If the call to action is underlined copy, visitors realize it’s a text link. If the call to action is a button, it’s obvious that this is click-able. Don’t tell the visitor to “click here” in order to engage them to click. Instead, persuade the visitor to click with the use of keywords or “trigger words” that speak directly to the visitor’s motivations and needs within the link, based on what they came searching for in the first place.

A great link uses an imperative verb that calls the visitor to take action, and it absolutely needs to clearly describe what the visitor will experience when they click.

Here is RelationshipHeadquarters.com’s homepage. Let’s look at some of their calls to action.

There is a big button in the active window of their homepage (the Primary call to action) that says “Are you a woman that men adore? Take free quiz.”  The first portion of this language engages the visitor by speaking to their interests and motivations, and the second portion is the action that you’re recommending they take which is “…take free quiz.”

The links in the active window (the Secondary calls to action) each engage the visitor to help them find solutions to their problems:

• “Understand men”
• “How to get him back”
• “Be the woman men adore”

There are many things you should consider when optimizing and testing your calls to action, but first and foremost, remove all of the “click here” language that might currently exist in your links and buttons.  A quick audit of your site to write better calls to action will provide a great return on your investment in terms of persuading more prospects to take the action you want them to take.  Don’t believe me?  Run some tests and see for yourself

Editor’s Note: No mannequins were harmed in the writing of this blog post.

If you’re interested in improving your product detail/landing pages and cross-selling, this video (and upcoming Part 2 video) is not to be missed.

One such ad brought me to a very tall landing page with the expected “sales letter” style copy. What struck me, though, was the hilarious call to action button at the bottom of the page.

And so I give you (drum roll, please) the Call to Action of The Day!

Do you Grok readers have any good (bad) examples you’d like to nominate for a Call to Action of the Day?  Leave us a comment.  The only rule is that it has to be silly!  Oh, and let’s keep it classy, folks

I’m not a mind-reader, but I think it’s due in part to an all-or-nothing mentality where nothing short of a full optimization ‘project’ is worth putting effort into.  Most companies are more interested in redesigning their websites all at once instead of incrementally, even though incremental optimization is far less expensive, less risky, and more accountable!

Maybe you heard the expression – how do you eat an elephant, one bite at a time!

Sometimes, we tell our clients to redesign and optimize a small design element of their site; their call to action buttons, for example. And they seem tentative and slow to implement the recommendation.  Why?  Maybe because they think it has to be 100% optimized right away, or that it has to be perfect to be worth taking action on.

A useful model to get past this mode of thinking is to use the Hierarchy of Optimization which we’ve talked about on this blog in the past.  It’s a great mental model to show clients the roadmap of how they should be optimizing, and in what order.

Take a quick look at the hierarchy diagram, and then I’ll apply the model to real-life design elements that most sites should be taking a look at.  Note that the Hierarchy has 5 levels: the Functional, the Accessible, the Usable, the Intuitive, and the Persuasive. While you can apply the 5 levels at a “macro” level on your entire site, you can also apply them at the “micro” level on a single landing page or even small design elements.

Example 1 – Call to Action Buttons

• Persuasive – Do all the layers of the pyramid work together as a cohesive whole?  Are you actively testing your buttons?  Do all your calls to action pair an imperative verb with an implied benefit?  Do they answer WIIFM?
• Intuitive – Do your buttons look like buttons?  Do they look “clickable”?  Do they feature 3-d effects, shading, or rich surfaces?
• Usable – Are your calls to action always located in a consistent position on pages? Do they follow the prospect’s eye path as it travels down the page?  On your forms, do the buttons line up with the “scan line“?
• Accessible – Is there alt text behind your calls to action?  If you use graphics, do they load and render in all your supported OS/Browser combinations?
• Functional – Do all your pages even have a primary call to action button?  Are any of them broken?  Is anyone responsible for occasionally testing them?

Example 2 – Testimonials

• Persuasive – Are your testimonials architected to answer questions and overcome objections through out the prospect’s buying process?  Are your testimonials as ‘real’ as possible, using pictures of the customer?  How about video testimonials?  Are you constantly testing to find the right formula for your business?
• Intuitive – Do your testimonials follow common design patterns for displaying quotes?  Are relevant testimonials placed on key pages to answer your prospects’ unanswered questions? Do you attribute quotes with name, location, and other relevant information?
• Usable – Are your testimonials readable?  Are they an appropriate font size and contrast?  Do prospects have to go hunting for them, or are they spread throughout the site?
• Accessible – In this case, Accessible and Usable can be thought of as essentially the same layer of the pyramid.  See Usable.
• Functional – Do you have testimonials?  Are they legitimate?  Do you have permission to attribute the author with at least a first name and last initial?

Besides what I hope are useful questions to ask yourself, the point of all this is to encourage everyone to start today on optimization, take baby steps, and work your way up the Hierarchy.  As the old saying goes: You can’t eat an elephant in just one bite!

Tip 1: Subiminal Suggestion

Basically, make sure your design elements – and most especially your pictures – enhance your credibility and put visitors in the right emotional frame of mind to convert.

Sound advice, to be sure, but the example Website the author (Dmitry Fadeyev) provides seemed kind of lame to me.  Here’s a more-thorough 5-minute video on this principle by Dave Young:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Tip 2: Prevent Choice Paralysis

Too many choices results in buyers avoiding a decision and failing to convert.  You need to make it easy for a buyer to say yes without getting too bogged down in the details.  One way to do this is to provide a recommended or “best value” option.

