Whether it’s a website donation button, an email registration link, or a social media share, every business benefits from more clicks. Here are some quick, easy ways to increase audience engagement with your web-based communications.
Forced perspective
Whenever possible, adopt the perspective of your audience. Think about how they will read your message rather than how you would say it. For example, “Begin Your Free Trial” sounds like a sales pitch, but changing it to “Begin My Free Trial” makes it feel like a decision, instantly improving results. Focusing on the consumer’s viewpoint is key to increasing engagement.
Call to action
Verb choice plays a crucial role in guiding customer behavior. Strong call-to-action verbs help motivate customers to make decisions, but be mindful of their connotations. Words like “order,” “sign up,” and “buy” suggest a transaction, which can create hesitation. Instead, using “get,” “start,” or “begin” encourages action without triggering concerns about cost or commitment.
Incremental design shifts
Keep it simple, big, and bold. Sometimes, customers miss the button entirely. No matter how persuasive the wording, if they don’t see it, they won’t click. However, avoid overhauling everything all at once. Make one shift (say a 10% increase in size) and track the results. Then, change the color and check again. There are no proven colors to avoid or use, but you can test the ones that work for you and your site.
Before launching your website, email, or mailer, review it from your client’s perspective. Ask yourself: What’s in it for them? What might make them pause? Then, start experimenting.
Jonathan Hall is Youth Programs and Volunteer Director with the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning, a nonprofit educational center offering seasonal writing, publishing, and language classes, among other community programming. For more information, visit CarnegieCenterLex.org.