How To Craft The Perfect Call To Action

For small online businesses, every sale counts, meaning that getting a few extra clicks, shares or views is really crucial. Every image must be flawless and each package is handled with extra loving care. As an entrepreneur, you have gone the extra mile to grab attention and dollars. However, you may have overlooked one important feature of every piece of content you’ve ever published: the perfect call to action.

What is a call to action?

A call to action (CTA)  is a marketing term that clearly signposts potential customers towards taking the first steps towards a sale. They can vary in length, from just a few words to an entire sentence. They can also vary in the goal achieved from entering an email address, requesting a consult or completing an actual purchase.

The most important aspect of a call to action is that it encourages immediate attention. Calls to action are used in online correspondence with a button or a link, and they can appear at the end of blog posts, on social media updates, or within resources like white papers. CTAs can be a short phrase like “Click for more info” or “Request a Demo”. However, they can also be longer and more complex like “Learn more about how we can help you find financial security”.

CTAs can increase engagement, lead to higher conversion rates, and increase sales if they are done correctly. Below you will find five excellent tips for improving your website experience with the perfect call to action:

Crafting the perfect CTA

#1. Choose a strong command verb.

A command verb is clear and concise. It demonstrates the action that should be taken and includes a sense of urgency. Click here, start now and sign-up fast are all examples of a strong command verb and are often used for CTAs.  

#2. Be enthusiastic.

While it is generally agreed that exclamation points should be used sparingly, a call to action is the perfect excuse for that Shift+1 symbol. Exciting language and enthusiasm should be encapsulated with each CTA to encourage more clicks.

#3. Demonstrate value.

When creating a CTA, website visitors need to understand exactly what they will be receiving in exchange for their information, money or time. Be very transparent about what you are offering to increase conversion rates. There’s nothing more frustrating for website traffic than feeling like they’ve been tricked into a situation with false promises.

#4. Optimise!

Even the best call to action buttons are worthless if bad design puts them in the corner of a screen that can’t be clicked. Be sure that your website is optimised for every sized screen, and that your content and CTAs look great for mobile, tablet and desktop.

#5. Be brief.

When crafting the perfect call to action, less is more. A shorter length allows you to display the button in various places for better results. Test different colours and fonts, but remember the key is to use strong language in as short of space as possible.  

The perfect call to action doesn’t usually just happen. Instead, it takes time to see what works and what doesn’t. It’s worth creating some A/B tests to see how your audience responds to various prompts. Don’t be discouraged if one or two don’t pan out. Keep trying and testing until you find the perfect level of excitement for your website visitors. (And don’t forget to check out our awesome CTA just below!)