5 Easy Steps to Creating Powerful CTAs For Your Website
Editor’s note: This blog was originally published on June 15, 2021, and has been updated for accuracy and relevancy.
Do you want to learn how to create the perfect CTA to get your target audience to do what you want it to do? We would say it starts with a powerful CTA, but it actually ends there. In this article, you’ll find out exactly what we mean.
What is a Call-to-action?
Your call-to-action, or CTA for short, is a word or phrase that prompts the reader to take a specific action. Generally, CTAs are placed in the form of a button in a prominent spot on your webpage.
How to create a powerful CTA
When you’re writing a CTA, content is key. You have a limited amount of words to convince your audience to take action. The language you choose should push people to click or move on.
Below are five actionable tips to make sure you’re writing powerful and persuasive calls-to-action:
1) Use action words
Your CTAs need to be concise, clear, and straight to the point. One way to get there is to use action words that let users know exactly what to do next.
Listed below are popular examples:
Apply Now
Subscribe
Download
Learn More
Join Now
2) create value for your LEADS
What separates you from your competitors? Your prospective leads are doing research to find the best product or service that fits their needs. Give them a reason to happily do what you want them to do.
We’ve found that the best way to do this is to get them excited about an invaluable solution to their problem.
Highlight the problem. Offer your solution.
Use the information on your website to first highlight your prospective lead’s problem before offering the solution. For example, you recognize how challenging getting out of debt is. Your financial institution is offering a valuable solution — a consolidation loan to help pay off multiple lenders.
Congratulations. You have highlighted the problem. Now, introduce your product using the following CTAs:
Shed your Debt
Minimize your Debt
Maximize your Future
These CTA examples are personalized, include some attractive words, and offer debt consolidation as a solution. Great! That doesn’t guarantee anybody will be excited or take action.
There are plenty of financial institutions offering debt consolidation. Why should anybody pick yours? They’ll do so once you highlight what sets your product apart from the competition.
Be intentional about pointing out your unique selling perspectives. Provide value to your leads by offering lower interest rates or rewards programs, for example.
3) create a personalized statement
It’s important to speak directly to your audience. If email marketing is your medium, use the real names of your subscribers. Show your audience that you care for them. Personalized emails have a 122% return on investment (ROI).
Your CTA must appear tailor-made for your audience. For instance, as a financial institution, you’re marketing financial solutions, such as mortgage loans. While financial solutions are linked to mortgage loan options, that’s not how you attract a loan lead.
Remember that emotions get involved. Ask yourself why your members may want to apply. Your CTA must consider this element.
Your content should paint a picture of what your members’ lives could look like in a new home. Form an emotional connection causing them to take action. Then, give clear instructions on how to apply for financing.
4) be intentional with your design
Design is an important part of getting the CTA right. Nobody is going to find out what you’re selling if it’s hiding in your text and doesn’t stand out. This is why you need to be creative and use different elements to highlight your CTA.
Ready for good news? You don’t need a background in design to create a call-to-action that helps convert your leads.
But how do you make your call-to-action stand out? Let’s take a look at a few design elements.
Shape and size
Buttons do not have to be boring. You can come up with different shapes, including rounded buttons and buttons with square edges. Embrace creativity and choose what works for you.
Make your button large enough to click without overwhelming your leads. According to reports, the average button is 47.9 pixels tall.
Color
Using the right colors is a clever way to highlight your call-to-action button. Colors can have a major impact on your conversion rate. Think of your button colors in terms of psychology.
A University of British Columbia study found that red is connected to improved memory and attention to detail. According to the same study, blue helps improve creativity. You also have to ensure that your CTA button contrasts with the colors on the rest of the page.
A great tip is to use white space effectively, so your button stands out.
Placement
The placement of your CTA button is just as important as the button itself. The design of your webpages dictates your button placement. Place your button “above the fold,” the information your audience sees before scrolling down, when your page content is short.
For longer pages, your buttons can go below the fold once you capture your audience’s attention. You can even add two or more CTAs the more attention-grabbing your content is.
Accessibility
This is probably the most important consideration. Make sure all of your CTAs are accessible to all users and optimized on all devices. Nearly 20% of the world’s population is living with a disability and rely on assistive technology to browse a website.
You could miss out on 20% of your prospective leads if your CTA buttons neglect to address accessibility.
5) test your call-to-actions
It’s not enough to create a call-to-action and trust you did a sufficient job. Collect data and information to see how your CTA is working. The best way to do this is by split testing, also known as A/B testing.
Experiment with button color and size, button text, text links, forms, page design, and CTA placement.
Call-to-action buttons help users determine whether or not to browse your website, learn more about your products, or follow the digital path you laid out for them. It’s critical to get them right.
At OMNICOMMANDER, our top-tier marketing team is exactly what you need to help you design the perfect CTA for your business or product.
All you have to do is make the call. We can take it from there!
