Key takeaways:
- A call to action (CTA) tells visitors exactly what to do next. The best CTAs are clear, visible, benefit-driven, and relevant to where the visitor is in the buying journey.
- Strong CTAs use short, action-led copy, create urgency, personalize the message, and stand out visually with contrast and smart placement.
- On landing pages, use one primary CTA, place it above the fold and repeat it where readers are ready to act, and make sure it matches the page's intent.
- Brands like Contently, HubSpot, Dropbox, and Trello show how simple, benefit-focused CTAs reduce friction and increase conversions.
- Track click-through rate and conversion rate, then A/B test copy, color, and placement to keep improving.
If you've ever decided to sign up for an email newsletter or download an app you must have followed a call to action.
In the fast-paced world of ecommerce, a call to action (CTA) is the secret sauce that transforms casual visitors into engaged customers.
Crafting a compelling CTA is an art that combines psychology, design, and persuasive language to prompt a specific response from your audience.
In this article, we will explore some of the best call-to-action strategies and examples that not only capture attention but also convert visitors into valuable leads and customers.
What is a call to action?
A Call to Action (CTA) is a marketing term used to prompt an immediate response or action from a targeted audience. It's a directive that encourages users to take a particular step, which ultimately leads them toward a conversion or a desired outcome.
The action can range from making a purchase, subscribing to a newsletter, downloading a resource, signing up for a trial, filling out a form, or any other behavior that moves the user further along the sales or conversion funnel.
CTAs are commonly used in various forms of marketing communications, including websites, emails, social media posts, and more.
Key characteristics of a high-converting call to action
Here are important features a high-converting call to action should have:
Clarity
A CTA should convey a clear and straightforward message, leaving no room for ambiguity. Users should easily understand what action they are expected to take.
Visibility
The CTA should be prominently displayed and visually distinct, ensuring that it catches the user's attention. This often involves using contrasting colors, bold fonts, or specific placement on a webpage or in an email.
Persuasion
Effective CTAs often leverage persuasive language to convince users that taking the suggested action will benefit them. This may involve emphasizing discounts, exclusivity, urgency, and so on.
Relevance
A successful CTA should be contextually relevant to the content it accompanies. It should align with the user's current stage in the buyer's journey and provide a logical next step.
Consistency
CTAs should be consistent with the overall branding and messaging strategy of the business. This consistency helps to build trust and reinforce brand identity.
Measurability
CTAs are often part of a broader marketing strategy, and their effectiveness can be measured through analytics. Tracking user interactions with CTAs will help you understand which strategies are most successful and inform future optimization efforts.
Why is a call to action important?
Have you ever scrolled through a landing page, excited about all the juicy benefits, only to be confused about the next step? Well, this is why a Call to Action is important. It tells you exactly what the next action should be.
A landing page without a Call to Action will leave your prospects floating around with nowhere to go. A Call to Action provides a clear direction on how to convert. A CTA typically comes in the form of an attractive button that draws the visitor's attention to convert by clicking it.
Types of CTAs
CTAs cater to different objectives and interactions. Here are a few types of CTAs:
Button-based CTAs
Button-based CTAs are the most common types of CTAs. They are often visually distinct buttons that prompt users to take a specific action, usually found on websites and in email campaigns. These buttons may vary in color and style. However, your CTA button should have a contrasting color to stand out on your page.
Text-link CTAs
These are hyperlinked text within content like blogs that guide users to additional information or actions without the visual emphasis of a button.
Form submission CTAs
Forms are a direct way to capture user information and convert them into leads or subscribers. With forms, you can capture your customers’ contact details in exchange for an offer. This offer could be downloadable content, subscriptions, service sign-ups, and more.
How to write an effective call-to-action
Now that we've looked at what a CTA is, here are some strategies to help you write an effective call to action:
- Use clear and concise messaging
- Create a sense of urgency
- Personalize messaging for connection
- Use compelling visual design
- Use benefit-oriented language
- Engage with interactive CTAs
- Infuse social proof
- Maintain consistency across marketing channels
- Optimize for mobile users
- Use A/B testing for continuous improvement
- Make your audience curious
- Place your CTA where readers decide
- Match your CTA to the page's intent
- Use one primary CTA on landing pages
Use clear and concise messaging
The essence of a powerful CTA lies in its clarity. Your visitors should instantly recognize what action they are to take. Whether it's "Sign Up Now," or "Download Your Free Guide," the language should be straightforward and concise.
