Why We Click: The Simple Psychology Behind Calls to Action

Modern marketers have certain overarching goals in common: Connect with the audience and move its members to take meaningful action. In the digital world, meaningful action usually means a click of the mouse (or tap on the screen), which leads to a conversion.

But often overlooked is the thing that everyone’s actually clicking on: the call-to-action (CTA) button.

For example, did you know that some buttons appear to our brains to be more clickable than others? For years, smart marketers have used basic brain science to develop campaigns that grab our attention -- and CTA buttons are no different. Below are four tips from our Why We Click guide on how the right button color, copy, shape and placement can help skyrocket your click rates.

1. Compelling color

Color matters, probably more than you realize: 85 percent of people say color is the main reason they buy a product. There’s no magic color that converts best, so pick a button color that contrasts with your design to make it stand out (think: orange on blue). Or, use a color that promotes a certain feeling.

For example, orange encourages immediate action. Consider orange for asking people to sign up, buy or join right away. It’s also the color most associated with cheap or inexpensive things. And, we all know green means "go," which is pretty handy when it comes to CTAs. It’s also the easiest color for the eyes to process, so it’s often used to relax the mind and promote growth.

2. Clickable copy

A CTA's whole life's purpose is to move someone to take action right away, so try to write copy that’s irresistible to click. It should be specific: Think “Download the guide” rather than “Click here” -- and use active verbs like “start” and “get.” Passive words create lazy mouse-finger couch potatoes, so lead with an active, energetic verb to drive more clicks.

One recent study found a 90 percent better conversion rate using first-person language, e.g., “Start my free trial” vs. “Start your free trial.” Also, simply adding the word “now” to a CTA button can boost conversions by creating a bit of extra urgency.

3. Shape and size

Rounded, big, tappable and tested: These four adjectives should describe every CTA button. Ever. Rectangular buttons are by far the most popular, but since our brains are programmed to avoid pointy things, make sure to round off the corners. Buttons should also be big enough to be easily tapped on a mobile phone, just not so obnoxiously big that they ruin the overall design.

4. Prominent placement

CTA buttons shouldn’t be vying for attention. You should make clear at a glance what you want your audience to do. When you place buttons above the fold, your audience will see them even if they’re just scanning the email or page. Visitors spend almost 80 percent of their time above the fold, so you’ll catch those folks who are ready to act right away without forcing them to sift through content to get there.

Also, surrounding buttons with white space helps them stand out, so give CTAs plenty of room to pop, but not so much space that they don’t feel like part of the overall design. They should attract the eye, not look lost in the desert.

Every audience is different, so you’ll have to test colors, copy, shapes and placement to find the right combination of buttons that sends your conversion rates soaring. After all, A/B tests can improve conversion rates by as much as 49 percent!

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/246656

5 Reasons Your Small Business Should Start a Podcast Today

Since the dawn of digital there has been a ton of talk about what your company should be doing for digital marketing. Whether it is paid search, social media or blogging, there is no shortage of ideas and advice. However, one of the undeniable forces drawing businesses and their customers closer together is the ability to weave a better story.

Content marketing is a great way for brands to tell their story, and I would argue that one of the best vehicles for content marketing today has to be the podcast. Indeed, podcasts like Serial have found a way to captivate an audience of hundreds of thousands, and create a loyal following. The buzz around that particular podcast has primed the medium for take off.

Besides uncovering interesting and relevant information chosen by the person, podcasts are an easily consumable content format, and it doesn’t require a person’s undivided attention like video or text-based content does.

Here are five reasons of why you should start exploring the benefits of podcasting for your business, now:

1. You can become more intimate with your audience.

When there are a zillion more brands and businesses vying for audience attention in the online space, it’s evident that the plain old tricks of content marketing may not keep working for your business. You’ve got to be different. By allowing you to talk to your audience directly, in your own voice, podcasts help you connect with your audience on a deeper and more personal level. 

2. You have the whole playground for yourself. Well, almost.

Despite the benefits and the relative ease of podcasting, few businesses are actually doing it. Including podcasts in your content-marketing strategy can give you the leverage that helps you stay ahead of your competitors.