But here’s where I’d go a bit beyond that by looking at this through the lens of temperament:

• Spontaneous temperaments like recommended and “most popular” options.  They also ver much want to shorten the time spent shopping and setting up so they can maximize time spent actually DOING THE THING.  If your recommended option helps customers get out on the playing field quicker, then be sure to tell visitors that.
• Methodical temperaments will want to know WHY you believe this is the best value and how you can prove it.  Show your reasoning/methodology in coming to your conclusions and offer up proof of value.  This may involve linking to a mouse-over or additional page from the recommendation box.  Maybe a little link on “Why we recommend this package.”
• Competitive temperaments don’t necessarily need a recommendation, but a quick way to narrow down their choices by advanced filtering.  Or a quick way of knowing why the choice you’ve labeled as premium will give them an edge.  Keep them in control and convinced they’re getting an advantage through their purchase and they’ll convert.
• Humanistic temperaments usually want to know how easy it is to upgrade or downgrade a recommended service or swap-out a product if your recommendation ends up not quite suiting them.  They also want a sense of your motivations in recommending one product over another and possibly if they can Chat or call someone about the recommendation.

Tip 3: Show The Product

This is very similar to my post on “Show me the pics.”  People want to see what they are buying.  Not only do the pictures answer questions, but people want to imagine using the product.

What I’d add to this is that one picture often isn’t enough and that action photos are gold.  For software and services that means not only offering product tours with lots of screenshots, but also in using scenario-based product tours rather than functionality-based tours.  Walk me through doing something rather than randomly showing this or that functionality.

Tip 4: Let People Try It

Great (and self-explanatory) advice, but I was glad that Show the Product came before this.  I’ve seen a fair amount of software companies believe that visitors would just leap at a free trial in order to experience a product first hand, and that just aint how it works.

Visitors invariably want to sniff a product out BEFORE downloading it and investing time with it.  Realize that “Free” doesn’t really equate to risk free.  Dmitry writes about the positive benefits users’ emotional “sunk costs” that come with using a free piece of software – the kind of thing that leads to a paid updgrade vs. a search for a whole new product.  What he doesn’t mention is that visitors are well aware of that sunk cost and will avoid downloading software unless and until they have a decent sense that it will work well for them.

So, yes, by all means, let people try the product for free.  Just make sure you show them enough of the product and what it can do that their willing to invest the time trying it out.

Tip 5 & 7: AIDA and Next Steps

I combined these because they are intimately related and are both areas Future Now has quite thoroughly covered.  We, of course, add the “S” of Satisfaction onto the end of Attention-Interest-Desire-Action.

Also, planning persuasive momentum/next action steps should be more involved than simply ensuring visitors can find a buy button when they’re ready to buy or that you have some additional link made available to them.

Finally, you gotta love this money quote from the article:

“…you shouldn’t design a nice website first and then fill up the space with words. Instead,think about the message you want to send out, write the copy and then construct a design that delivers that.”

Amen, brother.  Amen.

Tip 6: Guide Attention

Having just finished writing about the impact of design on visitor eye tracking, I naturally found this to be the best part of the article.  Lost of great stuff on intelligent use of design to guide the eyes/attention of the visitor.

As for additional resources on the Web, check out

The Elements of Design Applied to the Web

Good Call to Action Buttons

Making Tabs Work for You

Looks can Kill Design Effectiveness

Color, Contrast, and Dimension

and Rowland Wilson on Composition

Tip 8:  The Gutenberg Rule

I really don’t have too much to say about this one, other than it’s another rule of thumb for good composition/page layout and that you should go and take a look at it for yourself.

And that’s it.  I’d love to hear your comments, suggestions, and additional resources as well.  Let me know what ya think…

And of course, the end of the year is always a good time to talk the fundamentals. This week, I want to discuss another conversion rate optimization basic: the call to action (CTA).

Two Types of Call to Actions

The most common thing that jumps to mind when we think about CTAs is the big CTA button. The less obvious, less famous is the textual CTA.

CTA buttons are those in-your-face buttons that excitedly point the way to your visitors taking a profitable action on your site. Their subtler sister, the textual CTA, usually shows up in the body of active window copy. Often it’s simply a standalone hyperlink; sometimes they show up as part of headers. Other times, they’re snuggled up against a product picture or a hero image, even in navigation.

Improving Call-to-Action Buttons

• Shape variations. There are rectangles, squares, ovals, circles, and irregular shapes (like Amazon, which blends an oval and a rectangle). Corners can be pointy or rounded. Is there a shape that works better for you?
• Colors. You have a world of colors to choose from; there’s really no wrong color.
• Non-graphical buttons. There are also non-graphical “add to cart” buttons created from plain text or simple HTML with the traditional gray background. These can be styled somewhat using CSS (define). Would plain and simple be the best way to go?
• Style variations. Two-dimensional or three-dimensional? With or without shadowing? Does your audience have a preference? Does the CTA stand out from other content on the page, or do other (less profitable) elements dilute the page?
• Icon variations. Little images of arrows, carts, baskets, or bags may help distinguish your buttons from the other elements around them. Is there an icon that makes sense for your business and improves conversion?
• Size variations. Larger isn’t always better. Will size matter?
• Legibility. The previous factors work in combination to affect the legibility of an “add to cart” button. Font choice, font size, and text/background contrast will also affect how readily a visitor identifies the CTA and acts on it. The possibilities are limitless.
• Location variations. Where to put your button: Above the fold? One above and one below? On the right or left or in the middle of the page? How far should you place it from neighboring elements?
• Wording. Just think about all the possible ways you can say “add to cart.” Or “contact me.” Or “sign up.” The words matter. For example, years ago we influenced Dell to change the words in its configurator from “Learn More” to “Help Me Choose,” which had a significant impact.

Improving Textual Call to Actions

A ClickZ column I wrote in 2003 offers a quick guide to get you started:

The clearer the explicit benefit of clicking on a hyperlink, the more likely a visitor will click.

[CTA links] should be constructed with an imperative, an implied benefit of what visitors can expect when they click, and a clear sense of the information on the landing page. Which link best conveys what the visitor will find after the click?

• Find out which after-school program is best for your child.
• Find out which after-school program is best for your child.
• Find out which after-school program is best for your child.

The first link implies the landing page lists programs. The second tells you the landing page probably lists after-school programs. The third tells you the landing page contains content that will help you decide which after-school program is best for your child.

