Your company’s website should consistently work to attract prospects and convert leads. While search engine optimization (SEO) drives traffic to your site, it’s equally important to inspire visitors to take action once they arrive. Otherwise, the effort is wasted.
To achieve this, you must use a compelling call to action (CTA). These short, impactful statements help encourage readers to take some sort of action. When they’re done well, you can encourage traffic to click through to your site, download an eBook, subscribe to your newsletter, or make a purchase.
Below, I’ll unravel more about the importance of writing a great call to action, including examples.
What Does Call to Action Mean?
A CTA (or call to action) is a text prompt that encourages a specific action from your audience.
Often, a CTA is in the form of a clickable button. For instance, at the bottom of my blog posts, you’ll often see a button prompting readers to “Book Consult,” or “Get Started” – actionable phrases designed to make the next step clear and enticing.
Although most CTAs are short, some are in the form of a sentence that better suits the purpose of your message. For example, a CTA on a blog post might read: “Enjoyed this article? Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly updates!” or “Want more tips? Download our free guide below!”
Regardless of its length, a CTA’s goal remains the same: to get your prospects to do something you want.
Why Is a Call to Action Important?
The right words matter – especially in marketing. By effectively crafting a CTA, you can inspire your reader to take action, like click on your site, add an item to cart, or book a consult.
Without a strong CTA, your readers may simply continue scrolling or leave your site altogether. After doing all the work to get someone to visit your site, that’s the last thing you want to happen!
What Does a CTA Mean in Marketing?
Although this article will focus on CTAs in website content, a CTA can be found in all types of marketing, from social media to email campaigns. No matter where they appear, their responsibility is to clearly motivate your audience to take the next step.
Depending on your industry, certain CTAs will work better than others. To help determine which ones to use, marketers can test out CTAs using A/B testing. This comparison method helps compare two versions of a CTA – like the size of a “Book Consult” CTA button on a services page.
Types of CTAs
From customers to visitors to promoters, a wide variety of traffic may reach your website. Each audience segment arrives with unique intentions, requiring tailored CTAs to effectively guide them toward their goals. By understanding these varied needs, you can optimize user engagement and drive meaningful interactions on your site.
For instance, casual visitors might be exploring your website for the first time. To convert them into subscribers, you could use a visually appealing form submission for your newsletter sign-up. This CTA invites them to join your community and stay updated, offering value in exchange for their contact information.
On the other hand, loyal customers may be looking for quick access to product support or reordering options. A straightforward button leading to their account dashboard or support page would align better with their needs.
Promoters (those who already love your brand) may be eager to share your products or services with others. CTAs for this audience might include referral program links, shareable content, or social media prompts.
By customizing CTAs for different types of website traffic, you ensure that every visitor has a clear, engaging path to achieve their objectives while enhancing the overall user experience.
A/B testing can help determine which common CTA types would be best for your marketing.
- Contextual Links: Clickable text within the body copy directing users to a related page.
- Pop-Ups and Slide-Ins: Small windows that suddenly appear on a page or information that slides in to capture the audience’s attention.
- Buttons: Compelling phrases that encourage users to click and take the next step.
- Forms: A way to gather contact information through an enticing offer, like a free e-book or product discount.
- Banners: Engaging copy and design along the top, bottom, or side of a site that motivates visitors to click and take action.
Call to Action Techniques
Writing a great CTA can feel daunting. After all, this is your big opportunity to get your website traffic to take the next step.
You’ll want to remember the following techniques when crafting your CTA.
Make It Short
Make your CTA compelling enough to click using only a few words. Include a command verb at the start of the sentence or phrase to invoke the desired action – like “Buy,” “Shop,” or “Purchase,” then follow it with an adverb, such as “now.”
Make It Obvious
You don’t want any confusion from the reader about what you want them to do next. Make your CTA as straightforward as possible.
Make It Urgent
You want readers to take action now. Your CTA should create urgency, like outlining that an offer is for a limited time only.
Make It Emotional
You can also use a CTA to provoke emotion or enthusiasm by adding numbers or adjectives (“Buy now to save 60%!”) or making a promise (“Get rid of headaches for good!”).
Make It Original
Use creativity when designing your own CTAs to make an impact. Try incorporating humour or your brand personality to encourage your reader to take action.
Examples of a Call to Action
No matter what website content you write – blog post, Home page, or services page – you must include compelling CTAs.
On blog posts, they’re usually found at the end, whereas website content often has a CTA at each scroll. For example, check out this CTA (an example of a contextual link type) in this blog article. The final sentence, “Reach out today for a free consultation” links the reader to my contact page to book a consult.
I often use button CTAs as well, like the “Get Started” button here on my home page:
Getting Started with CTAs
Remember that some CTAs that work well for some companies may not work for yours. To inform your decisions on CTAs, be sure to test them out first with A/B testing.
The following are some great CTAs you can consider incorporating into your content:
- Get Your Free X (e-book, sample, etc.)
- Book a Demo
- Claim $X Discount
- Buy Now for A Limited Time
- Complete My Purchase
- Meet with Our Expert
- Connect with Us
Include Call to Action Techniques – Starting Today
Creating effective CTAs might seem straightforward, but it’s far from simple. The words you choose – and their placement on your website – carry significant weight. Even though CTAs are often just a few words long, those words can be the deciding factor in turning a prospect into a lead or missing the opportunity entirely.
If you’d like help writing engaging CTAs throughout your website, blog posts, or email marketing campaigns, I can help. Contact me today for a free consultation to get started.