Take cues from the experts who are doing it right. I’ll point you to some very credible voices doing a great job of podcasting: Michael Stelzner, Pat Flynn, Jay Baer, Srinivas Rao, and of course you should give Serial a listen. This gang can help you start your podcasting venture on the right foot and Serial will show you a prime example of what is working for this medium. 

3. There are many possibilities with podcasting.

If you think that podcasts are for one-way communication with your audience, you might be mistaken. You can share your ideas with your audience in so many different ways with podcasts. You can review products and services. You can invite an expert or thought leader to be a guest on your “show.” You can interview experts, and even consumers. Podcasting is a great way to put forth the views of people your audience is most likely to trust -- experts, and their peers.

4. You can distribute podcasts through multiple channels.

While the most common thing to do is to broadcast your podcasts on your website or blog, you can spread their reach across the global audience through services like iTunes, Stitcher and SoundCloud. You can also use social channels to share your podcasts with your audience.

5.  Podcasts connect employees to their organization.

Podcasts not only brings your brand closer to your audience but also give you a scope to connect with your own employees. You can use podcasts for training your employees, making announcements and applauding them for their good work. Once you earn their trust and satisfaction with your brand, they will be among the first ones in line to buy your products or tout your services. 

There’s nothing stopping you. Go get your recorder and start podcasting. I’m sure it will be one of the smartest decisions you’ll ever make for your small business.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/241858

4 Tips for Making Millions Quickly Marketing Through Infomercials

Most of us have heard of the ThighMaster, the Snuggie or the Ginsu Steak Knives as overnight success products that have amassed millions of dollars selling directly to consumers through Direct Response Television (DRTV) commercials.

Warren Tuttle, president of the United Inventors Association of America, has been working within the DRTV industry for decades. He was the person behind the television direct response mega-hit Smart Spin that generated nearly ten million units through a series of successful infomercials. I sat down with Warren to get his top four tips to getting your product to launch through DRTV and be the next mega wonder.

1. Rapidly create national brand recognition

The biggest advantage of DRTV is the ability to create, very rapidly, brand recognition through significant exposure on today's most dynamic advertising medium. Consumers are more likely to shop for a product they have seen six to eight times, through repeated TV ad exposure. Successful DRTV programs can drive significant sales volume and eventually provide retailers with very high sales, rapid stock turn, strong gross margins and increased bottom line profits.

2. DRTV companies focus on different niches

DRTV companies are no different then other industries when focusing on specific niches or areas of differentiation. Some are house and home oriented, while others focus on exercise or personal care. Even the length of commercials are different, as some companies are excellent in developing two-minute short forms, while others better at the 30-minute long format.

Keep in mind, though, that not all products are well suited for DRTV success. It is a rapid roll out process, where a product generally moves through a short selling life cycle at a highly accelerated pace. Some products require a slower burn to get to market and succeed, while other products are more platform oriented with a line up of SKUs that need to be appropriately showcased. Products need to be highly demonstrable. Not all successful products are, so it may be better to introduce some types of products to market through a traditional retail roll out and avoid the DRTV model altogether.

3. Do your homework interviewing DRTV companies

Each DRTV company needs to be researched and vetted. Inventors need to do their homework and find out what success stories each DRTV company has been responsible for, in what industry they specialize and how they have treated the individuals who have brought them products in the past. Inventors need to fully vet each company's history and reputation, since there are companies that have scammed inventors in the past.

Make a point to attend one of the industry trade shows such as The Response Expo or the Electronic Retailing Association Tradeshow as these shows can provide a great opportunity to find resources and build connections for your product launch.

4. Avoid upfront costs launching your DRTV product

Many successful DRTV companies will provide the necessary capital, along with creative production and manufacturing resources to test products and roll out successes and simply pay the inventor an ongoing royalty. Patents are generally helpful and typically command a higher royalty but are not always necessary. It depends upon the product and the DRTV company, so it is critical to align correctly. Working prototypes that prove function are also of value and can also be used to film an audition video.