Research has shown that the best links are between 7 and 12 words, but I prefer four to seven words for SEO (define) purposes.

While textual CTAs are all about the copy and the words, that doesn’t mean you don’t have to consider the copy on your buttons. Effective button copy and effective textual link copy have the same characteristics. So don’t forget to apply these CTA copy tips to your button copy as well.

Do You Have an Eye for Good Call to Actions?

Let’s see how you fare. Take a look at this page on IconFactory.com. These guys aren’t clients of ours, but we can safely deduce that the two primary CTAs are “buy now” and “download.” How well are these guys doing with their CTAs? What would you do differently? What would you like to test? Would you lay out the page differently? If so, how?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, then get to work on your own call to actions.

“Leach is unusual in giving his quarterback the authority to change every play, wherever the line of scrimmage. “He can see more than I’ll ever see,” Leach says. ‘If I call a stupid play, his job is to get me out of it. If he doesn’t get me out of it, I might holler at him. But if you let him react to what he sees, there’s a ton of touchdowns to be had.’ All Leach is really saying to Hodges when he sends in the play is, ‘Line up in Ace, see how they line up against it and call a good play…’

The Texas Tech offense is not just an offense; it’s a mood: optimism. It is designed to maximize the possibility of something good happening rather than to minimize the possibility of something bad happening…”

Unfortunately, most optimization consultants take the opposite mindset from that attributed to the Texas Tech Football Program’s by Michael Lewis in his NYT article I’ve been quoting from in this series of posts.  In short, most Web consultants focus their efforts on minimizing the possibility of something bad happening (of loosing an already convinced customer’s sale) by fixing usability flaws.

Yet if you want to move beyond page-level optimization, you’ll have to begin maximizing the possibility of something good happening – of convincing visitors to convert who may not already be convinced when they arrive.  And you do this by planning visitor interactions on a click-by-click basis, imagining:

• What questions will arise in their minds,
• What tasks they’re looking to accomplish,
• What expectations they had when they clicked the previous link
• What doubts and concerns are keeping them from moving forward

You’ll find that real scoring opportunities most frequently involve:

• Increasing the match-up between visitor click-through expectations and your content, as well as the match-up between their buying tasks and your selling objectives, and
• Adding content or hyperlinks to answer key questions and provide missing substantiation

Both of which are a far cry from simply tweaking buttons and testing navigation schemes.  And both of which require you to go beyond mechanically applying best practices or ‘mindlessly’ running A/B tests.

This kind of optimization requires that you see how visitor behavior lines up against the backdrop of your current content and then to choose a change/test based on your best hypothesis of why visitors are doing what they’re doing instead of what you want them to do.  Kind of like the Texas Tech QB calling a play based on the mismatch between the formation and the defensive response.

Here’s an actual example from LuLu.com*, specifically their page on softcover publishing:

Now, let’s say LuLu’s three desired actions on this page are, in order of priority:

1. Click the “Self-publish” button in the active window
2. Click the “Lulu Demo” button to the right of the tabs
3. Use the “cost calculator” tool located down below the fold

And just so you can see that cost calculator portion of the page, it looks like this:

Now, let’s imagine that the Web analytics are telling you that the majority of traffic is going to:

• The “Services” page as accessed by the top tab
• The Home Page (either from the back button) or main “Publish” page
• “Help” or “FAQs” either from the top tab or Footer Nav Links

And we’ll also imagine that very few page visitors are taking the actions we want.  Plus, those that are clicking on the “Self Publish” button are quickly closing out of the “upload/cart” – they’ve just got a huge abandonment rate.

Step 1: Take your best guess at what’s going on.

First, I’d imagine visitors coming here from the homepage, the Publish page, and maybe even directly from organic and paid search. And that means most of them aren’t quite ready to upload their manuscript just yet – they probably still have some questions.

Given that situation, the current label for the main call-to-action – the “Self Publish” button – will probably feel deceptive to the visitor.  They’ll likely think the button links to a demo or to more info, and then they’re taken to an upload page.  Is it any wonder they rapidly back out of the upload interface?  Do you see how the context of the click/hyperlink on the prior page can dramatically affect the performance of the current page?

I’d also guess that people aren’t seeing the real demo button because it’s outside the active window.  Plus, the page utterly fails to answer questions about the relative pricing, merits, and limitations of LuLu’s paper, book size, and binding options.  So instead of moving forward, visitors are moving backwards to the publish and home pages and navigating to Help and FAQ pages to try to find those answers/information.

Step 2: Test your hypotheses

I’d test an alternative main button label of “Start by uploading your manuscript for free” and I’d put some Point of Action Assurances near the button.  Something like, “No commitment to upload & you retain the copyright.”

This ought to better prepare visitors for where that button will take them, and it will better appeal to spontaneous shoppers, who are most likely to click that kind of call to action.

I’d also test moving the demo button down into the banner area, not too far from the “Upload” button.  This will make it more visually prominent and should grab some of the traffic now going to the “Services,” “Help,” and “FAQ” pages.  Plus I’d make sure the demo ends with a link to bring visitors back to this page; remember, we want to maximize the chances they’ll come back and convert!

Finally, I’d add copy next to the pictures of “Perfect Bound,” “Saddle Stitched,” and “Coil Bound” pictures, as well as creating some “How to publish as economically as possible” bullets next to the cost calculator so visitors don’t have to blindly guess at what size paperbacks are more expensive, what trade-offs are involved in using cheaper paper, etc.

Step 3: Get it done and learn from the test results

Here’s where a lot of companies get stuck.  They get the test ideas queued up and then they don’t get the new buttons or banners or pictures designed.  Or they don’t write the copy, or some such.  A week to a week and a half goes by so that they’re just starting the test by the time they should have actionable results.

At any rate, not every test goes the way you plan, obviously.  But here’s the beauty of testing this way: if relabeling the “Upload” button doesn’t have any success, but the other tests DO increase the time on the page, the use of the cost calculator, and the number of people watching the demo, maybe you need to test a special, “Upload Your Manuscript” landing page, with new assurances and upload info, giving visitors timelines, points of contact, etc.