Avoid ambiguity, and ensure that your message aligns with your overall brand tone.
Create a sense of urgency
Humans are hardwired to respond to urgency. By incorporating time-sensitive language in your CTAs, you create a psychological push for users to act immediately.
Phrases like "Limited-Time Offer," or "Only 24 Hours Left" evoke a fear of missing out (FOMO) and can significantly boost conversion rates.
Personalize messaging for connection
Tailoring your CTAs to the preferences and behaviors of your audience can foster a deeper connection. Use data-driven insights to personalize CTAs based on location, previous interactions, or purchase history. For example, "Explore Exclusive Deals for (Their Location)" or "As a Loyal Customer, Enjoy 20% Off" can make users feel valued and understood.
First-person wording also helps. A CTA like "Get My eBook" helps visitors picture what they will receive, and it often feels more personal than "Get Your eBook".
Use compelling visual design
An eye-catching design can make or break a CTA. The use of contrasting colors, bold fonts, and strategically placed buttons can draw attention to your call to action. Ensure the design aligns with your brand aesthetics and creates a seamless visual flow on your website or marketing materials.
Use benefit-oriented language
Instead of focusing solely on the action you want users to take, highlight the benefits they will gain. Whether it's saving money, gaining knowledge, or improving their lives in some way, center your CTA around the value proposition. For instance, your call to action could be "Lose Weight at Your Convenience with Our at Home Workout App". This is more compelling than a generic "Download App Now."
| Generic CTA | Benefit-driven alternative |
|---|---|
| Submit | Get My Free Guide |
| Download | Download the Free Marketing Kit |
| Sign Up | Start My Free Trial |
| Buy | Get 20% Off Today |
| Learn More | See How It Works |
| Contact Us | Book Your Free Assessment |
Engage with interactive CTAs
Engage your audience with interactive CTAs that invite them to participate. This could be in the form of quizzes, polls, or interactive content that requires user input. Interactive elements not only capture attention but also provide a more personalized and immersive experience, increasing the likelihood of conversion.
Infuse social proof
People often look to others for guidance, especially in decision-making. Incorporate social proof elements within your CTAs to build trust and credibility. Statements like "Join 1 Million Satisfied Customers" or "See Why Our Users Love Us" add a layer of assurance that can sway potential customers in your favor.
Maintain consistency across marketing channels
Maintain consistency across different marketing channels to reinforce your CTA message. Whether your customers encounter your CTA on your website, social media, email, or advertisements, the message should be cohesive. Consistency helps to build brand recognition and strengthen the impact of your call to action.
Optimize for mobile users
With most internet users accessing content via mobile devices, optimizing your CTAs for mobile platforms is crucial. Ensure that buttons are easily tapable, text is readable, and the overall layout is user-friendly. A seamless mobile experience improves the chances of conversion, considering the diverse ways users access your content.
Use A/B testing for continuous improvement
The digital landscape is ever-evolving, and what works today may be less effective tomorrow. You want to implement A/B testing and experiment with different CTAs, visuals, and messaging.
Analyze the data to understand what resonates best with your audience, and use these insights to refine and optimize your call-to-action strategies continually.
Make your audience curious
Curiosity and anticipation push visitors to find out more. Write CTAs that hint at what they will discover, such as "See What's Inside" or "Find Your Perfect Fit", so clicking feels like the natural next step.
Place your CTA where readers decide
Visitors decide quickly, so put your main CTA above the fold, the part of the page people see without scrolling. On longer pages, repeat it after key sections, so readers who are ready to act do not have to scroll back up.
Match your CTA to the page's intent
Your CTA should fit the purpose of the page and the audience it targets. Keep the message consistent from the headline to the button, and give enough information about the offer before asking for the click.
Use one primary CTA on landing pages
Too many options can leave visitors confused and lead them to take no action at all. Use one clear CTA throughout a landing page. If you have several goals, build separate landing pages for each one instead of stuffing different CTAs onto one page.
10 best call-to-action examples from prominent brands
Now, let’s explore the 10 best call-to-action examples from various brands, analyzing why they work so well to increase conversion:
1. Contently: ‘Let's Chat’
Contently, known for its exceptional content marketing, incorporates great CTAs into its landing pages.
