Are you writing dead end conversion pages?

June 16, 2011 • written by

I’m one of those people who have a…challenged…sense of direction. (Case in point: My husband’s latest gift to me was a GPS.) It’s actually amazing how I can head towards my location, sure that I know where I’m going…

…and somehow end up at a dead end.

And what do you do at a dead end? You turn yourself around and get the heck out of there.

I was thinking today about all the websites that have “dead end” copy that doesn’t go anywhere. I typically see it on FAQ pages – although I’ve certainly seen it in blog posts and articles too. Here’s what I mean.

Here’s a clip from the STOTT Pilates FAQ page:

The copy blurb is trying to differentiate STOTT equipment from lower price consumer models. It’s true that quality equipment is a big deal – if you’re serious about your workout, you probably want professional home equipment.

The challenge is, it doesn’t tell the reader what they should do next (a bad sales mistake.) The copy doesn’t go anywhere. It doesn’t link to their equipment page and encourage the click. From a conversion perspective, it’s a dead end.

Here’s another example from SodaStream:

If you’re a sparkling water addict like I am, these machines are awesome! You may have even gotten excited while reading the copy, thinking, “I want to check out the price right now.”

But you can’t – not without clicking on the nav. There’s no hyperlink leading you to the next conversion step.

The copy is a dead end.

How do you fix dead end pages?

It’s so simple. Whenever applicable, add a call to action link to your copy. Here’s all it would take in the SodaStream example:

“Find the home soda maker that’s perfect for you.” (link to product page.)

The STOTT Pilates FAQ blurb could end with, “Check out our Pilates equipment catalog” and link to the equipment page. If they ran a sale, I’d mention the sale in the link, “STOTT equipment for up to 40% off.”

It’s really as easy as that. You don’t need to beat the reader over the head. Just a simple link will do.

Wait! These aren’t sales pages. Why should I care?

Because you should always care. :)

Granted, articles and FAQ pages are geared towards folks in the “research” phase of the buy cycle. These people aren’t quite ready to buy – but they are checking out options. Adding a non-obtrusive call to action may move them along the conversion path a tad faster. The prospect could go from “interested browser” to “customer” – and all it took was the addition of one quick hyperlink.

So, consider going through your articles and blog posts and see if they’re feeling the dead end blues. As my father used to say, “If you don’t ask, you don’t get” – and you always want to ask for the sale.