The importance of a strong studio website can’t be overstated in today’s digital world. Potential dance students will likely check out your studio’s online presence before committing to classes, so you should do everything possible to make sure your site can effectively convert viewers. One important aspect of an effective studio website that often gets overlooked is the call-to-action.
This marketing tool, often referred to as a CTA, is a small but crucial part of your dance school’s webpages. If you’re uncertain about how to use CTAs, this guide will explain how to implement them onto your studio website.
Define Your Online Goals
Before you can create CTAs for your website, you’ll need to figure out your goals for the site. Your overarching objective is likely to generate new student leads, but you probably have supplementary goals as well.
Start by outlining how you would like prospective students to interact with the site. Once they reach your home page, it’s generally good if they view your “About” page and maybe then your class schedule. Then what do you want them to do? Fill out a contact form? Call the office? Send you an email? Figure out what your preferred method of communication is with leads and make a note of this.
Your website can also help to keep current students and parents engaged with your school. Think about what you’d like these visitors to do when they visit your site. Have you been trying to get more people to sign up for your newsletter? Or maybe you want to get more parents to connect with you on social media? These are both objectives that you can further with CTAs, so jot them down!
Determine Your Main Call-To-Action
Once you’ve outlined your goals, it’s time to put together your CTAs. HubSpot explained that effective CTAs are buttons or links that capture people’s attention and get them to take action. It’s best to keep the copy for your CTA under five words. That may seem like a tiny amount of text, but it’s easier than you might think. For example, if you determined that you want prospective students to call your studio so you can connect with them quickly, your CTA might be a button that says “Call today for more information!” It’s short, sweet and to the point.
Create Supplementary Calls-To-Action
You’ll also want to figure out a few effective CTAs for your supplementary website goals. If you’re aiming to connect with people on social media, your button might read “Like XYZ Studio on Facebook” or “Get daily updates on Twitter.” Similarly, you can encourage people to sign up for your newsletter with a CTA that reads “Register to receive email updates.” As you can see, these phrases are succinct, actionable and set clear goals for the viewer.
Add the Assets to Your Studio Website
Once you’ve figured out how your CTAs will read, it’s time to place them on your website. If you work with a graphic designer or developer, work together to design CTA buttons that will work with the aesthetic of your site. However, there are also many websites that offer free CTA templates, like these ones from HubSpot, so you can still have professional-looking features on your site if you curate it yourself.
When it comes to the actual placement of the buttons, Econsultancy explained that case studies have shown CTAs are more effective when they come after your product description. So you may want to place your main CTA at the bottom of your “About” page or toward the bottom of each class description.
As for the CTAs targeted at current students and parents, try to place them in areas of your site that these visitors are more likely to use. If you have a parent login page, this would be a great spot for a CTA promoting your newsletter or social media sites. Another strategic placement option would be alongside studio updates or on a ticket-purchasing page.
