A CTA website button guides web visitors towards a goal conversion. This could be anything from signing up for a newsletter, adding to cart for online stores or downloading an ebook. It’s an integral part of any landing page because it indicates what you want the user to do on your website. CTAs vary according to the website style and the goal conversion for which they are made but all CTAs have a single specific goal - to get the user to click. Here are a few best practices to keep in mind when creating your site’s call to action button.
1. Your CTA must be benefit and action oriented
All CTA website buttons are typically action-oriented but they don’t always present the benefits of acting on them. The worst ones you can use on your websites are the ones that says something so simple like ‘download’ or ‘click here’ or even ‘submit’. Sure, a user will probably click on them just to complete the task he or she was meant to do on your website but they will not convince a person who has not yet decided on whether or not to convert. If anything, they may not be enough to give that person the push they need to go ahead with the action. Your call to action button must highlight a benefit - the user must be able to have an idea what they get in return for clicking. Statements like ‘get my ebook’ or ‘join the fun’ and ‘let’s talk’ might be more appropriate.
2. The message must be consistent
Your call to action button must reflect the message of the content that came before it. After going through your site’s message, you want to make it clear what you want the user to do next and why they shouldn’t pass up on the chance to act on your CTA. For example, if you posted promotional copy on your kitchen design service, your CTA shouldn’t simply read, ‘contact us’ even if that’s what you want them to do. You might want to make it say something like, “Bring Your Kitchen Dreams to Life. Talk to Us Today.” There are so many creative ways to communicate the next action that you want users to take on your site. Do not be limited to the most common ones.
3. Make sure your call to action button stands out
You want to emphasize your CTA website button and make it stand out. Size matters when it comes to this design element but don’t make the button too big or the banner too loud that you risk drowning out your content. Whatever size you select, it has to be easy to read and there should be a significant contrast between your call to action button and the rest of your content. Also, make sure it is big enough to be clickable on mobile. After all, most people browse through their mobile devices nowadays so you want to make the experience positive for them.
4. Location matters
Where do you put your CTA website button? It really depends on what it is meant for. If you’re creating a CTA for a specific offer, you might want to place it after the relevant website copy for which it was intended. If you’re targeting bottom-funnel visitors - or those who are just about ready to engage with your business, you want to place it in areas where viewing them means an intention to buy such as the pricing section or user reviews page. Consider your visitor’s position in the buyer’s journey and determine whether your CTA might interest someone in their current state of mind or not.
5. Keep testing CTAs
Finally, it’s important to keep testing your call to action button to learn if it’s effective in attracting conversions. Keep trying out different colors, placements and messaging and measure the performance of your CTAs every so often.
