Recently I had a client ask me to show her how to create calls to action within her content. You see she was sending me tons of articles to post on her website filled with excellent information but they had no purpose.

Content without a purpose is a true waste.

It’s a waste of time, money and effort.

You MUST lead your visitor to the next step and YES that means tell them exactly what to do with words like:

• click here
• go here
• click this link to..
• get this now at…
• sign up for x by clicking below…

Web Content Writing and Optimization Increase Business Sales

There is no exact formula that I can tell you.

This is all about creating a flow through your site that leads your visitors to a specific end result.  Not every call to action NEEDS to link to a buy now but you should always tell them what to do next. Other calls to action:

• sign up for the newsletter
• read more posts like this (I wouldn’t use this too much)
• get the free sample
• sign up for the free trial
• check out the benefits
• read the review
• etc, etc, etc

Sure you can add a ton of content and wait for sales – but that’s not gonna just happen!

Think of it like this: If you had 500 TV stations but no TV GUIDE would you really spend your time flipping through those stations to find what you wanted? Most people wouldn’t have the patience and they’d probably just go read a book or do something else.

You also have to realize there are two main types of content:

• Informative
• Commercial

Informative web content answers a question the reader has. It gives quality info. It should lead to a next step but most often doesn’t lead to a direct sale. An example might be if someone were looking for information on how to live gluten-free. They may not want to buy anything. If there was good information on how to live gluten-free, they’ll take it and leave if there is no call to action. But – what if you told them you would give them some awesome gluten-free recepies – all they had to do was sign up below. Then you’d have their attention and you could repeatedly contact them – you’d send them good receipes but you’d also send links to where they would buy special gluten-free ingredients (with your affiliate link embedded!)

Commercial articles are the money articles. These are the articles for people who are ready to buy. For example that same person on a gluten-free diet may be looking for specialty foods to buy online. So they type words into the search engines that help them find what they are looking for. Maybe they want to know ‘where to buy gluten-free specialty foods’. So in response you write a commercial article that is informative and leads them to a specific place where they can find exactly what they are looking for and you can make a commission.

[credit must go to Lynn Terry here for the categories of informative vs commercial articles/posts]

It’s really important that when you craft each article you decide what it’s purpose is. Creating articles just to populate your website is NOT an affiliate marketing plan.

You also need to watch your website tracking.

You need calls to action but they’re not going to get anyone to buy if you don’t have enough visitors. To get good search engine rankings of you ‘money pages’ (those commercial posts) you’ll also need incoming links to the specific pages.

Social media is a start but you can get links from many websites and you’ll want to make sure you have a link building plan and are continually building links to the pages you want to rank well.

Here are some examples of calls to action:

Basically what it comes down to is advertising. A call to action is an ad within your content. But if it’s a highly relevant ad then your readers will happily check out what you are suggesting.

Other tips:

1. You can simply use hyperlinks (that is links on words like this: affiliate marketing) on words that will grab people’s curiosity or tell them more about a product, topic, etc.
2. One call to action is not always enough. You may want to tell them, give them more information and then tell them again within the same page.
3. Always, always, always match the content perfectly to the offer. This is really key. Relevant offers make sales. You’re not out to change someone’s mind. You’re out to meet them where they’re at and provide them with what they’re looking for.
4. Use internal links to pull people through your own website. Link to relevant pages when it’s appropriate.

So that’s how write and optimize your web content to make sales online. There’s no one sweeping formula here. The key is to create content that fits fantastic-ly with your readers and provides them with the further resources they need – be it a product, a report, a newsletter or whatever.

p.s. The post you just read was definitely an informative post. You probably weren’t looking specifically to buy anything when you started reading it. None the less I’m going to tell you about further reading I highly recommend if you want to make your way in the world as an affiliate marketer. It’s Rosalind Gardner’s Super Affiliate Handbook and it’s kinda like the bible of affiliate marketing. Calls to action work but there’s a lot more to it – check it out by clicking here.

Let me know if you have any questions by posting a comment below!

p.p.s. Want a DOWNLOADABLE Version of this post to print or save to keep handy? Here ya go:
Click here to download pdf

Does it seem like affiliate marketing is too good to be true? I mean it kinda sounds like that with all the amazing advantages:

- No cost to sign up
- Earn recurring commissions
- Get started immediately in many cases
- Checks sent from big companies or deposited to your paypal on a regular basis Read More→

I’m not sure how long you’ve been reading my blog. If you’re a new reader – welcome!

If you’ve been following my escapades for a while (thank you!) then you’ll know this is not my first business. I have been a soapmaker, a securities salesperson, an information marketer, a virtual assistant, an affiliate manager, a candle salesperson and a few more.

The common thread about every single one of those businesses is that I never considered the lifestyle I wanted when I choose them.

Why I Choose Affiliate Marketing

After many years of experimenting with various businesses I got a real good idea of what I DIDN’T want from a business. I developed a uniquely personal set of things I did want from a business that were important to me and with each new business I got closer to that goal:

- Travel not required
- Freedom built in
- Work now, profit now AND later
- No need to build a team
- Low expenses
- Unlimited opportunity

Affiliate marketing satisfies all of these requirements. I recently read on Rosalind Gardner’s blog (one of my affiliate marketing hero’s!) that she just turned 50. I’m 33. It’s so exciting for me to think where I will be in 17 years from the efforts of my affiliate marketing. I don’t know when Rosalind started her business but I know that affiliate marketing is something that’s effort is compounded as time goes by.

I remember when I first explained affiliate marketing to my father. He related it to an insurance salesman. The insurance salesman gets a commission from every insurance policy he sells. In the beginning it might be tough but over the years the results of that effort add up. The same is true for affiliate marketing, especially when you choose to promote affiliate programs with residual commissions and long-term customers.

Affiliate marketing fits the lifestyle I want to have. I mean who doesn’t want to have time freedom and commissions coming in long after the work has been completed? Yes the results are awesome but also the means to achieve those results are very attractive to me as well.

How Do I Plan to Successfully Make Affiliate Sales?

Sure, the results of many businesses sound great but it’s the work itself and your ability to get ‘er done that really determine success. I’m sure the work I need to put in to be a successful and even a ‘super’ affiliate are something I will enjoy and continue with long-term.

Here are just some of the things I’d consider important to long term affiliate marketing success:
1. Persistence – You gotta do more than the average affiliate and that means being persistent and consistent in your marketing efforts.
2. Communication – I’ll be communicating with my readers here through the blog, in my email messages, through article marketing, through my podcast and more all in an effort to provide the best help I can to those who are on the same path I am in their work at home careers.
3. Planning – Oh yes I’m getting so much better at planning. I’ve listed out all the programs I’d like to promote here on Marketers Mojo and I’ve also started a Blogging, Email Marketing & Article Marketing Calendar to plan out my content and promotions (thanks to the advice and challenges over at Lynn Terry’s Elite Membership)

Are You Still Deciding?

So I guess my question to you right now is why did you choose the business you are doing right now? Did you think about it or just dive in? Is it really suiting your lifestyle needs?

Ok so that’s three questions.

Maybe you haven’t decided on a business yet. If not, good! Now you have the opportunity to really design a business that fits a lifestyle goal that will bring you what you truly want.

I know thinking about the lifestyle my current efforts will support keeps me motivated and excited about the little details that I need to take daily to get to my bigger goals!

p.s. I’ve mentioned that Rosalind Gardner is my affiliate marketing hero. If you’re considering affiliate marketing as a career yourself then I recommend you check out her Super Affiliate Handbook. It is one of the most respected and complete guides to starting an affiliate marketing business. Click the link below to check it out: