How To Write a Great Call To Action That Converts

Every webpage should have a call to action (CTA) that is clear, honest and easily achievable. In fact, knowing how to write a great call to action is essential for generating leads with your website. For example, a button that says “Double your sales today” is somewhat vague, arbitrary and, quite frankly, most probably a waste of time. Meanwhile, a button that reads “Download our Inbound Marketing Checklist” is self-explanatory, structured and useful. It is easy to understand the proposition and what you will receive if you do click the button, making prospects more likely to click and engage. But it does not end there, as a CTA must follow a few rules in order to do its job effectively.

Use your words

Your message needs to be short and actionable. Words such as “discover” and “download” are great examples, as they put the visitor in charge and give a transparent idea as to what they’ll be met with after clicking the button.

Be consistent

If you have a Guide to SEO, the CTA needs to include the title, otherwise people won’t be sure what they’re downloading and could become confused or wary. As with all other forms of copy, clarity and consistency are key to successful CTAs.

Communicate the value

Most people will not simply download free resources or redeem offers presented to them; firstly they will need to know why it will benefit them. Be descriptive, for example, we say that our guides give expert insight, which will make a noticeable difference to your online channels.

Add some urgency

Though a long-term CTA can work wonders, adding an occasional time-sensitive offer can create a peak in interest. Whether it is a discount code with an expiry date or a limited number of resources available, there’s always a way to add a sense of exclusivity.

Visibility is essential

It could be the best CTA in the world, but if it’s hard to spot it may as well not be there. Using eye-catching design, attractive fonts and prominent placement will help to make it leap off the page.

Include alt text

Even in this age of responsive design and (almost) universal compatibility, sometimes an image simply refuses to load. It could be an error on the server, high security levels at the user’s end or a number of other causes, all of which result in a blank space or error message where there should be a CTA. Adding alt text creates an insurance policy by displaying a description of your CTA in the place where an image might be in the event that the image does not load.

Use A/B testing

Just because you think you have designed the best ever CTA, it does not mean that your visitors will agree. A/B testing divides traffic between two designs before providing metrics on engagement, allowing you to ascertain which of the two performs best, allowing you to deploy the most successful with confidence.

If you’re dedicating time to CTAs, you must surely be interested in increasing your web traffic. We recommend that you download our E-book, 25 Must haves to Drive Traffic, Leeds and Sales, then call us on 0800 998 7502 for further details on making your marketing go the extra mile.