Abbie is on a website landing page reading information on one of the many companies she’s researching as she looks for a product that meets her needs. She’s left other, similar landing pages without ever engaging further. But here, the word choice, button color, and other aspects of the call-to-action (CTA) cause her to click through and move further into the "sales funnel." While she’s not consciously aware of it, the well-crafted CTA has given this company a chance to win her business.
While even the best CTA won’t convince people to engage if you don’t have a solid offering, if you do have great products and services, the right kind of enticement can create momentum toward a purchase. Below are some tips for crafting powerful calls-to-action.
- Simplicity sells. The question in the prospect’s mind as they ponder your CTA is, “What do I get by clicking?” Answering that question, in as few words as possible, keeps them focused on the action. If you can do it in five, great. If you can do it in two or even one, you’ve nailed it.
- Colors and contrast. There’s a whole science to using color to affect behavior, and I won’t go into any depth here. But bright colors that contrast nicely with the background are eye-catching and will increase your chances of getting the desired reaction from the reader.
- Be negative… sort of. Negative (or "empty") space around your CTA is the best way to draw attention to it. In fact, a CTA set away from other copy on a page practically begs to be clicked.
- Offer an easy out. One of the factors that keeps people from reacting to CTAs is the reluctance to start down a path that they can’t back out of. Reassuring them that there’s "no obligation" associated with their action can definitely increase click-throughs.
- Make ‘em smile. It’s fair to say that prospects are often skeptical, if not downright suspicious, when confronted with a CTA. If you can show them that you have a sense of humor, you’re much more likely to earn their trust. A "Click Here" button with text near it that mimics their inner voice by saying, "Don’t do it!", for example, is likely to get a grin… and result in more clicks.
- Not the same boring button. Submit, Learn More, Continue... There’s nothing wrong with these old standbys, but there’s nothing particularly compelling about them either. Compare them to buttons with a little more personality, like: Yes! Sign Me Up! I Want In! Yeah Baby! and it’s easy to see why more original and energetic words and phrases are likely to see higher click-throughs.
The Finishing Touch
With all the time and effort you put into coming up with your offer, designing and building your landing page, etc., it’s easy (or at least it’s not uncommon) to just slap a button on the page and wait for responses to come pouring in. But the truth is, all your efforts may be wasted if you don’t give visitors that final nudge that gets them to continue the process with a powerful CTA. And if you’re not testing your CTAs, you’re also doing your campaign a disservice.
As a leading content marketing agency, we’re experts in getting prospects to take the next step. That’s why you should take the next step and give us a call.
