The #1 Mistake Killing Your Campaign Website (And How to Fix It)

Would you make a campaign stump speech to a crowd, then stop 90% of the way through, drop the mic, and just walk off the stage?

Would you send a print piece detailing half your campaign on one side but then leave the other side blank?

Of course, you wouldn’t. Yet many campaign websites do just that. You can read all about a candidate’s history and the issues they care about, but if there is no clear call to action to vote, the most critical message is missing.

Instead, you are left to figure it out yourself. Donation and volunteer pages might be there. But the most important information—the MOST important request—is nowhere to be found.

It’s your call to action.

VOTE SMITH FOR MAYOR ON NOVEMBER 8.

That’s it. That’s the whole point of the campaign. All too many times, the call to action isn’t mentioned on the website. We see this happen far too often, both with local politicians and even some high-profile campaigns.

In 2016, Jeb Bush’s presidential campaign faced criticism for having a website that lacked a clear voting call to action early on. While the site focused on policy, donations, and endorsements, it didn’t prioritize getting people to the polls. On the other hand, Donald Trump’s campaign homepage consistently featured direct CTAs like ‘Vote for Trump’ and ‘Find Your Polling Place.’ The latter approach reinforced action, while the former missed a key engagement opportunity.

In the 2020 election, Amy McGrath’s campaign against Mitch McConnell struggled with engagement despite raising significant funds. One contributing factor was a website that, while polished, emphasized donations over clear voting CTAs. In contrast, Joe Biden’s 2024 campaign website made it nearly impossible to visit any page without being prompted to register, check voting deadlines, or make a plan to vote.

If you want to massively increase awareness and improve voter turnout, simply tell your readers what you want them to do and when to do it.

Include a call to vote on your site homepage, on squeeze pages, emails, extended blog posts, or whatever online content you control.

Make your call to vote noticeable with either large text, a button, a bright color, or a combination of the three. Just make sure it stands out.

DON’T put conflicting calls to action on one page. Stick to one request only. If it’s a donation page, stick to your donation request. If it’s a volunteer page, that’s your call to action. Otherwise, make your call to action a “Vote for [Candidate] on XXXXXX” declaration.

Never leave anyone hanging or confused. You don’t know what page someone will first see on your site, so TELL them exactly what you want on each and every page.

Always.

Do it as if your next election counts on it. Because it does.

Go check your website right now—does it tell voters to actually vote for you?

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