Don't make me think, the title of a well-known book about website user experience design. Visitors to your website want the easiest of experience and believe it or not, they want to be told what to do.
So what does this mean?
Give your visitor something to do.
It means clear copywriting, great headlines, enticing calls-to-action and a great WordPress website design experience.
Your WordPress website exists for two reasons – to help your business and to help your visitor. That being the case you need to clearly define what you want someone to do.
During the WordPress training sessions I deliver each week I come across many websites that passively inform but don't ask me to do anything. If you don't guide me with an action I won't take any. Yes, it's nice to read about your business, what you do, find out about your story but if I don't know what you want me to do I'll most likely just leave without doing anything.
The fact that I have taken the time to go to your website means I am interested in what you are offering and think you have a solution for me. You may be actively driving traffic to your website, through social media, email marketing, adverts or SEO but if I get there and I am not sure what I do next, then that is a missed opportunity for everyone.
Don't let them leave
Don't create a website that is a passive experience. Engage your visitors and either tell or ask them to do something. Acknowledge the reason they are there and provide them with an easy solution to do what you want them to do. If you don't make it obvious or easy, they are going to leave.
Everyone is busy, visitors will most likely scan your WordPress website page, rather than read every detail. Your page layout, editorial style, a clear content hierarchy all help a visitor take the action you need them to.
If you don't make it easy for visitors to take the action you want them to, they will leave and you both lose. Take advantage of familiar design and UX conventions by making buttons obvious and create clearly defined areas of content.
What is a call-to-action?
You most likely created your WordPress website for a specific reason; you want more business leads, you want people to book your service, you want people to return to your blog, you want to sell products – it could be any of these, the main factor is your website has a reason to exist. If you don't tell the visitor, as early as possible to take action, they won't. I've delivered many WordPress website training sessions where the home page has nothing for me to do, yes I can read the content, look at the pictures, but no obvious request for me to do something. Take a look at your pages and make sure that a new visitor knows what you want them to do.
Here are a few examples of calls-to-action (they may seem obvious, but they are missing on so many WordPress websites I see).
- Book a quick call
- Request a callback
- Request a product sample
- Talk to one of our experts
- Download a checklist
- Sign-up to our...
- Learn more about our services
- Want regular updates about...
- Take advantage of our free trial
- Get a quote
- Watch our demo
- Let's get started
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Make sure you follow-up
So now you have a clear action you want your WordPress website visitor to take. It's time for a prompt follow-up. This includes a confirmation message on your website page or an obvious redirection to an action landing page. As a visitor, I want to be reassured that the action I have taken has been noticed.
Following up can be in a personal format, or if you have many enquiries you may need to automate part or all of the follow-up process. This is where having a WordPress website is an advantage. WordPress has lots of services and plugins that facilitate setting up automated lead funnels.
The Takeaway
Website copywriting is a real art form. It takes time to perfect. Writing effective calls-to-action can be challenging. Enticing visitors to take that action and increasing conversions is an ongoing process of refinement, testing and monitoring.
If you need WordPress training that can get you past a passive website then, get in touch for an initial chat.
Belinda White | WordPress Consultant | WordPress Trainer
Image credits: Unsplash and Adobe Stock
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