Most websites need a call to action. The problem is finding one that will actually work. People have become somewhat immune to hints to join a mailing list or make a purchase. You need to come up with something that will get people to do exactly what you want them to do.

1. Offer Something for Free

People love free things. While you’ll see many sites using a free ebook or course to entice readers to sign up for a newsletter, this is not the only way to use giveaways.

Freebies can encourage visitors to come back to your business. Most potential buyers will feel that there is less of a risk if they are getting something of value with their purchase. When the risk is reduced, they are more likely to buy.

Free products will also boost attendance at any presentations you give. For example, if you are doing a webinar, you can offer something free to anyone who attends. Your attendance rates will increase considerably. Alternatively, you can give away a larger prize to a random person on the call.

Don’t limit yourself to offering freebies in exchange for an email address. Think outside the box and you’ll see amazing results.

2. Create a Sense of Urgency

The way you word your call to action will determine how effective it is. Readers will respond best to direct orders and urgency. Urgency words include:

– Now

– Today

– Free

A good call to action should be easy to read. Short words are best.  Tell your readers exactly what you want them to do and they will be more likely to do it.

Limited time offers will also create a sense of urgency. When someone knows that they only have 24 hours to get in on a sale, they’ll make a purchase now rather than later. Limited numbers work this way, too. You can let people know that only the first 25 sales will receive a free widget. Everyone will rush to try and get theirs before the 25 sales are up.

3. Invite Readers to Join a Community

People like to be part of a community. Belonging is a basic need for humans. You can appeal to this need by asking your visitors to join or subscribe to the community on your site. Using those particular words will give them a sense of belonging and will encourage sign ups.

You can foster this sense of community by creating a forum on your site or simply blogging and letting people comment on the posts. Make sure your host is able to support the number of people who visit your site. Check with a site like VirtualHosting.com and choose the best host for your needs.

The call to action is the most important thing you will write on your website. If you want people to actually follow it, make sure to tell them exactly what to do. Keep it simple and easy to understand. To really boost conversions, offer something for free and appeal to the reader’s sense of urgency and need to belong. When you hit all these points, you’ll have the perfect call to action.