Every website has a goal – whether it’s to inform and educate visitors, share valuable information, offer helpful resources – the list is endless. In order to do any of those things, you need to include a compelling call-to-action on your page.

A call-to-action, or CTA, is a word or phrase on your website that’s intended to provoke an immediate response from the visitor. CTAs can be displayed as a button or link, can serve different purposes, and are used in various places on your website.

Two of the most common places to include a CTA are on your website homepage or on a dedicated landing page:

  • On your website homepage – CTAs on your website might be used to encourage visitors to view additional related content, submit a lead capture form, or learn more about your product or service.
  • On landing pages – CTAs on your landing pages are optimized to improve the chances of visitors converting on your landing page offer – conversion rate optimized to complete your lead capture form, for example. A high-value piece of content is typically attached to landing pages in exchange for a prospect’s contact information.

Best practices to improve conversion rates

No matter the end-goal, there are several tried and true best practices to improve conversion rates:

Include actionable copy

The goal of a CTA is to persuade visitors to click. But, rather than simply hyperlinking the word “click” (because that’s the opposite of persuasive, and would likely kill your conversion rates), you should compel them to do something – something engaging and exciting.

Avoid passive language and long-winded text. Your CTA copy should be short, definitive, and action-oriented so users want to click through. It’s also a good idea to construct your CTA in the first-person to make prospects feel more connected to your offer.

For example, if your goal is to convince visitors to contact you for more information, “Send Me More Info” is more stimulating, and more personal, than “Submit.”

Create an eye-catching design

A CTA should pop. It should stand out from the rest of the content on your page. It shouldn’t take away from your main message, of course, but should be eye-catching enough to grab readers’ attention.

At the same time, though, don’t use a bold, contrasting color just for the sake of using a bold, contrasting color. Your CTA design should remain consistent with your branding. Knowing this, it’s important to keep in mind that “the right” color and design is going to be different for every company.

For example, SAP found that orange CTAs boosted their conversion rate over 32.5%, while Performable found that red CTAs boosted their conversion rate by 21%. It all comes down to discovering what works best for you and your audience.

Make it relevant to your offer

Relevance is pivotal. Nobody likes feeling confused or uncertain when they’ve already formed specific expectations.

Your CTA copy should appropriately reflect your proposal. For example, if you’re offering a white paper download, your CTA copy should make this known. The text you use should tell people exactly what they can expect by clicking your CTA. If there’s any disconnect, you risk confusing and frustrating visitors, and ultimately losing conversions.

Test, refine, and repeat

Finally, A/B testing is critical to every aspect of digital marketing. Try testing one color against another, or one text variation against another.

ContentVerve found a 90% increase in CTR by changing just one word in their CTA button copy.

Do the research, discover best practices, and apply this to your target audience in everything that you do as a digital marketer. You won’t have perfect results right away, but you always have the opportunity to analyze your performance rates, adjust accordingly, and improve.

We’d love to help you create your perfect CTA. Reach out today to get started.