Believe me, those kind of results aren’t a failure – they’re a first down!  Now you just have to keep driving toward the goal with follow-up tests.  And the cumulative results of this kind of testing creating the kind of customer insight for breakaway success.

So how can you jump-start this process?

Well, in the spirit of the Raider’s fast-tempo offense, I’m offering a fast-turnaround Web Optimization service, emphasizing do-able, quick-to-implement changes capable of driving real world touchdowns:

The 48-hour, $500 e-mail/ad campaign and landing page analysis

If you’re planning or in the middle of a campaign and want to optimize your results, I can personally analyze your e-mail, ad, etc along with the campaign’s intended landing page and provide you with insight-oriented and easily implemented tests/changes for driving results – just like the kind you saw with LuLu.com.

Better yet, I’ll provide you with an interpretation of the actual results – what to look for, how to make sense of what you’re seeing – and follow-on actions.  If we score a game-winning touchdown and you like the feel of that, you can sign-on for ongoing optimization with Future Now.

If you only walk away with additional insight and a better understanding of how to implement your own optimization efforts – hey, that’s more than worth it for $500 and 48 hours. If you’re interested, contact us.

* Note that LuLu.com is not a client and I have not seen their analytics.  Everything about this example is hypothetical.

I read their book. It’s a great book. I’m just trying not to read any books that aren’t available for my Kindle. I love my Kindle! You just have to love a device that allows you to travel with an entire library and is even easier on the eyes than ink on paper.

I love my Kindle even more now since the newly revised Call To Action: Secret Formulas To Improve Online Results just became available for the Kindle.  I bought a copy and added the PDF of the index that you can download here. I now have the best version of Call To Action you can own.

What: “Always Be Testing” Webinar: Landing Pages: Headlines and Calls to Action

When: Wednesday, August 27, 2008 | 12:00pm EST

Where: Online, register here to receive your invitation

How much: It’s free, but space is limited so sign-up today!

About this session:

Last month kicked off the series with a webinar on testing trust and confidence building elements on landing pages (view archive ). Our August session will continue to explore landing pages focusing on testing calls to action and headlines. register today! Space is limited.

“Always Be Testing” Webinar Series is a monthly webinar that covers specific testing ideas, how to structure tests, and how to use Google Website Optimizer. The best part is that Google has decided to participate in it first-hand, offering the lastest tips and insights straight from Tom Leung, Google’s Business Product Manager.

“Landing Pages: Headlines and Calls to Action Webinar” will be on August 27th, at 12:00pm EST and last 30 minutes.

For more details and to sign-up to attend, visit futurenowinc.com/abtwebinar.htm

We hope you’ll attend and share this with anyone you know who is looking to begin to test their marketing or to increase their testing effectiveness.

About the Series:
Whether your business has just started testing, is planning to test, or has been testing for years identifying the areas and elements that have impact is often challenging. Each month, Bryan Eisenberg starts off by taking attendees on a dive deep on a specific subject area to test in your marketing and give you ideas on variation you could test. Along with these ideas each month Tom Leung will bring you useful insider tips and tricks about using Google Website Optimizer to easily test your marketing campaigns and website. Lastly, the two will team up to answer a popular question spotted on the Google Website Optimizer forums or sent in by our readers and listeners.

What: Our most popular seminars return to New York City for this exciting two-day training event. Get first-hand advice from FutureNow’s leading experts in online conversion, persuasion and customer focus.

In order to keep things relaxed and ensure that guests have a chance to get all of their questions answered, class size is limited, so act soon!

Choose one seminar and save. Choose both and save big.

Persuasive Online Copywriting is co-led by two of our most popular writers, Holly Buchanan and Jeff Sexton. Learn how to make the words you use online more persuasive and speak to a variety of segments and customer motivations at the same time. Not only for copywriters, past guests for this class have included C-level execs, marketing directors, entrepreneurs, and others who just want to improve their online communication skills. Packed with practical, real-world examples and “how to” exercises, the focus is on giving you simple-yet-effective techniques that you can implement right away to persuade visitors to take action. (Read more about this workshop.)

• Monday, June 2 | 9 am – 5:30 pm EST
  
• Only $695 until May 9th ($795 after)

Call to Action, led by Bryan Eisenberg, best-selling author and co-founder of FutureNow, is based on the Eisenberg brothers’ best-selling book, “Call to Action: Secret Formulas to Improve Online Results.” You don’t need to be an expert in web analytics, web design, usability, social media, and search engine optimization to appreciate this seminar. Bryan will show you how Persuasion Architecture makes sense of these disciplines by merging your business goals with the goals of your visitors. If you want to boost online sales and conversion, this one’s for you. (Read more about this eye-opening course.)

• Tuesday, June 3 | 9 am – 5:30 pm EST
  
• Only $795 until May 9th ($895 after)

As an added bonus, Bryan will discuss themes from his forthcoming book, Always Be Testing.

When: June 2-3, 2008

Where: New York’s Hotel Pennsylvania | 401 Seventh Avenue at 33rd St. | New York, NY 10001

Why: Because you know that in order to get results like these, the words you use, how your website is structured, and knowing what to test is what makes all the difference. Besides, New York in June is a beautiful thing.

Early Bird Discount: Register here by May 9th to receive $100 off admission for each single seminar or $300 off when you register for both!

Group Discount: Want two or more of your staff to attend? No problem. Just register everyone at the same time and save $50 per additional person when you register.

Now’s your chance to ask Jeff Sexton, Holly Buchanan and Bryan Eisenberg anything you want!*

Jeff, Holly and Bryan will respond to your questions in the comments section below. And if you really hit a nerve, we’ll answer you in the form of a blog post.

Priority will be given to first-time commenters, lurkers, and anyone else we don’t get to hear from enough.**

. .

*For best results, try to keep it about copywriting, customer relevance, persuasive web design, online planning, conversion optimization, customer personas, web analytics, split testing, or multichannel marketing in general.

**We know you’re out there, but our web analytics reports are boring conversationalists.

Chances are, many of you click this “Add to Shopping Cart” button several times throughout the year.

So, why does it always stump audiences of online marketers when I ask them where in the checkout process Amazon has us select a quantity for the item(s) we’re adding-to-cart?

Before you scroll down for the answer, let me give you some popular Add-to-Cart methods to choose from:

#1 — A form field that defaults to “1″ or “0″
#2 — A blank form field to enter the quantity desired
#3 — A drop-down menu (usually from 1 to 9) to select quantity
#4 — A plain Add-to-Cart button that adds a single item to the cart (where you can adjust later)

Did you guess which one yet? Feel good about your choice? Hold that thought.

Amazon’s Add-to-Cart Evolution

I’ll let you know the answer in a moment, and don’t feel bad if you guessed incorrectly. It’s only been a few months since Amazon last changed its checkout process. But that’s not why you haven’t noticed what’s changed. The reason you’re unsure of how Amazon has you Add-to-Cart is because that’s exactly what they’re counting on.

Amazon doesn’t want customers to notice when they’re making changes like these.

Why? Because, for better or for worse, something as simple as an “Add to Cart” button can have a huge impact on the business. Amazon knows this, and they’ve built a culture of website optimization. It’s this foundation that’s made them one of the top-converting websites, month after month.

For Amazon, success comes from a continuous cycle of optimization (measure, refine, test). Compare this rigorous approach to the fact that over 75% of online retailers don’t do any optimization testing, and you’ll begin to see why Amazon remains the envy of e-commerce marketers.

I’ve been snagging images of Amazon’s Ready-to-Buy area (on their product pages) for many years. Let’s look at the evolution of this critical first stage of the checkout process to see what you can learn from it.

PLEASE NOTE: Just because Amazon does it, doesn’t mean you should. They make decisions based on their business needs, not yours.

Point-of-Action Assurances

Here’s an early version of Amazon’s ready-to-buy area:

Their Add-to-Cart button was one of the first to use an irregular shape; a circle with a cart icon on the left, blued to a rectangular button with the “Add to Shopping Cart” message. Notice how many point-of-action assurances there are (”you can always remove it later” on the button, and the lock icon with “Shopping with us is safe. Guaranteed.” right below).

These were the early days of e-commerce, when customers feared that the Earth might implode if they hit the wrong button. Back then, few people felt comfortable putting their credits cards online and Amazon, for the most part, sold books.

The objective: Make people comfortable clicking on the Add-to-Cart button.

“Buy now with 1-Click”

Notice how the wording at the top goes from “Buy from Amazon.com” to the more productive “Ready to Buy?”…

While the Add-to-Cart button stayed the same, with this incarnation, Amazon launched its “1-Click” feature and added it to the “Ready to Buy” area. This design expanded the renamed “Ready to Buy” area to 262 pixels tall.

The objective: Make sure everyone sees the bordered, stand-alone “Ready to Buy” area with the Add-to-Cart and 1-click buttons.

Note how the secondary action (”Add to Wish List”) is roughly the same color as the Add-to-Cart button. That will change.

Removing “you can always remove it later” + Button Shrink

I managed to snag this one while Amazon was running a split test…

Amazon decided to test removing “you can always remove it later” from on the Add-to-Cart button. They replaced it with a similar message (”you can always cancel later”), just below the “Ready to Buy?” header. What’s important here is that the buttons were now condensed, so this cluster of calls to action took up less space.

I think the little notches by the word “or” is a nice touch, don’t you?

The funny thing that happened when Amazon made these changes was that many of our clients at the time decided they should also remove point-of-action assurance from their Add-to-Cart buttons. We told them it would hurt their conversion if they changed it — and, sure enough, against our advice, the clients changed it and conversion dropped. Yet Amazon kept the new buttons. So the question remains…

Why would they switch to buttons that don’t convert as well?

Because conversion isn’t the only metric that matters. If you look closely, you’ll notice they made the “Ready to Buy” area take up about half the space of the previous version. Why? Because they quietly launched a marketplace to resell used goods, deciding it would boost profits if they didn’t have to stock and ship everything themselves — a fundamental shift in their business model.

The objective: Increase profits by showing used books higher up on the page.

(Don’t copy what other people do if you aren’t fully aware of the business issues involved.)

Amazon 2.0

Here we can see that Amazon has gone through a major redesign, and their iconic Add-to-Cart button gets a face-lift:

Notice that it’s the same shape, same colors, but now has a 3D effect. The “Ready to Buy” verbiage is no longer there, and the secondary “Buy with 1-Click” button now requires users to log in if they’re to see it. Also, the used book marketplace gets much more screen real estate. They’re also heavily promoting the A9 Search Engine.

Did you see that they changed the color of the “Add to Wish List” buttons so that only the Add-to-Cart button is the main focus of the page? They’ve even added another secondary action (”Add to Wedding Registry”).

Here’s what it looks like today…

They’re no longer promoting the A9 search engine, the marketplace isn’t taking up as much room, and they’ve added a few more secondary actions (”Add to Shopping List,” “Add to Baby Registry,” and “Tell a Friend”).

As you can see, they’ve added a pull-down menu to adjust quantity, so you don’t have to wait until checkout to change it. So, if you guessed option #3 at the beginning, congratulations, you’re my kind of e-commerce geek.

The objective: Increase Average Order Value by keeping customers engaged in the buying process. This should also lower shopping cart abandonment by reducing the number of steps in the checkout process.

Big Money. Small Change.

Changing your call to action buttons doesn’t guarantee the highest return on investment from website, but it is an easy and popular test.

