Call to action is a marketing term used extensively in selling and advertising. Call to action generally refers to the use of phrases and words which are generally incorporated in the web pages, sales scripts or advertising messages. The main purpose is to encourage consumers to take quick action.
Importance of Call to Action
A call to action is a significant part of any website. No matter what your objective is, whether it is about filling the contact form or signing a newsletter or about reading a blog post – call to action is crucial, as it guides the visitor towards a clear direction in the accomplishment of a goal. When there is an effective CTA it helps in increasing not just the revenue of the company, it also helps in expanding the customer base. CTA’s are used frequently through the web. All business owners use different types of CTAs which help in driving profitable results. It needs to be noted that conversions, business, revenue and profit are all dependent on successful CTA. In digital marketing, CTA can be in the form of form of a button or it can be just a statement. Conversion means the success of CTA. This generally happens with tap or click of the link. However, there is actually no one way in which CTA can urge a user to respond.
Types of CTA – Here are some of the most common kinds of CTA’s
- Try it Now
- Read More
- Add to cart
- Subscription sign-up
- Online Chat
- Social media buttons
- Only a limited number available. Buy now
Call to Action buttons can be anywhere in a page. These can be at the end of a page, they might be in the header, they might appear as Pop Ups or even in Slide-in Panels. No matter where they appear, the main objective of these buttons is to persuade a visitor to take an action which benefits the business.
There are three main features of Call to Action:
- Design – The way it looks
- Placement – Where it is place
- Text or Copy – What does it say?
If you need your CTA to work, it does need a bit of effort. It doesn’t actually help in placing it anywhere on a page. It is important that your visitors can see it easily and they understand what they need to do. Besides, it shouldn’t be tough to read. It shouldn’t be confusing, and it shouldn’t be misplaced. When professional digital marketers are hired, they carry out a number of tests which includes even checking the colour of the fond used to the style of button. This is the only way to ensure that the CTA buttons are converting.
Remember a CTA is an essential component of a successful website. It is necessary to understand how content, design and ranking factors like PPC and SEO work, which can help in driving success of the website. It will definitely help in improving the business.
Here are some easy strategies which can boost your CTA and help in conversions:
Writing in First Person – There are many calls to action which use boring copy such as ‘Click here’ or ‘Download your guide’. These usually do not inspire much as they target what the visitor wishes to do next. However, if it changed to ‘my’ ‘me’ or ‘your’, it can help in conversions.
Inspiring Actions with Verbs – Are ready to get all your calls to action to convert? If yes, try not to start them with different adjectives. Instead it is a good idea to let your users know what happens when they choose to click the words. Remember that all verbs are not created equal. Thus, when it is about copywriting, words like ‘get’ or ‘buy’ do convert a lot better. They convert better than words like ‘download’ or ‘purchase’.
Here are some phrases which are known to help in conversions:
- Get my free sample
- Find my gym
- Start my FREE trial today
- Show me How
- Tell me more
- Create my account
It is also important to ensure that the call to click is clickable for conversions. You need to decide if you wish to make it a button. You also need to understand, if it will be surrounding the text or appearing in a particular section. If the visitors do not understand that they need to click, how will they click? Thus, the design should be such that it is clickable. Here are some more tips to ensure conversions:
- Let it be snappy and short
- The size should be standing out but it shouldn’t be overpowering
- You need to use a colour which pops and can be seen easily
- Test if it is working
Call to action will work only when it is designed well and placed strategically. It has helped businesses in converting.