There is little use having a product or service if few people engage with it, right? This is where a killer call to action (CTA) can grow your conversion rate and keep potential customers engaged.
A call to action is an instruction used in marketing campaigns that helps encourage website visitors to take the desired action outlined in the text or graphic.
A call to action can include any one of the following or even a combination of:
- A text hyperlink that takes you directly to a specific part of the website, for example the payment page. ‘Pay here’.
- A CTA can also be an inviting string of words with a button/link that guides you to a further service or product to entice you even more than you already are, such as ‘Users who have just bought (whatever it is that you have just bought) also looked at this’, with this being the link.
- Then there is plain text with no link that simply TELLS you what to do, in the most persuasive manner, or course! Typical examples of any of these include ‘Buy Now’ or ‘Download Now’.
- But the ones that create a sense of urgency are the best, such as ‘If you don’t buy within the next hour, the special expires!’ kind of urgency. The possibilities are endless and if you can create a sense of missing out, even better.
Your call to action must be clear and unconfusing; customers must know what to expect when they follow your instructions.
A good CTA can assist with decision fatigue and add meaningful value to your content. Even if it’s a simple two-word prod, users need some direction to know what to do next. ‘Subscribe here’ is the most common.
Successful call to actions are obviously those that result in conversions, whatever that may entail, from buying a product, subscribing to a newsletter or entering a competition, and more. So long as the CTA encourages potential customers to engage on your site, then your call to action has worked and if the user follows the order (request), the conversion is assured.
What a call to action must have
A CTA must be punchy, direct, and comprise strong action words (verbs, to the language scholars out there). Having a short and powerful CTA is more persuasive, and when it comes to character limits for ads, it is vital. Start with a verb (‘Click’) and follow with an adverb (‘now’) or a subject (‘newsletter’), or both.
Here are two call to action examples using the above info: ‘Click Now’ or ‘Subscribe to ouu Newsletter now.’
This ensures that the web user knows exactly what is entailed and what the result will be when they follow the instructions.
Different audiences require different calls to action. Here are some more common purpose CTAs:
If your audience is e-commerce, then your CTAs will include Buy, Shop, Order, Reserve, Save, Add to Cart, Pick and View.
A call to action should involve a short instruction that encourages enthusiasm in the web user.
Non-profit organistions on the other hand would have CTAs that include Donate, Commit, Volunteer, Adopt, Give and Support. Softer, but still effective. Whereas, if you are speaking to a community or guiding the user to read your newsletter, a more apt call to action can include Subscribe, Join, Sign Up and Refer.
The one call to action that will possibly elicit the most engagement would be when there is something to give away, so the obvious CTAs would include Download, Get, Grab, Claim, Take advantage of etc. The enthusiasm here would probably be tangible!
There are obviously as many calls to action as there are products and marketing angles. Generally, CTAs could also include Learn More, See More, See How, Start, Find Out, Check it Out, Click here, Continue, Swipe Up, Read More here etc.
So, as long as the call to action is clear and concise, the conversions should happen naturally.
Now, go and create a powerful call to action and watch the conversion rate climb!
