Click here to win a million dollars!
If only it was that easy. There’s no denying that the above example would be a crazy-effective CTA. Your readers would be throwing themselves at their computers in a desperate attempt to click on your CTA. But unfortunately, real life call-to-actions rarely, or more like never, offer large amounts of moolah or any prospect that exciting (but wouldn’t that make your job so much easier?).
Your call-to-action is the bread and butter of your digital marketing plan. Killer CTAs can lead to a boost in conversion rates and a happier, healthier digital marketing plan.
If your CTA click rates are abysmal, don’t lose heart. There are certain steps you can take to make your CTAs more enticing, engaging and clickable! If you’re struggling to write effective CTAs, check out these tips for crafting compelling calls-to-action.
Change Up the Design
If your clients are overlooking your call-to-action, you may have to rethink your CTA design. Does your CTA stand out on the page? Is it obvious that you can click on it? Or is it an embarrassment to all CTAs everywhere?
When a reader opens your email or scrolls through your blog post, your CTA should instantly stand out. Finding the right size can be tricky. You want your CTA to be big enough that readers can easily find it, but not SO big that it’s a distraction.
Try playing around with the color and size of the button to make it more noticeable and ensure it doesn’t blend in with the background. Only change one thing at a time, such as the color or the shape of the button, when testing the effectiveness of your CTA. That way, if you see a significant increase or, hopefully not decrease in clicks, you’ll know it’s probably due to the design change.
Also, make sure you consider your brand’s color palette and design style when creating a CTA. The last thing you want is for your CTA to stick out like a sore thumb.
Give Your CTA Room to Breathe
White space is your friend. When including a CTA, be sure to give it some room to breathe. There should be negative space in between your CTA and any surrounding images or text. That way, your CTA is the focal point of your blog post, email or landing page, and the reader is more likely to spot it and, therefore, take action!
Use Action-Packed Text
Effective call-to-action buttons should include striking, action-oriented text that convinces readers to take the next step. You don’t have much room for your message, so make every word count! Use strong command words like “Download,” “Discover," “Join,” “Learn” or “Build” in your button text. Verbs provide guidance and compel the reader to perform the desired task.
Placement Is Everything
Rumor has it that you should always place the CTA above the fold to guarantee your readers see it right away. But this isn’t always true. You should only include an above-the-fold CTA in the right circumstances.
If you’re sharing a blog post, you wouldn’t want to throw your best offer at the reader right off the bat. They may smell desperation or a sales pitch and run for the hills. Instead, you want to let them slowly ease into the blog post, gathering more information and increasing their interest in the subject, before you present a CTA at the bottom of the blog post. After reading the entire blog post, they will be more likely to click the button and download content that further explores the topic at hand and pushes them ever closer to a purchase.
So, when should you place the CTA above the fold? If you’re trying to sell a low-priced item that may not require much persuasion on your part, a CTA above the fold is perfectly called for. However, when the landing page or post is focused on a high-end product or expensive service, you need to reel in your customers by giving them more information and convincing them that they NEED this product to solve a problem in their day to day lives. An early call-to-action may only hurt your case and scare them away.
You know your CTA is worth clicking on, but your customers may need a little convincing. One small CTA mistake could lose you a potential lead and, therefore, seriously hurt your conversion rates. Get more bang for your buck by considering all of the above factors when designing a CTA.
