The call to action (also known as CTA) is the thing that prompts visitors to your website, social media page, or in this case blog to take the action you want them to take. This action could be signing up for your email newsletter, downloading your whitepaper, registering for your webinar, adding an item to their shopping cart or anything else.
But how do you get customers to take that action? How do you get that click? Trying to get customers to click on a button can be like trying to herd cats. They don't know what you want them to do and you sure can't get them where you want them. Or it can be a relatively smooth process, which turns visitors into hot leads. Read on to learn all about effective call to action tips and best practices.
1. Make the call to action prominent and noticeable to customers. You don't want it to be obnoxious so that visitors don't notice anything else on the page. You also, however, don't want customers to pass over the call to action without clicking on it. You can do this by placing it in a prominent location, often at the top or the bottom of your blog post. You can also use contrasting colors to help the call to action stand out against the background.
2. Focus on the language that you use for your call to action. Less is more when it comes to words, as you don't want your call to action to look cluttered. Keep it simple, yet use language that will inspire action, such as "Download," "Learn More" and "Discover". One of the other things to remember about the language of your call to action is to not be overly pushy. "Buy Now" might sound intimidating to some people, while "Add to Cart" may sound more engaging.
3. Make it clear what will happen if the visitor clicks on your call to action. People do not want to click on something if they don't know where it is taking them or why they should click it. So don't be vague or use language such as "Click Here" on your call to action. Make the benefits clear as well. Think about why someone would want to listen to your call to action. Will they receive an exclusive deal or a bonus over? Will they get informative tips and tricks that they can use? Be clear, and tell the visitor about these benefits.
4. Place customer testimonials near to your call to action. If a customer is hesitant about clicking on your call to action, a positive comment from a real customer can spur them into action. Don't put anything overly sales-focused. Just place positive customer comments that show potential customers that they can trust your company and that your products and services are top notch.
5. Try including visual aspects such as an arrow on your call to action. Visual aspects can help to focus a visitor's attention and increase the likelihood that they will click. However, don't add visual aspects just to add them. If they are confusing or if they don't add anything to the appeal of the call to action, then leave them out.
6. Use blank space around your calls to action to help them stand out from their surroundings. If you don't have enough negative space around your calls to action, they can blend in with your other text and images. Visitors' eyes need a chance to rest in order to remain engaged.
7. Make sure that your call to action matches up with your landing page. The visitor clicked on the call to action because they were interested in whatever it said. So you want to make sure that the visitor finds what they are looking for. When they click on the call to action, they should be taken to a targeted landing page that provides information and is highly relevant.
8. Finally, split test your calls to action! Don't be afraid to try different things. The best way to improve your call to action is to find out for yourself what works better. Test calls to action that have different language, different colors, different placements and different visual aspects. Analyze which call to action works the best for you, and create similar calls to action to gain more conversions.
