Brandcurve - branding and marketing

From Hotels to Blogs, Websites Need a Call to Action

by Susan Gunelius on December 17th, 2007

Recently, a post on Youmoz (part of SEOmoz) made it to the front page of Sphinn, but some readers were actually turned off by the post because it included several calls to action before the actual content of the post began.  Readers had to scroll past the calls to actions from the author which asked for Sphinns for the post, RSS subscriptions, links and more to before the reader could get to the content.  This led to an offline discussion about the use of calls to action on websites and how they might affect your overall online brand.

In my opinion, there is a time and a place for a call to action.  Many businesses and websites include a call to action in a conspicuous place on their home page so no one can miss it.  For example, take a look at this Montreal hotel site.  There are three calls to action above the fold.  Alternatively, take a look at this dental CE site.  There are no calls to action on the home page at all.

These two sites show an extreme difference in the use of calls to action online and support my theories related to the ways calls to action should be used. 

First, the way a call to action is used is partially dependent on the industry in which the business operates.  For example, for a hotel or airline website, people expect to find a booking link or mechanism on the home page.  It eliminates extra steps for many users who visit hotel sites for the intended purpose of booking a room. 

Conversely, many businesses can turn off online customers with in-your-face calls to action.  Sites where consumers want to ‘take a look around’ before they make their buying decision (or decision to link deeper within the site) need to capture the reader’s attention first then guide them through a path to keep them interested and keep them looking for more.  In advertising and marketing, it’s done through the use of effective copywriting and design.  In the blogosphere, it’s done with great content. 

So that brings me back to the original story about the blog post that had several calls to action above the fold and before the actual post’s content began.  Why do you think many people were turned off by seeing the calls to action before the post content? 

First, blog readers have expectations before they even reach the page of the blog they’re looking for.  They know the format for blogs and feel comfortable and secure with that format.  In fact, security is one of the key components of customer loyalty.  When a business suddenly changes an element of their business, product or advertising, customers will typically react negatively.  By nature, people are creatures of habit and adverse to change.  This nature plays out in marketing through customer loyalty.  So the author of the post did something that took blog readers out of their comfort zones, and people don’t typically respond well to that.

Second, the author didn’t give readers a chance to even start out on a path to continue reading.  They were abruptly stopped with calls to action.  One of the keys to online marketing success is understanding that online customers are impatient and are only likely to look at your site for a second before choosing to move on.  This blog post didn’t give readers a chance to see anything of interest, so they moved on.

What do you think about calls to action on websites, particularly on blogs?  Would a blog post with various calls to action (e.g., “How about a Digg?” or “Subscribe to my feed” with links) before the content of the post begins bother you or would you just keep scrolling to search for the meat of the post?

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POSTED IN: Online Branding