In the digital marketing world, we throw the term call to action around quite a bit. Whether you’re running inbound marketing campaigns or email marketing campaigns, it’s the key question any time you want to improve the conversion rate of your landing page or email campaigns. Your call to action is what separates a high performing campaign from a failed one. In this article, we’re going to cover what a call to action is, how to create a good call to action button or message and show some call to action example statements and buttons.
So what is a call to action?
A call to action is basically something that compels your readers or visitors to take action. Popular call to action example statements are things like
- Click Here
- Sign Up Now
- Donate
- Call Today
- Shop Now
In your copy, your call to action is what turns readers and website visitors into leads.
So how do I create a great call to action?
There are plenty of components to a great call to action. Things like visibility, clarity, urgency, and value all contribute to the effectiveness of it so let’s take a look at each of them.
Visibility
This one’s an obvious one (I hope). In order for your call to action to be effective it has to be seen. There are a number of theories about how to make sure that your call to action button or message stands out.
You can have great language in your call to action, but if the reader skims over it or doesn’t see it, it’s been wasted. Your call to action needs to be visible and grab the reader’s attention. Contrasting colors, size and placement can help bring attention to your call to action.
A lot of research has been done about the best colors to use on a call to action button and the best size to use for call to action text. There’s a great article from OptinMonster that does a deep dive into which color call to action button converts best.
While there’s no exact science here, there are a lot of indicators. Some people prefer big orange buttons, others prefer the Facebook blue. You should be able to do some A/B testing to see what works best for your visitors.
Clarity
This is another big one. You have to make sure that your call to action button or message says exactly what they’re going to do. Think about it from an “I Want” standpoint. When your reader or visitor clicks on your call to action, what do they want? What are they asking you to do?
One well performing call to action example is using a statement like “Send Me the Whitepaper” or “Show Me the Demo” work well. Any time the user knows exactly what to expect when taking an action on your site or in your emails, you’re going to do better.
So put yourself in your reader’s shoes and write a statement from their perspective about what you want to happen when they click a call to action button or link.
Urgency
Urgency can sometimes be a tricky one. It can work really well if there’s a true reason for urgency. If you’re making up urgency just for the sake of urgency then it’ll backfire on you.
If you actually have something to create urgency around then definitely go for it. Things like holidays, launch dates, etc. are typically pretty solid reasons to build in a sense of urgency around your call to action.
Value
Last but certainly not least, whatever you’re offering has to provide some sort of clear value to the reader. Remember that the reader’s first priority is to serve themselves, not to provide you with a lead.
If you can show your visitors clear value and a real reason why they should give you their name, email, phone number – whatever you’re asking for – then they’ll be much more compelled to convert.
Your visitors time and information is valuable. You have to earn it with some sort of direct value offer.
A couple more things to consider
So now that you have the core principles of a call to action down, here are a few more things to consider when preparing and implementing your call to action.
Keep it simple
Don’t go overboard on design or make your call to action button too flashy. Remember, this isn’t a used car lot or a Broadway theater. Make sure your landing page – and it’s call to action button – matches with your brand.
Stick to one call to action
Don’t put multiple calls to action on one page. You don’t want to split the visitors attention or give them an out once they land on your page. Make sure that the only way to get off your page is for them to take the action you want them to take.
What if my call to action button isn’t converting traffic to leads?
When reviewing your website, instead of simply looking over this seemingly insignificant button, try to pay more attention to improving it. You’ll never know what your call to action button can do for you!
Change up the wording, without being too extravagant
When it comes to changing your CTA button, like with many things, it’s out with the old and in with the new. Just using the basic “submit” on your button could be enough to turn away a creative-minded customer.
Instead, your call to action button should feature wording that’s specific to what you’re trying to get the person to do, mixed with a little more uniqueness and perhaps some humor. So, instead of “sign up”, why not try, “I want to join in on the fun!” There’s no limit to what you can do, as long as the wording is relevant and not too over the top.
Gain their trust with a CTA button of promise
Though one should never make promises they can’t keep or can’t necessarily fulfill, the marketing world works just a tad bit differently than the conversations of a teenage couple. Though you should of course always strive to provide your customers with exactly with what you’re selling, you can always get people to hit the call to action button with providing just a little bit of trustworthiness. Using words and phrases like, “results”, “guarantee”, “you,” or “free” can sometimes throw people off, but more often than not, they help win people over.
Keep it short
This is a button for crying out loud! Let’s not get carried away writing novels on it. You don’t want to hook in your lead and then leave them with even a second of more time to think, “Hey, do I really need this?” Stop that from happening by keeping your call to action short and sweet. Remember, less is more!
Make it urgent
People will act faster when they feel a sense of urgency, which is exactly what you should be trying to create with your call to action button. Words like “try,” “now,” and “today,” as well as phrases like, “before it’s too late,” or “there are two weeks left!” help to accomplish this. Nowadays, many companies like to implement what I like to call the “guilt” button, which will instantly make you feel a bit of guilt or regret of not clicking it. Phrases like, “No, I don’t want to get in better shape,” or “Nah, I’m not interested in helping endangered species,” might make us cringe or roll our eyes, but you definitely aren’t going to ex out of that page without signing up, that’s for sure!
Make it clear
Color schemes, people! When you make your call to action button, take a good look at it. If it’s too hard to read, the letters don’t stand out, it’s too bright, or you are squinting trying to make out the words, then you need to go back and try again. Of course, don’t forget to also use a legible font that’s large enough and normal enough that a five year old (or a visually impaired person) could read it.
Have fun with it!
Web design platforms allow us to do all kinds of things with our site, right down to changing the look of our call to action buttons. Use the features that are available to you to make your CTA button really stand out. Even after using the right color scheme and wording, you can still do more, like change the shape of your button. Nobody wants to see those boring rectangles anymore! Try a round shape, which is said to be way more effective.
Always remember to test it!
My oh my, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT, forget to test your call to action button. That’s literally one of the biggest “oops” a company can make. Test it out, have others test it out from their computers, and also have it tested on mobile devices. This means making sure it shows up, making sure it is clickable, and making sure the information put in was actually received by you. If it’s not, you can lose a lot of potential leads.
Having a solid CTA is one of the first steps in capturing your leads. To see what your call to action button is doing (or not doing) for you, request a demo with Mission Suite today. We’ll get it to where it needs to be so you can bring in as many leads as possible.