Web Design

CTAs: Where, When and How to Use Them Successfully

Author
Abbey Warne
Published
2nd December 2021
Length
2 minute read

If you’ve ever done research on what a successful website should include, the chances are you’ve come across Calls to Action (CTAs for short). It might seem like a term that’s used far too much, but that’s because it’s incredibly important.

Essentially, it encourages website visitors to perform a certain action, like signing up to an e-newsletter or downloading a resource.

 

So, where, when and how do we use them successfully?

 

Where?

CTAs should be used on the web pages that have a large number of new visitors, which can be monitored using Google Analytics.

An ideal place to put a CTA is on your homepage, as this is where users will end up first. Besides, if you’ve already impressed them with your social media, or they instantly like what they see, visitors will want to find out how to contact you. So, it’s a good idea to add a ‘contact us’ button that links to a form. Towards the top of the homepage, preferably below a short summary of the company, is where it is likely to attract the most attention.

Another great place to put CTAs is in blog posts, which might, for example, direct visitors to a product on your online shop. Many websites also use CTAs in a pop-up message that tells visitors to sign up for an email newsletter or exclusive offer.

When?

Some CTAs can be left on your website permanently, but don’t stop there. As new offers and products become available, add new CTAs, as soon as possible.

So, if you’ve recently launched a new range, direct customers towards it through pop-ups or e-newsletters. For instance, if you own a bakery, you could have a pop-up that says, “check out our mouth-watering limited addition cakes,” and link it to a gallery, or, alternatively, as mentioned, it could be used in your email marketing.

 

How? 

Excite Your Audience

For a CTA to be successful, evoke as much emotion from your audience as possible. So, be enthusiastic! Use exclamation marks when appropriate if you feel it reflects your brand in the right way. Be excited about your products, just like a customer would be. So, if you have a great offer, shout about it. So, rather than saying, “sign up to receive a discount off all products,” specify it, tell them that it’s going to be a great offer, so “sign up and receive a whopping 60% off all products.”

Be Direct

With CTA’s there should be strictly no waffle and you should start with a strong command verb. For instance, you might want a button on your homepage that says, “contact us,” which will link directly to a contact form. Another example is, if you’re eager for customers to find out more about your business, a CTA button that says, “learn more.” Both of these are very short and to the point.

If you want a higher click-through rate, as mentioned before, add enthusiasm, and, if you share resources on your site, ensure your audience understands that it’s easy to access. So, rather than “download our latest marketing resource,” write “download our latest marketing resource now!”

 

The Takeaway

We hope you have learned more about when, where and how you can successfully use CTAs. So, in summary, remember: short, direct, enthusiastic, and you will be well on your way. You might also want to check out our post that’s based on 10 things to include when designing your homepage.

 

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