The first thing after optimizing a page for design is to think about persuasion. It might sound easy to change the call to action and test out the variation but to convert those visits to valuable leads or sale; you have to think about the visitor.
The number one rule in persuasion optimization is Empathy.
Merriam Webster defines empathy as the following:
the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner; also : the capacity for this
Empathy in persuasion marketing context is the ability to understand what the visitor wants without explicitly mentioning it to them.
The most common call to action has a question format:
Looking for a free trial? Select one of the trial plans.
In the above case, we are explicitly trying to communicate what the visitor wants. This might have a better conversion rate than call to actions without any empathy. However, the best converting call to actions are the ones that guide the visitor’s thought process without looking too forced.
For example, a more personal message has a better chance of converting
We are offering three FREE trial plans for our customers. You can try these plans for 30 days (NO CREDIT CARD REQUIRED),and if you are not satisfied, you can delete the account.
Instead of using the old technique of probing, you are directly providing the value proposition and the process behind the trial plans (30 days free trial and freedom to delete the account if you are not satisfied). You are empathic towards the visitor’s worry of entering credit card information and being billed without even trying the service. That is the reason why you are offering free trial without capturing CREDIT CARD information.
By genuinely caring about your customers, you are providing them a great experience, which eventually will improve the conversion rate.
However, just removing risk from an offer is not enough. Are you sure about the product/service that you are offering? Can you give a money back guarantee on a tangible output like:
If your conversion does not improve by 25%, we will give your money back
Empathy to pleasant surprise is what delights the audience and gets you a life-long loyal customer. By offering an additional guarantee, you are entirely removing the risk associated with your product/services. Now the visitor is more likely to sign-up for your trial plans. By following up your promise and delivering (which is the most important thing in a Business), you have guided the visitor’s thought process:
Curiosity -> Confidence -> Loyalty