5 Dos and Don’ts of an Effective Call to Action

What the heck is a call to action anyway and why is it so important? Well, calls to action increases the value of your content. It tells your audience what their next logical step is, whether its learning more information from a relevant blog post, downloading a must-have resource, or helping them evaluate a product before making the decision to buy. No matter where your audience may be in the marketing lifecycle for your business, a call to action (CTA), should be included each step of the way. But, not all calls to action are created equal. A successful CTA that sees high conversion rates will have a persuasive combination of text, size, color, font, and location. 

That’s why we’ve laid the groundwork for a successful CTA for your business below. 

Don’t overlook the power of color. 

There is no question that color is influential, but research shows that it is largely driven by personal preference, experiences, upbringing, cultural differences, and context. So how do you know what will work for your specific audience? Aside from knowing your audience and constantly testing, when looking at your website or email ask yourself – what makes this clearly stand out as an actionable button? Where is my eye drawn to click? 

HubSpot, for example, found that, for them, a red CTA button outperformed a green CTA button by 21%. However, a red button will most likely not stand out if the background is similar, so always take the color scheme into consideration. 

Some websites support variable testing which allows your site to color test CTA buttons. Check into this and see if you can find your company’s winning CTA color. 

Do use the possessive. 

There is no question that color is influential, but research shows that it is largely driven by personal preference, experiences, upbringing, cultural differences, and context. So how do you know what will work for your specific audience? Aside from knowing your audience and constantly testing, when looking at your website or email ask yourself – what makes this clearly stand out as an actionable button? Where is my eye drawn to click? 

HubSpot, for example, found that, for them, a red CTA button outperformed a green CTA button by 21%. However, a red button will most likely not stand out if the background is similar, so always take the color scheme into consideration. 

Some websites support variable testing which allows your site to color test CTA buttons. Check into this and see if you can find your company’s winning CTA color. 

One word is all it takes to increase your click-through rates on a call-to-action by 90%, according to one split test run by Beem Digital. Changing the possessive determiner from “my” to “your” can make a world of difference in the success of your CTA. That said, be sure to put a lot of thought into the message itself and not just how it’s being delivered. 

Don’t make your readers search for your CTA. 

No one wants to or should have to put in effort to figure out how to take the next step.  Be sure the CTA is easy to find and is in a location that makes sense. People often consume web content in an F-shaped pattern, reading horizontally toward the upper part of the content, then down slightly and stopping short of the original movement, before finally scanning down vertically for any relevant information. Use this knowledge to your advantage when choosing a location for your CTA.

When it comes to printed marketing pieces, the age-old debate of whether above the fold or below the fold is a more effective location for a CTA. Once again, the answer is, it depends. When it comes to complex topics, one study found that there was a whopping 304% increase in conversion rates when the CTA was below the fold. 

CTAs should always be included above and below the fold in electronic marketing pieces. 

Do your research. 

What matters to your audience? Is it the location of your business, product, price, or timeliness? Address those most important values in your CTA. Of course, keep it succinct, yet as specific as possible to ensure you don’t lose out on conversions. By focusing on relevant features and values that make the most impact on your customers for each campaign, post, or page, you can increase your click-through rate significantly.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that one size fits all. 

As confusing as it may be, there’s no one right answer for every industry or market, or even your business. Depending on your goal for each step of the marketing process, the framework for your email, website, or post, may differ each time.  Make sure you are using the appropriate text, size, color, font, and location for the medium. . However, be sure to adhere with branding guidelines to keep consistency throughout your marketing materials. Plus, it always helps to consult an analytics expert when evaluating any variable testing.

Are we leaving you with more questions than answers? Feel free to reach out to our team for a free consultation to see what CTAs would work best for your business. We also cover the basics of email CTAs in our free e-guide, 5 Ways to Make Email Marketing Success.