Having millions of viewers may be an accomplishment, but those visits don’t mean much for your business’s success if they’re not converting into sales. One of the easiest ways to turn general traffic into paying customers is to have a compelling call to action (CTA).
Although any CTA is better than none, a few simple tricks and tips can help your CTA design stand out and boost your conversion rate. Check out our top thirteen recommendations below!
Keep it Short and Sweet
CTAs aren’t the place to break out the creativity. Have trust in the rest of your copy to attract and inform customers about the actual product or service and leave the brevity and clarity to your call to action, which should be a short, straightforward phrase that is easy to read and understand. For example, “start here” or “subscribe” are simple yet effective ways of promoting interest.
Persuasive and Active Language
Use the few words you have in a CTA to promote action using verbs like “register” or “download” and explicit language. After all, a call to action simply requests visitors to do something. Your phrase should clearly state what that something is and why they should be doing it.
Use Reverse Psychology
Don’t use reverse psychology in your call to action. It may get too much attention and boost your conversion rate too much.
Research has shown that reverse psychology is an effective marketing tool, no matter how notorious it may be. However, a subtle approach may be best.
Placement
One of the most important aspects of a CTA is its placement. Your button should be easily recognizable and clickable, but it should also be nestled in with the other copy on the page to have relevant context. Most visitors won’t look at your entire page, especially a long one, no matter how engaging your content is. The more a potential buyer has to scroll to stumble upon your call to action, the less likely they’ll be to find it. So place CTAs high up and make them noticeable.
Less is More
The more CTAs, the better, right? Not necessarily. Having many CTAs can make it easier for visitors to find and click on them, but too many can discourage sales and seem like spam. You can also temporarily remove CTAs for a short period to imply that demand is high or that your products and services are limited, which often increases interest.
Before you go…
You may think that a user leaving your site means you’ve failed, but there’s still plenty of opportunities to snag a sale as they’re on their way out. Exit CTAs can be just as effective (if not more so) than those standard, run-of-the-mill CTAs accompanying copy, especially when they offer a reward. Spin to win, discounts, and tips are a great way to re-engage customers you would have otherwise let slip between your fingers.
Size matters
To make your CTA clear and readable, it should be large enough for even those with visual impairments to read but not so large that it may be overstimulating or dominate the page. It should also be able to adapt to different screens so it will be proportional on mobile, desktop, and other screens, which can require some testing as you design.
Simple is Better
Above all, a call to action is a functional element rather than an aesthetic one. Just like actual text, the design elements of your CTA should be attractive and garner interest but should also be clean and straightforward. Anything too extravagant could be distracting, muddling the messaging or intent of the action to the point of limited understanding.
Bold and Beautiful
Simple, however, does not have to mean dull. Use bold colors, fonts, and design elements to catch the attention of potential buyers. Your visitors’ eyes should be automatically drawn to the CTA as they scan the page, so make sure it stands out from other text and elements clearly and legibly without becoming obnoxious or gaudy.
Color Theory
Color theory is an essential facet of website design, and a call to action is no different. Using colors that connect to your branding is always a safe bet, but there’s also a lot of data about the connection between colors and psychology that you could use to your advantage with just a little bit of research. See examples of such colors in the works of user experience design firms.
Typography
When it comes to design and aesthetic elements, don’t forget the power of the text itself. Using standard or branded text won’t set your call to action apart and draw as much attention as something more unique. But don’t get carried away. Above all, the text must be readable and clear.
Use Visual Aids
Buttons and links are the most common CTAs, but they’re not the only formats you can use. Think outside the box when it comes to placement to encourage your visitors to learn more about your products and services in a fun way, such as with a video, animation, or slideshow.
Add effects
Make your call to action enjoyable to use to be more inviting, such as by adding hover elements, sounds, or animations. These elements can not only be fun but functional. For example, you can clarify the meaning of a phrase by adding a pop-up explanation or increase accessibility by including an option to have the text read aloud. The more people that can understand and interact with your brand, the better!
In Closing
You can do hours and hours of research, but the best way to find what truly works for your audience and customers is to put your CTA to the test. What’s effective for someone else’s website and products may not be for you, especially if you’re selling something unique! Following ‘rules’ like the ones above are all well and good and will do a lot for boosting your sales, but these tips and tricks can only go so far.
Although numerous successful online businesses already use these steps to convert their visitors and have found great success in doing so, there’s plenty of room for creativity in design and implementation. The only way to set yourself apart and come up with new ideas will be to try them for yourself, so go ahead and experiment! It would help if you also spiced up your CTA frequently to catch the attention of visitors who may have stopped by your site before or to re-engage those that may have begun to lose interest.
Have any tips you’ve found that work for your call to action? We’d love to know!