You've probably had some young person come to your door. They have something to sell for a club or organization they are a part of. Some kids are more successful than others in door-to-door sales. I know of a friend who, in Jr. High, appeared to be able to sell magazines as if they were ice cubes in Arizona. It seemed as if no one turned her down.

On the other hand there are other young people who almost give the impression they don't really want you to buy anything. You might hear them say something like, “You probably don't want to buy anything. Do ya?”

These young people either have no confidence in the product or no confidence in themselves. The potential customer understands this and unless they take pity on the young salesperson they will ultimately send them kindly away.

Is it possible you have a great website that essentially treats sales with a, “You probably don't want o buy anything” attitude? A call to action tells customers you believe in what you sell, you believe it has value and you think it can benefit customers. Without a call to action customers may be left wondering what they are supposed to do with the information you've given.

You don't need to hard sell a product, but you should give visitors the chance to respond. Consider the following phrases.

Are you ready to take the next step?
Let's get started.
Click here to learn more.
Want to find out more? Click now.

These and similar phrases are an important way for you to engage potential customers with a call to action. It lets the consumer know you are interested in a sale, but more important it urges the consumer to respond. The motivation could be curiosity or desire, but you are keying in on a purpose that urges them to trust you enough to find out more.

The ‘next step' you provide potential customers may or may not be an order form. You might explain the product, service or offer in greater detail. Perhaps you can provide testimonials from satisfied customers. You should consider the possibility of a free sample. This could be a special report, ebook for sign up or an actual sample product in exchange for their contact information.

Your call to action should never bully site visitors because a hard sell at this level simply means the consumer will have every reason to consult their ‘back' key or search function. No consumer needs to put up with harsh sales tactics online. If this is the method you are comfortable using in a traditional retail setting you will need to discover a new tactic in online sales.

A positive call to action will be the place of common ground with your prospective customer. It allows them the understand you would like them to trust you enough to take the next step, but there is no idle or vague threat involved in the decision making process.

It is always best to determine in advance of an online business startup if you truly believe in what you are about to do. If so, urge potential customers forward without unintentionally sending them home.