Amazon has spent many years testing this area, but they’ve tested countless other variables as well. They’ve tested the size and viewing functionality of product images, putting images on the left vs. the right side, the location of product reviews — you name it, they’ve tested it. Still, they continue to optimize this area (formerly known as “Ready to Buy”), making adjustments based on business cycle and market circumstance.

Amazon Wasn’t Built in a Day

Think your website is beyond repair? Tell it to Jeff Bezos. Once upon a time, his website looked like this:

Soon enough, after significant trial, error, and observation, he turned it into this:

Yes, it’s still ugly, but what Bezos realized early on is that, to be a successful online merchant, you need to get a hypothesis and test it if you want something that works.

Are you this dedicated to website optimization?

[Editor's note: the author of this post is now blogging at bryaneisenberg.com]

What: This seminar outlines todays most effective conversion rate marketing tactics. Discover how Persuasion Architecture™ methodology can help you get the most out of your web analytics, web design, usability, social media, information architecture, and search engine optimization efforts.

Are you planning for top performance? Are you accurately evaluating that performance? Are you setting the best benchmarks for measuring success? How well are you communicating your value proposition? Are you structured for change? Can you achieve the momentum you need to get the results you want? If you have the desire and commitment to create phenomenal online results, then this seminar is your Call to Action.

Where: Embassy Suites San Francisco Airport — San Francisco, CA

When: Thursday, March 27 (8:30 – 5:00 PST)

Why: Because you know that to generate more sales, attract more leads, and reduce friction in the sales process, you need to help customers buy on their terms. This course will help you do all that, it’s only one day, and it’s in San Francisco.

More Info: Read more about this seminar and find out how to register today.

Call to Action – March 27, 2008

Persuasive Online Copywriting – March 28, 2008

Take both and get a discount

Want a bigger bang for your buck? Be sure to check out our Early-bird Special (for early registration), the “House Combo Special” (a discount for registering for both classes), and our Group Special (a discount for multiple sign-ups).

Don’t delay! We have to limit the number of participants, so these events sell out quickly!

Call To Action Seminar – March 27, 2008

Early-bird Cost $795.00 (SAVE $100) prior to 2/29/08; $895.00 after.

Improve your conversion to increase your sites revenue potential

Register Now (link takes you to our event registration site)

Persuasive Online Copywriting Seminar – March 28, 2008

Early-bird Cost $695.00 (SAVE $100)prior to 2/29/08; $795.00 after.

Write to your customers needs to drive more results.

Register Now (link takes you to our event registration site)

Sign up for Both Seminars and Get A Discount

Early-bird Cost $1340.00 (SAVE $180) prior to 2/29/08; $1520.00 after.

Maximize the impact of increased conversion and persuasive copy.

Register for Both (link takes you to our event registration site)

Why would Crutchfield go against the norm?

While there’s a good amount of info on this product page, are they sure that visitors are more likely to purchase when the call to action sits to the left of the product? Have they at least tested determine, without a doubt, which side yields a better conversion rate and higher average order value?

I want to believe there’s some rhyme or reason to Crutchfield’s logic. Still, I wonder if they really know which sells best.

[Read John's follow-up on how to test this feature: "Add-to-Cart Buttons: Stuck in the Middle With You"]

• Persuasive Online Copywriting seminar & workshop — Led by two of our most popular writers, Holly Buchanan and Jeff Sexton. Learn how to write persuasive that speaks to each of your market segments. Not only for copywriters, past attendees in this class include C-level execs, marketing directors, entrepreneurs, and others who just want to improve their online communication skills.
• Call to Action seminar — Based on his 2005 bestseller, Call to Action: Secret Formulas to Improve Online Results, Bryan Eisenberg, co-author of the book and co-founder of Future Now teaches you the principles of Persuasion Architecture™ and the tactics of conversion rate marketing optimization. This seminar helps you understand the roles of web analytics, design, usability, social media, information architecture, and search engine optimization in order to boost conversion by improving the customer experience.

For those who’ve wanted to attend these seminars in the past, but couldn’t make it to NYC, here are two great excuses to spend a day or two with us in a much warmer climate. (Not bad!) These seminars are designed to give you tailored advice on how to boost your organization’s online performance. The goal is for you to leave with specific ideas for improving your business. So, talk your family, boss, or co-workers into it — or just take a couple days by yourself — and learn about the freshest marketing optimization techniques from the pros, with Disney World, Universal Studios, and everything else Orlando has to offer at arm’s reach.

To ensure that you get all of your questions answered, only 30 seats are available for each seminar.

P.S. — As an additional gift for the holidays, we’re taking $100 off the admission price for those who register by December 15th ($350 off if you register for both seminars).

Location: Sheraton Safari, Orlando, Florida

About: Join Future Now co-founder and bestselling authors of Waiting for Your Cat to Bark: Persuading Customers When They Ignore Marketing and Call to Action: Secret Formulas to Improve Online Results Bryan Eisenberg as he focuses on what you need to know to achieve dramatic results from your online and multi-channel campaigns. Are you planning for top performance? Are you accurately evaluating that performance? Are you setting the best benchmarks for measuring success? How well are you communicating your value proposition? Are you structured for change? Can you achieve the momentum you need to get the results you want?

If you have the desire and commitment to create phenomenal online results, this seminar is your Call to Action.

What past attendees are saying…

“Join the movement to rid the world of bad web sites. You will walk always with more action items than any meeting – but with a willingness to get started. The results are clear and the value is real.” –Cinde Braun

“I thought I knew everything about capturing visitor traffic and funneling from calls to action … I was wrong. I recommend this class to anyone who wants to take a fresh approach .. common sense at its best.” –John Harned

“From click to conversion… A must have course for any online developer, designer, or just plain enthusiast. You’ll never look at another website the same – in fact, you may just runaway laughing!” –Tony Dunn

“Problems with conversion rates? Fuggedaboudit! In this class you can immediately apply to convert site visits to sales. I highly recommend it.” –David Bergen

For More Info: Click here for venue and registration details and to see how you can save hundreds by also signing up for the previous day’s Persuasive Online Copywriting seminar.

