When we’re developing a website, we work hard to make sure that every single page has a goal. The call-to-action (CTA) might be to sign up for a newsletter, reach out with more questions, or to simply continue on to another article for more information, but you have to have something there. Too often I find web pages that get to the end of the content and then… nothing.
However, if you go in too aggressively with your CTA, you might just scare people away instead. Much like the idea of not proposing on a first date, easing people toward a commitment is usually the right way to go.
An easy place to start is by asking for less information. If you have an email sign-up form on your site, asking fewer questions will generally result in a much higher conversion rate. While I’d love to know the zip code and annual income of everyone on our list, reducing the questions and only asking for their email address is a much easier commitment for a user to take.
Why is someone here?
As you’re working to figure out the goal for each page, taking the time to understand why someone might be reading a particular page can help you understand how far into the journey they are.
- If they’re browsing your “about” page, they’re likely pretty new.
- If they’re looking at the details in your knowledgebase find out how your system handles on obscure scenario, it’s likely that they’re much further along. Treat them accordingly.
For most people, simply taking the time to have a goal in mind for every page would be a huge step forward, but if you can craft the CTA for each page based on the type of person you expect would be there, you’ll see much better results.
