The 'Buy Now' Button

Might seem a bit strange to commit a whole post on the 'Buy Now' button, but after reading "Does your buy button suck? How to make a buy button that customers will love to click" in the WebmasterWorld Forum, I have to admit it's worth discussing. If your business sells green products, you need to consider all the details of your online marketing strategies.

The author stresses the importance of making your buy button work for you and covers the following aspects (and manages to relate them to Einstein's theory of relativity):

1. Size. As they say, size does matter (well, at least they did in that Godzilla movie ad, didn't they?). In general, the bigger the better. Aside from the photo of the item you're selling, the buy button should be the largest image in the page's content.
2. Placement. Location, location, location. First off, on the item's page, the buy button should be near the photo and above the copy for the benefit of those that don't want to read about the item first or are too lazy to scroll. You can have a second buy button at the end of the copy too, if you wish. And, always place it on the right side of the page — for the simple reason that that's where people expect it to be.
3. Color. Don't try to blend the button in with the rest of the design. It needs to stand out.
4. What's on the button. Whether it says "buy now" or "add to cart" make sure that the words are easy to read and eye-catching. You might also want to add an icon for extra effect and for those that can't read.