To find out about other upcoming Future Now training events and workshops, subscribe to GrokDotCom (weekly, monthly, or daily newsletter — or read daily via RSS) for an update within the week.

1.) Build a marketing platform.
2.) Write a book people want to read.
3.) Contact Michael Drew.

We’re often asked how Waiting for Your Cat to Bark hit #1 on the Wall Street Journal list, while reaching bestseller status on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, and BusinessWeek lists. (AdvertisingAge even called it one of the “10 books you should have read” for 2006.) How is it, they wonder, that Call to Action became a bestseller, despite being sold exclusively online. Well, we had a secret weapon: A marketer who knows book publishing and promotion better than anyone else in the business, and has the track record to prove it. His name, one more, is Mike Drew — and he’s struck again.

On the American Small Business blog, Michele Miller points out that Drew turned three separate books into bestsellers in just this past weekend alone.

A lot of authors make the mistake of thinking that signing with the right publisher will all but guarantee a book’s success. Think again. Unless you’re uncannily blessed by the word-of-mouth gods, even a well-reviewed book can have a hard time making the bestseller lists. Authors need their books to be properly marketed and promoted. That’s where Michael Drew comes in.

If you or someone you know is an author with bestseller ambitions, take a moment to watch this video or subscribe to Drew’s blog, Beneath the Cover.

Location: Chicago, McCormick Place West

About: At this year’s DMA Conference & Expo, Bryan Eisenberg will presenting his Call to Action workshop (normally $895) inclusive with the price of admission. Based on his bestselling book Call to Action: Secret Formulas to Improve Online Results, the workshop covers all the basics of online marketing optimization. The best part: you’ll work with Bryan directly to get fresh ideas on how to boost conversion rates and improve the visitor experience. This will be the last time Bryan does the workshop this year, so don’t dally!

As for the rest of the conference…

This year there are more than 140 educational sessions covering every aspect of direct marketing, dozens of targeted networking events, celebrated keynote speakers such as Kenneth Cole, CEO and President of Kenneth Cole Productions (the apparel/shoe company), Shelly Lazarus, Chairman and CEO of Ogilvy and Mather Worldwide, John Adams, CEO of The Martin Agency, (he put the Geiko Gecko in our heads) and Jimmy Wales, Co-Founder of Wikipedia as well as more than 550 first-class marketing solutions companies to visit in the Exhibit Hall.

Additional highlights for this year’s show include:

• Thought Leadership Forums led by best-in-class marketing executives from global companies such as Coca Cola, OgilvyOne Worldwide, AOL, Rapp Collins, and Winterberry Group.
• Intensive Workshops before and after the show focusing on Search Marketing, Creative Strategy, Acquisition/Retention and Loyalty, Database, Online Strategy, DM Fundamentals, Email, and New Media.
• ECHO Awards Gala on Tuesday evening, October 16 hosted by Howie Mandel.
• Interactive Sessions including Search Marketing Experience, Web Usability Labs, and Ask-the-Experts Roundtables.

For More Info: Visit the DMA website to see what conference attendees have to say or register by September 15th and save $150 off admission.

On Lost Remote, Don Day’s TV blog, he got me thinking again about calls to action:

“Don’t be a “more-on” ….That’s a mantra I repeat in our newsroom often. Why it’s so easy to write a generic, cookie cutter web tease that says “for more on this story, log on to our website at klmn.com.” Dumb. Very few viewers will actually follow through.”

Dan is right and what he says applies to the Web.

Persuasive call to action hyperlinks should include an imperative verb and a benefit.

For example, which hyperlink is more persuasive: A or B?

A. Steve found an investment secret that changed his life. Read More

B. Steve found an investment secret that changed his life. See how Steve doubled his income in one year.

This technique is easy to learn. So, please, stop being a more-on!

–
P.S. There is a framework for thinking about writing effective calls to action. Would you like to learn more about registering for our Persuasive Online Copywriting seminar?

Location: New York, Marriott Hotel @ Brooklyn Bridge

About: Hosted by Bryan & Jeffrey Eisenberg, the Call to Action Seminar focuses on what you need to know to achieve dramatic results from your online efforts. Are you planning for top performance? Are you accurately evaluating that performance? Are you setting the best benchmarks for measuring success? How well are you communicating your value proposition? Are you structured for change? Can you achieve the momentum you need to get the results you want? If you have the desire and commitment to create phenomenal online results, this seminar is your Call to Action.

After the seminar walk across the Brooklyn Bridge in to the city.

For More Info: Read all about the seminar here, or register before July 15th to save $100 off the full price!

If you work at a non-profit and have some — ANY — control over its web strategy, tell us below why you should join us for next week’s Call to Action seminar.

Non-Profits contact us all the time to see about fixing their online strategy, but it’s usually tough for them to get the support of board members, web developers, or any combination of people, places and things that get in the way of making a difference online.

Your site is always up. It’s not just a brochure; it tells your story. Besides, why should business folk always have the best websites? You do good work! Tell us about it….

If you’re in New York next week and wish to learn directly from bestselling authors Bryan & Jeffrey Eisenberg, you should enter.

[Editor's note: If you'd like to be discreet, leave out your homepage address and just enter your name, email, and story below. We'll email you directly if you've won. There's only one free pass available, so don't sleep on it!]

Here are some things to consider:

1) Persuasive copy should always have style.

Remember how even intellectual ads should affect emotions? Well, regardless of how substantive the message, you need to use drama as an essential part of the copy.

The question isn’t whether to use stylistic elements to make your points persuasive — you always should (read Made to Stick if you don’t believe me) — but whether Style will be a key selling-point.

2) Can you get away with featuring style as a (primary) selling-point?

Notice that I wrote “a selling-point,” not “the selling-point”. Unless you’re dealing with fashion items — e.g., clothing, shoes — style can’t be the selling point. But it had better be a selling-point, if not a primary one.

Take the Mini Cooper for example; a car that’s had smashing success based primarily on a style-heavy advertising and marketing campaign.

Yet style wasn’t a choice forced onto the product by its advertising. Style was a copy/advertising choice made possible by the nature of the product. The Mini is, and was, an icon of style and design. This is a main selling-point for a car, simply because it’s wildly more stylish than anything else in the low-$20k price class.

Given a higher price bracket, a style-heavy advertising message would be disastrous, as exemplified by Nissan’s early 90’s GI Joe/Barbie ad for the 300ZX.

The ad was a hit, but sales of the car disappointed. At $33k (USD), the car would be roughly equivalent to $50k in 2007 dollars. Style and performance aren’t really competitive advantages at $50k; they’re more like prerequisites for entering the price category. And advertising a prerequisite in lieu of a value proposition is never a good idea.

Again, a couple of questions remain: Can you get away with going for style over substance in your messaging? Will the product support such a choice?

3) Use style-heavy copy and messaging to convey intangible (or sensory) qualities.

In Call to Action, Bryan and Jeffrey take on the e-commerce myth that you can’t sell items on the Web that you need to smell, touch, or taste to appreciate — the old, “if you can’t smell it, you can’t sell it” adage.

In other words, use evocative language to help your customers create vivid mental images of themselves enjoying the benefits of your product/service.

This is where style-heavy copy and creative really shine. Here’s an example from the J. Peterman site:

I was browsing in a Paris antique shop one winter afternoon when a fitted leather train case caught my eye.

It contained silver-handled brushes, boot hooks, a straight razor, several silver-stoppered glass bottles…

One bottle was different. Encased in yew-wood, with a handwritten date: 1903.

Inside the bottle, there was still the faint, intriguing aroma of a gentleman’s cologne. A “prescription” cologne, custom-made for a rich traveler a century ago.

Curiosity was eating at me

I bought the case (the price was shocking) and sent the bottle to a laboratory for analysis. They broke down the residue by gas chromatography. Identified its fingerprint through spectro-photometry.

The report said: an “old woody fougère.” Clean citrus notes, bergamot, “green notes.” The middle notes: clary sage…cardamom. The dry-down: leather notes, smoky labdanum…elemi, tabac, frankincense.

The detective work was impressive.

So is the thing itself.

Women like the way it smells on a man. Like a symphony that begins loudly, then soon slides into subtle, entangling developments that grow on them.

Or so I’ve been told.

The syle of the copy creates the atmosphere for the right images and associations to flourish, and the intense sensory descriptions help the reader to almost smell the sophistication of the product. The website isn’t so great, but the copy makes all the difference.

Another fine example is this Honda Civic ad that uses style-heavy creative in an entirely different fashion than the Mini print campaign.

Remember that the Civic already “owns” substance in the mind of the consumer, so they can afford a style-heavy ad or two — especially one that evokes the physical sensation of driving their new car. But since the whole put-the-audience-in-the-driver’s-seat approach has been done to death, this ad uses a stylistic and creative twist to capture the audience’s attention and imagination. Viewers are struck by the chorus’s ability to reproduce the actual sounds, causing them to focus on the very sensations the ad hopes to convey.

It’s audible farfugnugen, baby! (Way better than “Born from jets“.)

That’s what I mean by using style-based messaging as a tactical method for conveying intangible, sensory qualities.

So, where on the style/substance continuum is your copy?

[*Editor's note: Fans of Copy Perspective Monday may notice that the would-be final installment, #6, came before #5. To understand the madness to his method -- or is that the other way around? -- stay tuned next week as Jeff Sexton, Future Now copywriting instructor and Persuasion Architect, guides us through Copy Perspective #4, "Time vs. Money" (an all-time favorite). You can also read more articles from Jeff at his personal blog jeffsextonwrites.com]

Date: August 10, 2007

Location: New York, Marriott Hotel @ Brooklyn Bridge

About: Hosted by Bryan & Jeffrey Eisenberg, the Call to Action Seminar focuses on what you need to know to achieve dramatic results from your online efforts. Are you planning for top performance? Are you accurately evaluating that performance? Are you setting the best benchmarks for measuring success? How well are you communicating your value proposition? Are you structured for change? Can you achieve the momentum you need to get the results you want? If you have the desire and commitment to create phenomenal online results, this seminar is your Call to Action.

Here’s what past attendees are saying…

“Join the movement to rid the world of bad web sites. You will walk always with more action items than any meeting – but with a willingness to get started. The results are clear and the value is real.”
-Sindy Braun

“I thought I knew everything about capturing visitor traffic and funneling from calls to action … I was wrong. I recommend this class to anyone who wants to take a fresh approach .. common sense at its best.”
- John Harned

“From click to conversion… A must have course for any online developer, designer, or just plain enthusiast. You’ll never look at another website the same – in fact, you may just runaway laughing!”
-Tony Dunn

“Problems with conversion rates? Fuggedaboudit! In this class you can immediately apply to convert site visits to sales. I highly recommend it.”
-David Bergen

For More Info: Read all about the seminar here, or register before July 15th to save $100 off the full price!

Fast forward a few hours and the three of us are having dinner at Estancia, a new Austin Churrascaria (Brazilian Barbecue). I mention that if they had wild game on the menu, you could start one of these in my little town of 6,200 people because the Cabela’s boys would keep it very busy. We share a laugh, which is then cut short by the Gaucho waiter bringing more leg of lamb past the table. Mmmmm. A nice hint of mint.

Done with dinner, we’ve beached our stuffed selves onto the furniture at the hotel and Bryan says, “You’ve got to see this YouTube video on subliminal advertising.” What brought that up? I hand him my MacBook and he quickly finds the video. Pretty cool. It all makes sense now.

I have some questions for you after you watch it.

What unspoken positive messages are you giving your customers? (on your website or in your store).

What unspoken negative messages are your customers taking from your place?

Are you giving them the ammunition they need to create positive word of mouth or negative word of mouth?