No one liked the kid that bossed them around in school, but chances are, that bossy kid got what they wanted more often than the quiet ones.

You don’t have to be the unlikeable kind of boss to get what you want on the Web. In fact, simply asking people to complete a task can go a long way. Here are five reasons to be bossier on the Web, and how it can help get your web content, and your business, in front of more eyes.

1. There’s No Harm in Asking

“Ask and ye shall receive” is a saying that’s stood the test of time, and that’s because it’s true — all you have to do is ask for what you want to improve your chances of getting it.

When it comes to your web content, such as your company blog, you want people to read it, engage with it, share it, and be inspired to act upon it. If not, why are you creating it? Simply asking them to do what you want them to can get you great results, and it doesn’t discount the value of your content (unless you’re begging incessantly). A great man once said: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” so start taking them!

2. Without a Call-to-Action, You Have No Goal

Having great content on your website is a great start, but producing content that doesn’t support an end goal (such as increasing your income) is more accurately defined as a hobby. You can give your content direction by making sure it includes a call-to-action (CTA).

A CTA represents the ultimate goal of your website, which is to get your visitors to do something, whether that something is call you for a quote, complete a form, book a tour, or get a free download.

A CTA is often found at the end of a web page, prominently featured on a landing page, or at the end of a blog post. You don’t have to include one in every blog post, but at the very least, you should have a strong CTA on all main pages of your website.

When writing your CTA, be sure it contains active verbs and persuasive language.

Examples:

Learn how to create an effective success strategy for your business. Download my free e-book now!

Our fitness studio is ranked #1 in the city. See for yourself by booking your free tour today!

Note: using the word ‘free’ has a remarkable ability to get people to do stuff, even if they’re not sure they want to.

3. Social Calls-to-Action Get More Action

When doing your asking, don’t forget about your distribution channels, such as your Facebook page. A recent report from Hubspot says social CTAs result in more comments, likes and shares. Simply including the words ‘like’, ‘share’, and ‘comment’ resulted in… you guessed it: more likes, shares and comments across the board. These results are particularly valuable because Facebook rewards active engagement with greater visibility (remember that recent unpleasant discovery that Facebook was shrinking our page readership? Well, this is how we fight back!)

Regarding Twitter, there are mixed opinions as to whether or not asking for retweets is effective. The fact is, it’s been proven that including ‘please retweet’ in a tweet results in four times more retweets than updates without the request. It should also be noted that the word ‘retweet’ performs better than the abbreviated ‘RT’.

4. A Stimulating Conversation Stimulates Your Bottom Line

Just like your other social media channels, you want to encourage engagement on your blog, which can do wonders for your content marketing efforts. Using your blog as a content marketing avenue lets you demonstrate your expertise, drive more traffic to your website, and keeps you top of mind with prospects. The more you can demonstrate your credibility, the more popular your content will get, and the more eyes will see your website and consider hiring you. Having a lot of comments and interactions with your content provides hard evidence that you have popular content.

You can boost engagement with your readers by posting compelling content that provokes response, and also by asking questions. Ask your readers what they think of a controversial development in your industry, or describe a common problem and ask your readers to weigh in with their experiences. Don’t forget to thank them for their participation, and interact with their comments whenever possible.

5. It’s Okay to Remind People to Endorse You

Look at the popularity of sites like Yelp where people search for reviews of restaurants before they decide where they want to eat. People go through the same process when deciding whether or not to hire you or buy something from you – they want to know who uses your services and what they think.

Having testimonials on your site from real clients helps you build trust with prospects, and it doesn’t hurt to ask in a way that extracts the type of information you want to highlight, such as specific details about why they like your products, or how you helped their business grow. Entrepreneur.com has some great tips on how to get the testimonials you want and how to best utilize them.

It’s easier than ever to ask your colleagues and clients for testimonials, and you should highlight them on your website whenever you can. It can be as simple as sending an email to past clients, or using LinkedIn’s tools for requesting recommendations. If you’re good at what you do and are a pleasure to work with, chances are people will have no problem endorsing you. They just need to be reminded that you’d be eternally grateful if they did.

Go Forth Like a Boss

Now that you’re up to speed on why and how you should be a likeable boss on the Web, go forth and get your content, and your business, the attention it deserves. And feel free to share this post!