Technically, a Call to Action (CTA) is the button, link, or text on your website that encourages users to complete a certain behavior. Some examples of website CTAs might be “Get Started,” “Contact Us,” “Sign Up Today,” or “Download a Free Trial.” Featuring your phone number or email address on a home page can also be considered a CTA. One of the most common online CTAs that you probably use every day is the “Google Search” button underneath the query bar on the Google homepage.
CTAs can have a deep impact on your online success. Think about the purpose or goal behind your business website. Are you looking to make online sales, provide information about your products and services, offer a way for customer to get in touch, or all of the above? To achieve these customer behaviors or outcomes, your business website must point visitors in the right direction. Adding thoughtfully designed and carefully placed call to action buttons on your site can cause a higher percentage of visitors to make a purchase, complete a sign up form, or contact you.
If you’d like to re-evaluate how your business website design uses calls to action, then check out these tips and best practices below:
Best Practices for Online Calls to Action
Find Focus
Prioritize your website goals. Are sales more important to your organization than sign-ups for your email list? Then design CTAs that reflect your priorities. If sales are most important, this CTA should be the most visible on your page. Sometimes business sites use too many CTAs shouting “Click Here!” “Buy Now,” or “Try This.” This can result in an overwhelming or frustrating experience for visitors, decreased engagement, and a lower number of clicks or conversions.
Test New Ideas
What would happen if you moved your call to action from the top left side of the page to the top right? Would this improve its visibility and drive more people to click or take action? It is an industry best practice for web designers to test new placement, design, and copywriting for calls to action. Maybe switching from a yellow button to a green button can improve your online sales? The only way to find out is to test.
Measure Results
Piggy-backing on the last tip about testing, business owners should assess the website’s current performance and then measure any improvements after testing a new CTA. Google Analytics is a free and easy-to-use tool for tracking website metrics. When testing CTA performance, take a close look at the percentage of visitors who click or navigate further when they get to your homepage. Also look at whether any of those clicks result in a sale, sign up, phone call, or email.
To get the most out of your online calls to action, partner with an experienced web design firm. At Anchor Wave in Tucson, we specialize in improving web performance and digital ROI for small- and medium-sized organizations. Learn more about us by visiting our website or calling (520) 622-3731.
