Crafting effective calls-to-action (CTA) is crucial for turning website visitors into leads and customers. However, many businesses struggle to create CTAs that drive conversions. You’ll discover 15 proven best practices for optimizing your CTA to increase clicks and conversions.
An optimized call to action compels visitors to take a desired action, such as signing up for a free trial, purchasing, or downloading content. When crafted strategically, CTAs can skyrocket the conversions generated from your website traffic.
You will learn from the article:
- How to write compelling CTAs that drive more clicks
- Where to strategically place CTAs on your site to increase conversions
- How to design CTAs for higher conversion rates
- Examples of effective CTAs from top brands
Best Practices for Crafting Your CTAs
Your CTA copy has immense power to compel visitors to click. Follow these best practices when writing your CTAs to maximize conversions.
1. Use Strong Action Words That Compel Clicks
Strive to begin your CTA copy with powerful, urgent action words that spark an immediate response. Verbs like “Download,” “Register,” “Get Started,” and “Buy Now” clearly tell visitors what to do next. Avoid vague or passive phrases that don’t provide a concrete action.
2. Keep CTAs Short and Direct
CTAs with 2-5 words convert best by being scannable and focused. Get straight to the point. For example, “Start Free Trial” and “Add to Cart” are clear and concise. Don’t risk losing visitors’ attention with verbose copy.
3. Personalize CTAs Based on Your Audience
Tailor your CTA’s messaging to connect with your target audience’s needs and interests. Speak directly about the outcomes and benefits they want rather than about yourself. For example, “Join 1 Million+ Podcasters” speaks to that audience better than “Try Our Software.”
4. Make Your CTA Clearly Clickable
Visually convey clickability by using buttons, bold contrast, and underlined text. Never leave visitors guessing where to click. Ensure your CTA stands out and prompts the desired action.
5. Place Your CTA Above The Fold
Position your most important CTA front and center by placing it above the fold, the area visible without scrolling. CTAs placed higher up tend to convert better because they capture attention immediately before visitors scroll down. Avoid making users hunt for your call to action.
6. Include Only One CTA Per Page
Having multiple competing CTAs causes distraction and choice paralysis. Simplify by highlighting one clear CTA that moves visitors along your intended conversion path. Remove any secondary actions that could dilute its effectiveness.
7. Put Your CTA In Multiple Areas of Each Page
While each page should focus on one primary CTA, you can place it in multiple strategic spots for increased visibility. Consider displaying it at the top, middle, bottom, and even in sidebars or popups. Repeat exposure drives conversions.
8. Add Social Proof Near Your CTA
Build credibility by including trust-building elements like testimonials, reviews, and other social proof close to your CTA. For example, “Join over 500,000 satisfied users.” This extra reassurance helps convince visitors to click through.
Best Practices for CTA Design
Optimizing the visual design of your CTAs can significantly boost conversions. Apply these best practices to make your calls to action stand out.
9. Use High Contrast Colors for Your Buttons
Make your CTA buttons pop using bold, high-contrast colors like bright red, green, or orange. These hues stand out and grab attention better than muted tones. Stick to brand color palettes for consistency.
10. Keep Your CTA Button Text Brief
Keep the copy on your CTA buttons short and scannable, typically 2-5 words. Buttons with minimal text invite clicks. Lengthy phrases are tough to read and process quickly.
11. Make Sure Your CTA Stands Out
Draw users’ eyes to your CTA by making it a large, prominent element with ample whitespace around it. Strategically use contrast, size, color, and placement to make it a focal point that pulls visitors in.
12. Test Different Versions of Your CTA
Run A/B tests to identify the button text, design, color, and placement that drives the most conversions. Iteratively tweak elements like your CTA’s wording, size, and color until you find the optimal mix.
13. Measure CTA Performance with Heatmaps
Use heatmaps to see precisely how visitors engage with your CTA. This reveals opportunities to improve visibility, placement, and copy. Identify hot and cold spots. Position your CTA in hot zones where eye-tracking data shows high attention.
