A Call To Action or action button, popularized under the acronym CTA, is, as its name indicates, a button that allows you to make your leads act by pushing them to contact you. This tool is used in the context of a digital strategy, and more precisely in the context of an inbound marketing strategy. CTAs are used to convert leads into prospects: they allow you to collect the contact information of site visitors in order to get them into a lead nurturing process. So if you want to get the contact information of your leads, you need to insert CTAs on your website, but above all: you need to optimize them! Your leads must indeed take action so that you have the opportunity to convert them into customers later on. Discover in this article all our tips to optimize your CTAs. Call-to-actions will soon have no secrets for you!
What is a Call To Action (CTA)?
A CTA is a powerful weapon that helps you generate leads. Indeed, there is no point in having a perfect editorial strategy and beautiful marketing content if none of them generate leads. It can even be frustrating to generate a lot of traffic on your website, but not increase your number of leads. An optimized CTA will allow you to move your visitors to action: it can encourage them to download a white paper, to request an audit, to make a quote, to subscribe to the newsletter or simply to contact you.
But be careful: a good CTA is not a simple button! It is the result of the combination of three elements necessary for its optimization: a catchphrase, a button and a visual. Above all, a CTA must meet the needs of your visitors: by clicking on it, they must be able to find an answer to their needs.
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Optimize your Call To Action (CTA)
Use flash colors
In order to entice visitors to click on your CTA, you should use flash colors: they will catch their attention. If it is important that this color stands out, it must nevertheless remain harmonious with the design and graphic charter of your website. For this, we advise you to use bright colors such as red, yellow, orange or green. By using the right colors, you will increase the click rate on your CTAs.
Place the Call To Action (CTA) well
To optimize your call-to-actions, it is essential to place them in strategic, visible places that will not go unnoticed during the visit of your site. The idea is that this button attracts the visitor’s attention. It must be easily accessible: the visitor should not need to look for it!
For this, we advise you to integrate your CTA in 3 strategic places of your blog posts: at the beginning, in the center and at the end. Also make sure to integrate a call-to-action in your emailings or in your newsletter, on your sidebar or on a pop-in page. However, be careful not to abuse this last method, as it may turn off visitors.
Be brief and punchy in the texts
It is customary to consider that a 5 to 10 word catchphrase is enough to convince visitors to click on a CTA. It should not be longer: it is not a sales pitch but a call to action! That’s why you need to write short and punchy texts. In addition, it is important to remain consistent in the formulation of your CTAs. To do this, always remember to unify your mode of expression. Do you prefer to use the imperative or the infinitive? The choice is yours, but stick to it! Also remember to use action verbs such as “Download” or “Sign up”. This trick allows you to clarify the benefit that the visitor will get from his action: no risk of disappointing him. In short, the message must be simple, intelligible and powerful. In addition, make sure you don’t use expressions that are too generic such as “Buy”, “Learn more” or “Click here”. You should try to personalize your message to convince the visitor to click on your CTA.
One page = one consistent action
A fundamental rule for optimizing your CTAs: the different call-to-actions on a page must be consistent! If you don’t respect this rule, you run the risk of creating confusion in your visitors’ minds by offering them a multitude of different actions on the same page. For a blog article on inbound marketing, for example, you should insert a call-to-action inviting the reader to download a white paper on the subject, and a second one proposing to make an appointment. Each page of your website should offer the visitor to perform an action consistent with his interests and needs. The CTA can then lead to the download of a content, to a contact request, to the subscription to a newsletter…
However, be careful: in the particular case of a landing page, only one CTA must be present. The objective of the landing page is to convert your visitor into a lead, you could be counterproductive by offering a distraction or another alternative.
Control the size of the Call To Action (CTA)
Your CTA should be neither too big nor too small. You must choose the right size to optimize your CTAs. Indeed, a call to action that is too big could distract visitors from the main content of the page they are visiting. Keep in mind that your visitors are browsing your site primarily to learn about your company and the expertise you convey through your blog posts. A CTA that is too large will hinder their navigation, which will result in them turning away from your article, or even running away from your site. However, a good call to action should not be too small either in order to be sufficiently visible.
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Get your message across
In order to reinforce the impact of a CTA, do not hesitate to integrate different elements. Although optional, they can help improve the click rate on your CTA. Among others, you can decide to add :
- A reassurance message: this type of message is intended to reinforce the visitor’s decision to click on the CTA (number of subscribers, number of downloads…).
- An urgency message: this type of message creates a sense of urgency in the visitor in order to encourage them to take action, by insisting on the fact that this is a temporary or exceptional offer.
As you can see, optimizing your CTAs is essential if you want to generate leads in mass! By adopting these best practices, your CTAs will effectively encourage your visitors to take action. Optimized call-to-actions will also give you the opportunity to start a win-win relationship with your readers. You provide them with a service they are interested in (downloading a white paper, registering for a webinar or a newsletter…) while collecting their contact information. With this information, and in an inbound marketing approach, you can then engage your leads in a lead nurturing process, in order to make them mature and then convert them into customers!
There is no such thing as a standard CTA, ready to use and that works every time. So, don’t hesitate to perform A/B tests in order to choose the most efficient solution. Also, make sure to regularly update your call-to-actions so that they are always up-to-date.
How to Optimize Website Conversions by Improving Your CTA
