How To Create an Effective Call to Action for Construction Marketing

Phone book advertising is dead. Word of mouth works but that means leaving your marketing to chance.  We are finally coming out of the biggest building slump since 1929. Leaving your business' lead generation up to chance is not a marketing tactic.  Construction businesses need marketing strategies that are intentional to reach a large audience and encourage sales. A website call-to-action is an important small step towards a website that works as a lead generation source. It's a simple concept, use a visual graphic that links to a landing page with a form and an offer. The offer should be a piece of content that's interesting to your prospects. A strong call-to-action button will generate leads and position your company to take advantage of increasing housing starts. 

A call-to-action is a proposition that sits on your website. It's an offer to exchange a great piece of information for a name and email address. Hyperlinked text or buttons send viewers to a landing page where they can download the information. This is called an opt-in, and it allows you to send the prospect marketing information. To be effective you need to consider the following when creating website call to action buttons;

Variety - Create a variety of CTA’s and rotate them regularly throughout the content of your website. Tailor them to present high-quality offers to prospects. With building trades, you can incorporate propositions that provide helpful information such a free square footage estimate calculator or answers to questions that are commonly asked about the building process.

Placement - CTA's should be placed on almost every page of your website and should be included in each blog entry you write. Tie them to the content and consider the sales process.  

Landing Pages - Keep CTA's off of landing pages. Landing pages should focus solely on the specific offer and drive the viewer to take action. 

Blog Pages, and Articles - In the sidebar and the content, CTA’s should encourage customers to download a free service, subscribe to your blog or request services. However, make sure that the CTA's align with the content. If you are providing information on “signs to look for when your ducts need to be cleaned”, the CTA should link to a landing page that outlines your duct cleaning service. 

• Advertisements - Your paid media advertisements should feature a CTA that drives viewers back to the website.  
• Social Media Pages - Customized business page tabs on Facebook, adding a CTA in your Twitter background, and using other social media to direct customers through CTA’s are very effective conversion practices.
• Be Specific - Make sure that the offer is easy to understand and specifically details your service discount or free information.
• Page Placement - Keep it close to the top of the page. Your CTA should be above the fold, visible on the page without scrolling.
• Eye-catching - Use bold, brand driven, eye catching colors on your CTA buttons. They should fall within your brand but be obvious on the page.
• Make it Actionable - Phrases like, “download now”, “register now”, or another action verb aligned with your build services let customers know what to expect.
• Outline your value - Answer the customer's question of “What’s in it for me?”
• Create urgency - Detail why the customer should act now. Seasonal discounts, lowered lumber prices, or recent events should inspire customers to click the CTA.
• Be Confident, Yet Subtle - People respond to builders who know their business, yet want to make their decisions when choosing a contractor.

Experiment with the way you say things. By putting your personality in your CTA's you will attract customers who want to engage with your business.