14. Explain the Value Proposition Before Your CTA
Address prospects’ potential concerns, questions, or objections above your CTA by clearly explaining your offer’s value and benefit. This builds desire, so they click rather than bounce. Share specifics on what they’ll get and how it solves their needs.
15. Create a Sense of Urgency
Spur immediate action by injecting urgency and scarcity into your CTA copy and surrounding content. For example, “Limited Time Offer – Expires Soon!” or “Only 4 Spots Remaining!” This capitalizes on FOMO and the instinct to act quickly.
Examples of Effective CTAs from Top Brands
Let’s look at real-world examples of stellar CTAs from leading companies:
- Facebook Ads – “Learn More” CTA blends into vibrant images, compelling users to click for info.
- Google – Prominent “Sign Up” CTA buttons enable one-click service access.
- Mailchimp – Action-oriented “Start Free Trial” CTA drives sign-ups.
- Amazon – 1-Click buying CTAs like “Add to Cart” enable seamless purchasing.
- Headspace – “Try for Free” CTA with a brief copy offers frictionless access.
Studying these and other top companies provides proven CTA optimization inspiration.
CTA Examples for Lawyers
Let’s look at some effective CTAs tailored for legal services:
- Personal Injury Lawyers – “Get Your Free Case Review”
- Criminal Defense Lawyers – “Schedule a Confidential Consultation”
- Car Accident Lawyers – “Calculate Your Settlement Value”
- Divorce Lawyers – “Download Our Divorce Guide & FAQs”
- Bankruptcy Lawyers – “Find Out If You Qualify to File”
- Employment Lawyers – “Speak with a Workplace Rights Expert”
- Real Estate Lawyers – “Get Help with Your Next Property Purchase”
- Wills & Estate Planning – “Create Your Free Will & Testament”
CTAs that focus on offering free consultations, guides, and case reviews help lawyers attract potential clients. Action phrases like “get”, “calculate”, “download” and “schedule” encourage visitors to engage further.
Key Takeaways
Here are the most essential CTA best practices to remember:
- Lead with strong, action-driven power words in your copy.
- Place your primary CTA above the fold and repeat in secondary locations.
- Limit each page to just one CTA to avoid choice paralysis.
- Make CTAs visually stand out through color, contrast, and size.
- Personalize your message to speak to your audience’s needs directly.
- Use social proof and urgency to boost trust and excitement to click.
- Continuously test and optimize your CTA for higher conversions.
FAQs
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about creating high-converting CTAs:
What 3 elements should be in CTA?
Your CTA should have an action phrase (e.g. “Sign Up”), a benefit statement (ex. “Get 10% off”), and a visual cue like a button.
How can I improve my CTA conversion?
Test different versions, increase visibility, add social proof, and create urgency. Follow the best practices in this guide.
What is the best color for CTA conversion?
High-contrast bright colors convert best, especially red, green, orange, and blue. Use your brand colors.
What is the best CTA placement?
Above the fold and in the visual hot zones identified by your heatmap data.
What is the best size for a CTA?
Make your CTA visible and legible. A larger size draws attention.
What is a good CTA click rate?
0.1% – 0.5% is an average CTA click-through rate goal to aim for. Top CTAs can reach 1% or higher.
What is a good call-to-action example?
“Start Free Trial”, “Sign Up Now”, “Get 10% Off”, and “Download eBook” are great examples.
Conclusion
Optimizing your CTAs is one of the highest-impact ways to increase conversions. Following the 15 best practices in this guide, you can craft compelling calls to action that capture attention and drive action.
Use this checklist to audit your existing CTAs and identify opportunities to improve their copy, design, placement, and ability to motivate clicks. Test new variations and continually refine your CTAs to boost conversion rates. Your website traffic will reward your effort with more leads, sales, and ROI.