Instead of using generic phrases like "Submit," Contently uses friendly and approachable language "Let's Chat" to reinforce the importance of relationships. By focusing on dialogue rather than a sales pitch, Contently creates an inviting and trustworthy atmosphere.
2. HubSpot: ‘Download Now’
HubSpot, a renowned marketing software company, knows the importance of providing valuable resources to its audience. Their slide-in CTA, which appears midway through an article, prompts readers to "download now" and offers a free marketing kit with templates. By providing a relevant resource within the article, HubSpot encourages engagement and positions itself as a trusted source.
3. 310 Creative: ‘Book Free Assessment’
Growth agency 310 Creative aims to help businesses scale and refine their buyer's journey. Their slide-in CTA addresses a common pain point for visitors: the need for clarity on where their business may be falling short. By offering a free assessment, 310 Creative demonstrates empathy and positions themselves as problem solvers.
4. Hulu: ‘Get The Disney Bundle’
Streaming giant Hulu uses a dramatic approach with its CTA. The dimmed background showcases their extensive content library, while the green and white CTA draws attention to the promotion. By offering a bundle with Disney+ and ESPN+, Hulu provides additional value to their subscribers.
5. Dropbox: ‘Sign up for free’
Cloud storage platform Dropbox embraces simplicity in its design. Their blue CTA stands out against the white background, inviting users to sign up for free. By offering a free version of their service, Dropbox entices visitors to take the first step and experience the benefits of their platform.
6. Netflix: ‘Join Free for a Month’
Streaming giant Netflix knows how to entice new subscribers. Their CTA offers a free trial for a month, eliminating the fear of commitment. By positioning the offer as a limited-time opportunity, Netflix created a sense of urgency and encouraged visitors to take action. Netflix has since ended free trials in the US, but the lesson still applies: removing the risk of commitment makes it easier to say yes.
7. Square: ‘Get Started’
Payment processing company Square uses a straightforward CTA on its homepage. By offering the opportunity to "get started," Square removes barriers and makes it easy for visitors to take the first step toward using their service.
8. Trello: ‘Sign up, it’s free!’
This CTA from Trello is simple and straightforward. It encourages visitors to sign up for the service, which is a common action they might be considering. By adding "it’s free!" to the CTA, Trello excludes a common drawback to signing up: the cost. This CTA works well for any service that offers a free plan.
9. Shaw Academy: ‘Enroll Now’
This CTA from Shaw Academy is found in a Facebook ad and includes several other CTAs within the ad. The ad uses various elements to create a sense of urgency in the audience, including exploding colors, an alarm emoji, and multiple exclamation marks.
10. Hootsuite: ‘Learn More’
Hootsuite's CTA is brief and concise, focusing on the bottom of the post. All the CTAs are focused at the bottom, while the benefits are presented at the top of the post. The "Learn More" CTA button leaves any extra information for the landing page.
How to measure the effectiveness of your call to action
Even after adding a great CTA, you need data to know whether it is working. Here's how to measure the effectiveness of your call to action:
Determine your CTA metrics
The first step to measuring CTA effectiveness is to define what metrics you want to measure. This will depend on the goals and objectives of your landing page. Some metrics you may want to consider include Click-through-Rate (CTR), Conversion Rate (CR), Return On Investment (ROI), etc.
Use tools for CTA tracking
After defining your metrics, use tools to track CTA performance. For example, you can use Google Analytics to track CTA clicks and conversions. If you're using email marketing, you can use third-party email marketing services to track metrics like open rate, clicks, and conversions.
Analyze and optimize
Next, you want to analyze the data and use A/B testing to try out different CTA variations. You can try out CTAs with different colors, copy, and placements. You can also segment your audience and find out how they respond to different CTAs. Once you get the final results from your analysis, optimize your CTA to improve performance. This could be using more words that provoke emotions or including a sense of urgency to motivate your visitors to take action fast.
Conclusion
In the dynamic realm of digital marketing, mastering the art of the call to action is essential for converting potential leads into loyal customers. By implementing clear and concise messaging, creating a sense of urgency, personalizing content, utilizing compelling design, focusing on benefits, incorporating interactive elements, integrating social proof, maintaining consistency, optimizing for mobile, and embracing A/B testing, you can unlock the full potential of your CTAs.
Need help turning more of your traffic into customers? ePlaybooks can review your landing pages and CTAs and show you where conversions are being lost. You can also read our guide to the best ecommerce landing pages for more inspiration.
