Ask the Expert

I've included a call to action in my emails - "Click Here" - and made sure to put it above the fold, throughout the message and at the very end of each email. So why isn't anyone clicking?

First of all, good job on properly placing your call to action (CTA) in all the right places. Readers need to immediately see the CTA in the first few lines of text - "above the fold" - and be reminded throughout the email, especially at the very end.

But even though you've given your readers plenty of opportunity to act, your call to action isn't motivating them to do so!

Here's the problem, "Click Here" is an easy enough command, but it doesn't tell your reader what you really want them to do.

In an email, you don't have a lot of space to specifically explain what you want readers to do - so your call to action has to be as descriptive as possible AND to the point. This may sound like a tough thing to accomplish, but it just takes a little bit of thought.

If your ultimate goal is selling a product or promoting an offer, ease readers into the process by using:

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You need to immediately answer the question "What's in it for me?" Don't jump to "Buy Now" or "Click here to purchase" - that just sends the message that you're only interested in your own interests.

So try tweaking your call to action and you'll see better click-through rates. Remember, keep it simple but descriptive. Above all, appeal to your reader's interest and give them a call to action they can't refuse.