Call to Action (CTA)

A Call to Action (CTA) in online marketing refers to a visual or audible message that urges the user to take immediate action such as "Buy Now", "Start Your Free Trial" or "Call Now". Imperative verbs are normally used which call on people to take the desired action. Calls to Action worded to stress the benefit to the user are considered more effective, whereas generic CTAs such as "Click Here" lead to a smaller percentage of people taking the desired action.

Which call to action button works best?

It is impossible to explain what buttons work best in all cases as the effectiveness of the button will be influenced by many things. However, here are some best practices:

1. Buttons that work best are ones that have exciting action words. For instance, instead of words like 'enter,' a more exciting word could be used like 'reserve', or 'try.'
2. Button text should be large enough to draw attention, but not be too big.
3. Keep button text between two to five words.
4. Create a sense of urgency by adding words like 'today' or 'now.'
5. CTA buttons should be in colors that contrast with the background. For instance, on a green background, a contrasting color is orange. This will help to instantly draw attention to the CTA button.
6. Use first-person when writing button text.
7. Make sure that your CTA button is above the fold.

Why are call to actions important?

 

A strategic call to action can be used to motivate a target audience to take a step towards becoming a customer or a client. In order to achieve this, a call to action should be used as a transition between each step of the buyer's journey. By doing this, the call to action will tell the potential buyer what to do next. A well-written call to action will draw attention and generate interest and motivate the prospect to click through to the next step.

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