5 STEPS TO AN IRRESISTABLE CALL-TO-ACTION

Getting people to your website doesn’t do you any good if they don’t convert into sales. One way to seriously boost your chances is by having great calls-to-action (CTAs).  

What is a “call-to-action?” It's the part of the landing page that the user needs to click in order to take action - like signing up for a free moving quote. I know it sounds simple but I see a lot of bad CTAs and those hurt your bottom line. 

Not sold on the power of smarter CTAs and testing yours?
Changing ONE word in a CTA got this company 90% more clicks!


*ContentVerve & Unbounce.com test using first-person word.

Wow! I know you want results like that, too. 
Here are a few tips to get better results from your website:
 

 

KEEP IT SIMPLE

All of these tips come back to simplicity. You have 8 seconds to capture a web surfing prospect’s attention. It isn’t a lot of time. That’s why it’s key to make the next step (what you’re really hoping they’ll do) as simple as possible. Make it mind-numbingly obvious if you can. 
 

The second you confuse people, you’ve lost them. 

BASICS OF A GOOD CTA: 

• Use a Button
• Easily Visible & Eye Catching
• Takes Advantage of White Space
• Contains Clear, Descriptive, Action Text

 

1. PEOPLE LOVE BUTTONS 

We’re actually wired psychologically to click buttons. In fact, our brains are more likely to notice them on a website. So, if your CTA’s don’t look like buttons or hard to see because of design choices, you are shooting yourself in the foot. 

Here’s a great example of a really bad CTA.
Can you find what you need to click? It's unclear what you should do next. 

SIMPLY PUT: Use buttons and make sure they LOOK like buttons. 

Put your call-to-action where people can find it. Don't hide it! The main CTA should be visible on the landing area of the page and it's a good idea to repeat it further down the page within the visitor's “eye path.”

Another key part of visibility? Keep out the clutter with "white space."
By including more open space into your website design, you emphasize the importance of key elements like CTAs and make them easier to see.
 

Take a look at Two Men And A Truck's site. The CTA is impossible to ignore - there's no question what to do and there isn't anything to draw the attention from the call-to-action (though the button text could be better).

 

3. TEST DIFFERENT COLORS & EFFECTS

The call to action should pop out at you. A good CTA stands out and still look good on the site. You can emphasize it with color, fonts, and design elements (like shadows and button size).

Now, there are a lot of theories on button color and you should try a few out. Generally green and orange do well but it truly depends on your site and its design.  

*ContentVerve color/shape test of client CTA button. 
 

Let's see that in practice on a real mover's site. This landing page has a good CTA, but that black button gets lost with everything else around it. 




If they changed it to a brighter color, like yellow, it would beg to be clicked. 



 

4. TEXT THAT ENCOURAGES CLICKS

What you say in your call-to-action is important. It can motivate, confirm, or confuse depending on what words you choose. Here are a few rules of thumb to get more conversions:
 

• First-person not third 
  •  "Sign Me Up" or "Get My Quote" instead of "Get Your Quote"
     
• Don't Be Passive - Use Action Words
  • Words like "Get", "Sign Up" and "Contact Us"   
     
• Be Specific And Clear
  • Avoid generic terms like "Submit" or "Go"
  • Pick words that make it completely clear what the user is doing and what they'll get by clicking
     
• Keep It Short
  • Longer CTAs tend to overwhelm a viewer
  • If it's longer than 5 words, rethink what you're trying to say

 

5. TEST THAT CALL-TO-ACTION

Keep in mind that every site is different. What works for most, may not work for you. It’s ALWAYS a good idea to test changes and see if they improve your conversion rates.

For example...bigger buttons aren't always better. Instead of emphasizing, they may intimidate. Test a little to find the sweet spot for your CTA.    

And, if you want to go deeper into crafting CTA's that get clicked, here's a great post on the Psychology of a great CTA 

That's it for today. Improve your call-to-action with these simple changes and I have no doubt you'll get more leads from your website.