Designs that Gets Results

A blog might be blog, but without any call to action you may risk losing readers. If your goal is to activate or mobilize, you may very well be missing out on your goals.

A call to action is anything that encourages your reader to act. A call to action may include signing up for e-mail updates, following you on Twitter, or forwarding information about your blog onto a friend. Political groups and non-profit organizations may also use call to actions to encourage readers to donate, write letter, or even register to vote.

The most effective methods of getting results include:

• Social media. Encourage readers to check you out on social media. Encourage them to follow your Twitter feed or become a friend or fan on face book.
• Create e-mail updates. Remember to reserve a place on your blog to encourage readers to sign up for your e-mail updates. Make the sign-up for simple, just ask for a name and e-mail address.
• Don’t over do Twitter. If you want individuals to follow you on Twitter, they know how to find you. You do not need to go all out to advertise your Twitter page.
• RSS. A majority of modern browsers offer a way to identify your site with RSS feeds. It does not hurt to offer readers an easy-to-find image linking to your feed.
• When asking readers to register, contribute, or donate, make it simple for them do to what you are asking. If you are asking for donations, have a simple Paypal donate button.

When designing the layout of your blog consider:

• Utilizing negative space. Do not leave empty white spaces. Use these spaces to place call to actions.
• Contrast your colors. All quality websites should have a color scheme. Choose a contrasting color scheme with a theme. Use your color schemes to draw attention to your call to actions.
• Utilize the size of your page. Larger elements will help attract your readers to your call to actions. You can always tweak this items as you see fit. Utilizing larger elements will allow readers to see your requests regardless of why they visited your site.
• Font matters. Choose a font and size that is web friendly and easy to read.
• Follow the eye. People tend to read left to right and top to bottom. Strategically place information keeping that bit of information in mind.