We thank the Lawyerist.com team for this guest post.

Your potential clients are searching online for your legal services. When they land on your law firm’s website, your site’s job is to convert them from visitor to client. Your content, website’s design, and page elements all matter when it comes to increasing your conversion. However, there’s one thing that matters the most: your call to action.

It’s all in the Call to Action

A call to action (CTA) is a link on your law firm’s website that directs your visitors to perform an action. Your CTA’s main purpose is to help your visitor fill a need or solve a problem.

Your visitors appreciate being told what to do next, especially when they’re interested in your legal services. In fact, 90% of visitors who read your website headline also read your CTA to be aware of next steps should they need to take them. Without a clear CTA, you’re asking the client to make decisions on their own, leaving conversion up to chance.

How to Write a CTA that Works

Follow these three tips on effective CTAs to encourage your visitor to act:

• Keep it simple. Don’t use your CTA to explain your service or its benefits. Instead, use your CTA for a simple command such as “Learn More About Our Services.”
• Remember to focus. If you want your visitor to call you, use that as your main CTA. Don’t use so may CTAs that it’s difficult for your visitor to choose. Simplicity is key.
• Explain the why. Explain why your visitor should take action in your CTA. “Call Us Now” isn’t as compelling as “Call Us Now to Schedule Your Free Consultation.”

Know Your CTA’s Goal

It’s best to understand your CTA’s goal prior to creating one. A simple “Call Us Now to Learn More” works great if that’s your goal. However, if your goal is to gather leads using a lead magnet, a CTA that says, “Download Our Free Guide” will help you reach that goal. Keep your main goal in mind and create your CTA accordingly.

Using Website Design to Create a Compelling CTA

Your CTA should garner attention from your website visitors. Some simple website design tips can help your CTA stand out from the rest of your content.

• Try a button. Sure, a text-based CTA can work, especially in the body of your website copy. However, to truly make an impact, try using a button in a contrasting color to grab your visitor’s attention.
• Place your CTA throughout your website. If your visitor lands on another page other than your home page, make sure they see your CTA by placing it on each page. Your visitor should have a chance to make a move no matter where they are on your website.

Once you create a CTA for your website, be sure to measure its success. If you’re not seeing more leads coming through in a few months, it might be time to try a new CTA. Feel free to try new designs and new copy periodically; the sky’s the limit here.

Improve Your Firm’s Success

Your website is just the beginning of the improvements you can make to push your firm towards success. To discover where your firm could further improve, take the Lawyerist Small Firm Scorecard™ assessment to find out.

VIEWS AND CONCLUSIONS EXPRESSED IN ARTICLES HEREIN ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHORS AND NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF FLORIDA BAR STAFF, OFFICIALS, OR BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE FLORIDA BAR.