To quickly boost your site's sales, take a close look at the most important elements of your web site.

Can You find your "call to action"?

Your site may have well-written copy, great graphics, clear navigation, stronng testimonials, and a compelling opt-in offer.

But all these things are wasted if you don't have a clear call to action!

Your visitors want you to tell them what to do. If you don't tell them to purchase your product or subscribe to your free newsletter, they won't.

The Power of Suggestion

A call to action is a strongly worded suggestion that clearly states what action you want your visitors to take. It encourages people to take that action and tells them what will happen if they do.

The following phrases are typical calls to action:

* "Click Here to Subscribe!" * "Join Our Affiliate Program" * "Add to Your Shopping Cart" * "Order now to take advantage of this limited-time offer!"

Include an emotionally appealing benefit in your call to action. This convinces visitors of the value of your product and encourages them to take the action. For example: "Read on to learn how you could save tens of thousands of dollars on your next home purchase."

You want to pique people's interest and make them believe that taking the specified action will offer them a direct benefit.

The most obvious and important call to action is the one that asks visitors to make a purchase.

It's amazing how many sites neglect to ask for the order. This oversight can be deadly for your business; studies show that you can increase your sales by at least 80% by just instructing your visitors how to make a purchase!

Don't Hurry!

The call to action that asks visitors to make a purchase is the make-it-or-break-it moment. Closing a sale is like lining up a golf shot -- you don't want to rush it!

It takes work to close the sale. Before you get there, you have to

* Answer the question: "What's in it for me?" Emphasize the benefits of your product or service.

* Establish credibility through credentials, customer testimonials, etc.

* Overcome objections

* Build value into your offer

* Have a strong guarantee

* Offer bonuses

Then ask for the order. In fact, you must ask for the order at that point! Otherwise, all the great work you've done will be wasted.

Instill a sense of urgency so your visitors feel compelled to make a purchase right away rather than leave and return to your web site later. To create urgency, you can

* Limit the time your offer is available: "Available for 5 DAYS ONLY!"

* Limit the quantity of products or services: "Available only to the first 100 people who order!"

* Include a discount for a limited time or on a limited quantity of products.

* Include bonus items for a limited time or on a limited quantity of products.



Don't forget that you have to follow through on any such claims, or your credibility will be ruined.

After your headline, your call to action is THE most important element on your web site. It should stand out from the rest of your copy and be easy for your visitors to find. In order to draw attention to it, use bolding, a larger font size, a different color -- whatever best suits the style of your web site.

To test the effectiveness of your call to action, ask others to look over your homepage. How long does it take them to find your call to action? As a general rule, it shouldn't take people any longer than 3-4 seconds.

Don't forget, your call to action is what reflects the true purpose of your web site. It's the key that gets your visitors to do what you want them to do. Take the time to craft enticing copy that really encourages your visitors to take action. If you make people an offer they can't refuse, your sales will really soar!

About the Author

Derek Gehl, CEO of The Internet Marketing Center provides courses and software teaching entrepreneurs how to start a business online Check out Derek Gehl's Internet Business Builder

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