The other items that are important is the creation of a professional pitch and a descriptive sell sheet. Royalties typically run from 2 percent to 6 percent of wholesale. A successful TV roll out will generally last about 18 months.

In an ever increasing competitive environment where capital is often a deal breaker to launching a product, DRTV can be the perfect solution.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/240328

10 Tips on How to Choose a Domain Name for Your Business

These days, choosing a domain is one of the most important things you can do for an emerging business. In fact, until you have the domain name set, you may not want to get too cozy with that great business name idea you had. You can have the perfect name idea for your business, but if you can’t get the right domain, you’re probably going to want to scrap it and start over.

So before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s look at 10 tips for choosing a great domain name for your business.

1. Avoid Seemingly Spammy Characters

If you’re wondering how to choose a domain name for SEO, this is it. It used to be that you would stuff a bunch of keywords in your top level domain and that would help your site rank. These days, that doesn’t matter nearly as much as it once did. Today, you’ll do well if you focus on avoiding things like numbers and hyphens that appear spammy to the search engines. Keep in mind, though, that this isn’t a hard and fast rule. There are reputable websites that use these characters and can rank on the search engines, but just know that using them may put you at a slight disadvantage – especially if you’re over-using them. www.dont-overuse-hyphens-or-123s-in-your-url.com.

2. Keep it Short

Here’s another way to help with SEO. Whether you’re trying to learn how to choose a personal domain name or how to choose a domain name for your blog, keep it short. Long URLs often appear to be keyword stuffed and don’t tend to perform as well. Even if you’re not worried about SEO, don’t you want your domain to be as memorable as possible? Keep it short.

3. Make it Memorable

Keeping your domain name short is one way to make it memorable, but here are two more: Avoid names that can be pronounced in many different ways, and avoid misspellings (even if you think they are clever). Unless you plan to put a lot of marketing money behind your brand, it’s going to be difficult to get that name to stick in people’s minds.

4. Consider Choosing a Name with Relevance

This step is completely optional. Some of the best sites have the most random-seeming names. It’s okay. In a world where everyone has a website, it’s difficult to register a descriptive name for your business. But if you can choose something that relates to your business, it will help new customers easily understand what you’re all about.

5. Make a List of Great Names

Start brainstorming. This is the fun part. Just jot down every idea that comes to mind. Don’t be embarrassed if you think it’s silly. Just keep those ideas flowing directly from your brain through your pen (or keyboard).

6. Use a Domain Name Generator (If You’re Stuck)

If you are having trouble picking a domain name off the top of your head, look for domain name suggestions. Selecting a domain name isn’t easy, and you’ll likely go through many before you choose one that works.

7. Check Availability

Now, don’t even bother narrowing down your list. An availability check will do that for you. Head to a domain name registrar, such as Domain.com or Register.com, and start typing in the names on your list. Cross off the ones that are already registered and put a star next to those that are open. From here, you should be able to narrow your list to a shortlist of available domains.

8. Look for Similar Domains

Take that shortlist and think about how people could misspell or misunderstand those names. Now, check the misspellings and misunderstandings. If they point to a competitor’s site, it’s a definite “no go.” If it points to a non-competitor, you’ll have to decide if you can live with that. Ideally, any common misspellings or misunderstandings should be available, so you can also register those.

9. Check Availability Across Popular Domain Extensions

Many people will register their domain on the three most popular domain extensions: .com, .net and .co. When you’re ready to register, keep in mind that it can be done at any registrar, but they are not all the same. Prices and services vary among them, so be sure to do your homework. We often recommend Name Cheap and Network Solutions, but there are many choices.

10. Register Your Domain

Now that you’ve learned how to choose a domain name in 2014, you’re ready to take the plunge and register. You can check availability and register at any of the registrars mentioned in this post or at 123 Reg or United Domains. Selecting a domain name is the hard part. Choosing a domain name registrar is easy.

 

http://www.toptensocialmedia.com/social-media-how-to/10-tips-on-how-to-choose-a-domain-name-for-your-business/