included. I very rarely go to page 2 of Google looking for something. The same is true with a call-to-action. If a website visitor's eyes don’t find something interesting within the first 5 seconds, people are going to bounce (bounce is a website analytics term for 'leave your site right away'). So keep your Call To Action above the fold on your site.

Here Are Some Call-To-Action Ideas

For this scenario, we are going to offer a free eBook for First Time Home-buyers. Have the visitor fill out a form on your site in order to receive instant access to your free eBook. An eBook can be in a PDF format. Once they fill out the short form, the 'thank you' page can have the link to download the eBook, or you can have an auto-responder email that sends them the download link. If you really want the CTA to stand out, embed a short video outlining what they will learn in the book.

We have all heard of offering First Time Home Buyer Seminars but if you really want to cater to Gen Y (and some Gen X), consider offering an online webinar. Remember that when you are pointing people to the information, you want to send them to a 'landing page', not just the front page of your site. The landing page should be devoted to capturing their contact information prior to them viewing the webinar.

Other call-to-actions include things such as: Download a FREE eBook on How To Make Money on Investment Property; Receive a FREE Relocation Package; Download a FREE Report on Local Schools; Receive a List of Foreclosures in McKinney; etc.

No matter what your call-to-action is, make certain that your offer and the corresponding offer will answer the crucial question your visitors want to know... “what’s in it for me?”.

Have you used any CTAs that have really worked for you? Do you want more information on how to create and distribute eBooks and reports? Post your comments below and keep this conversation going.

This article was originally posted on Josh Harley's Real Estate By The Book - How To Create Call-To-Actions That Work

Josh Harley is the Founder and CEO of Fathom Realty. Josh is a serial entrepreneur, tech geek, innovator, disruptor, marketer, teacher, artist, U.S. Marine, and an Alaska-raised sweet tea fiend.

As the CEO of Fathom Realty, Josh helped earn Fathom a prestigious place on the Inc. 500 list of Fastest Growing Companies in the U.S. … not once, but three times in a row. Josh also made the Swanepoel Power 200 list of Trendsetters for 2017.