In this, the final part of the series, we will be looking at the last element of the AIDA web copywriting formula…CALL TO ACTION!

So far, in part 1 of the series we discussed the importance of the killer attention-grabbing headline and how a great headline draws people into your web copywriting through intrigue.  In part 2, we looked at how, once we have got the attention of our reader, we have to sustain their interest through great storytelling.  Most recently, in part 3, we discussed desire and how great web copywriters exploit the needs and desires of the reader.

Web copywriting is about the art of persuasion.  It is the process of using words and to some degree images to influence the reader and convince them to BUY.  If you want to sell, you have to make it easy for the buyer and tell them EXACTLY what you want them to do.

While the best web copywriters do this subtly throughout their copy, every great piece of copy has to include the blatant call to action.

Why?

Without wishing to insult the entire human race, people like being told what to do and they like being given simple stepping stones to follow.  A simple link or button within your web copywriting text works wonders because it’s a no brainer!  So why not make it easy for them!

Yesterday, my wife and I went grocery shopping.  I have learned so much about my trade by wandering around grocery stores but I would be lying if I said I had anything but hatred for the whole grocery shopping experience.  However, like many people, my wife is the eternal bargain hunter and what’s more, she’s GOOD at it!

It’s hard to understand how grocery shopping has helped me become the great web copywriter I am but it has… in fact, it’s a great learning experience for anyone who runs an online business!

As we wander through the aisles, my wife is blissfully unaware of the carefully devised grocery store system she is following because, like everyone else, she believes in her mind that she is just ‘doing the shopping and finding the bargains’.  Everything from the layout of the store to the carefully positioned calls to action, is designed to make us buy, buy, buy!

“Oh look, Pepsi is on sale…”

As my wife loaded up the cart with what seemed like enough carbonated brown stuff to keep the US Army hydrated, I asked her how she knew it was on sale.  The 12 foot yellow arrow pointing at the display was a bit of a giveaway, but sarcasm is one of my many charms!  The strange part was, my sarcasm was completely wasted when her response was not “look at the big yellow arrow, you idiot!”, instead, she pointed to a tiny little label on the shelving saying buy one get one free ends 6/6/2010 and replied “we need to get this today!”.

Quite how she managed to miss the yellow monstrosity is beyond me, but the reality is people do!  Which is why making grand calls to action and following them with text that creates a sense of urgency is vital when creating web copywriting that sells products.

The next time you’re at the grocery store, have a good look at your surroundings.  Let someone else worry about the shopping and really focus on the grand calls to action that surround you.  Better still… count them and then ask whoever you’re with to tell you how many big yellow arrow type things they saw!

Effective web copy writing strikes a balance between bold, overt calls to action, that draw the readers attention and powerful text that subtly persuades the reader that your product or service can meet their needs and desires.  A great copywriter has to be a creator of killer headlines, a superb storyteller, a master manipulator and the king of clarity and I hope you’ve learned more about “Orgasmic Web Copywriting” and how to be a better web copywriter!