Crafting effective calls-to-action (CTAs) is vital across various channels, however, landing page optimisation and specifically, quality CTAs is crucial to encourage engagement.

What is a CTA?

A Call-to-Action is a prompt or directive aimed at encouraging a specific action from the audience. CTAs are typically concise and action-oriented, designed to capture the audience’s attention and motivate them to take immediate action. They often include verbs that prompt the user to act, such as “buy now,” “subscribe,” “learn more,” “register,” or “download.” CTAs play a crucial role in driving conversions and achieving business objectives by directing user behaviour towards desired goals.

How best to position a button

All too often I am asked to put a button or CTA on a page template prominently, this results in repetition and in turn often sends a message to ignore all, sure, there are elements such as a consultation or a newsletter that require easy access, however, putting the time in to consider the users journey at the point in the page they are on is a wise move, as is making it super relevant to the content on that page.

I would also suggest that having too many buttons or CTAs detracts from the user experience and as part of your website design or page design you should look to make internal links less of a CTA and focus instead on the CTA of most relevance to the product, service or content on each page. Landing page optimisation is a process that more thoroughly looks at each page and should consider things such as the campaign it is the landing page of, its purpose in the user journey and at all times remain true to the brand Tone of Voice.

Creating Compelling CTAs

The principles for creating compelling CTAs remain consistent:

1. Clarity and Simplicity: Ensure clarity by using straightforward language and simplicity to resonate with your audience.
2. Action-Oriented Language: Start with action verbs and create urgency to prompt immediate response.
3. Highlight the Benefit: Clearly articulate the value or benefit the user will gain from engaging with the CTA.
4. Personalization: Tailor CTAs to your specific audience, addressing their needs and using personalized language.
5. Visual Appeal: Design visually appealing CTAs with eye-catching buttons and consider their placement for maximum visibility.
6. Create a Sense of Exclusivity: Use language that implies exclusivity or a special opportunity to entice users.
7. Align with Brand Voice: Maintain consistency with your brand’s tone and personality in the CTA language.
8. Mobile-Friendly CTAs: Ensure CTAs are optimized for mobile devices for seamless user experience.
9. Provide Assurance: Address potential concerns or objections within the CTA to reassure users.
10. A/B Testing: Experiment with different variations of CTAs to determine what resonates best with your audience.

Really try to put yourself in the position of the user when planning the content and page design –  providing the prompts and complimentary designs to help them identify and interact with the information that is most likely to be of relevance to them.

The following are versatile examples of CTAs tailored for different business purposes:

1. Special Offers:

• “Unlock Savings: Claim Your Exclusive Offer Today!”
• “Limited Time Only: Get X% Off with This Special Deal!”
• “Act Fast: Grab Your Discount Before It’s Gone!”

This Offer also works for exclusive access to new features, products, or promotions in exchange for action. This CTA creates a sense of urgency and incentivises visitors to take immediate action.

2. Customer Feedback (NPS) Promotions:

• “Share Your Feedback: Take Our Survey and Win a Prize!”
• “We Value Your Opinion: Complete Our Survey for a Reward!”
• “Help Us Improve: Rate Your Experience for a Chance to Win!”

Encourage visitors to connect with your brand on social media platforms. This CTA helps expand your reach, build credibility, and foster ongoing engagement with your audience. Take it a stage further to allow competitions, gifts of freebies for example:

“Sign-up here and follow us on FB/Insta/X/Threads etc to win a free sample.” Or “All our ‘rising fan’ badge holders Sign up for preview” “Get a friend to share to win 2x Tix”

3. Podcast Streamings:

• “Tune In Now: Listen to Our Latest Podcast Episode!”
• “Never Miss an Episode: Subscribe for Exclusive Content!”
• “Join the Conversation: Stream Our Podcast and Engage Today!”

4. Product Launches:

• “Be the First: Pre-order Our Newest Product Now!”
• “Get Exclusive Access: Sign Up for Product Updates!”
• “Experience Innovation: Reserve Your Spot for Early Access!”

5. Event Registrations:

• “Save Your Seat: Register Now for Our Exclusive Event!”
• “Don’t Miss Out: Secure Your Spot at Our Upcoming Seminar!”
• “Join Us: RSVP Today and Network with Industry Leaders!”

6. Membership Sign-ups:

• “Unlock Benefits: Become a Member for Exclusive Perks!”
• “Join Our Community: Sign Up and Access Premium Content!”
• “Upgrade Your Experience: Enroll Now for VIP Membership!”

Invite visitors to join your online community or forum where they can connect with peers, ask questions, and share insights. This CTA fosters engagement and loyalty among your audience.

7. E-book Downloads:

• “Expand Your Knowledge: Download Our Free E-book Today!”
• “Discover Insights: Get Your Copy of Our Latest E-book!”
• “Gain Expertise: Access Our E-book Library Now!”

8. Newsletter Subscriptions:

• “Stay Informed: Subscribe to Our Newsletter for Updates!”
• “Get Insider Insights: Join Our Mailing List Today!”
• “Be the First to Know: Sign Up for Our Newsletter!”

Encourage visitors to subscribe to your newsletter to receive updates, tips, and exclusive offers. This CTA helps build a relationship with prospects over time and keeps your brand top-of-mind.

9. Webinar Registrations:

• “Learn from Experts: Reserve Your Spot for Our Webinar!”
• “Educate and Engage: Sign Up for Our Webinar Series!”
• “Expand Your Skills: Attend Our Webinar and Grow!”

10. Service Trials:

• “Try Before You Buy: Start Your Free Trial Today!”
• “Experience Excellence: Test Drive Our Service Now!”
• “No Obligation: Sign Up for a Risk-Free Trial!”

11. Specialised Expertise:

• “Dive Deep: Book an Hour with Our Expert on XX Topic!”
• “Personalized Solutions Await: Schedule Your Expert Consultation Today!”
• “Elevate Your Knowledge: Unlock an Hour of Expert Guidance!”
• “Download your XX report” whitepaper or ebook.

Provide valuable content such as whitepapers or eBooks related to your industry or niche. This CTA is useful for capturing leads interested in in-depth information and nurturing them through the sales funnel.

12.Use Our Interactive Tool or Calculator:

Offer an interactive tool or calculator relevant to your industry or offering. This CTA provides value to visitors by helping them solve a problem or make an informed decision. It can be used in owned media and paid media to encourage quality traffic and can be used internally on the site to encourage flow and the engagement with specific pages or screens.

In addition, you can implement form fields to the calculator or tool to allow the capture of the lead details – just be sure to follow the GDPR guidance on 0 party cookies.

Spend some time adapting the CTAs, trial the effectiveness by running A/B split testing, and tweak and adjust as necessary using the google analytics 4 dashboard to monitor engagement and interactions on the pages and campaigns.

Try and also apply a pattern to your CTA design, so that you can effectively create some uniformity and from the UI/UX perspective allow the user to start to trust the site information and structure, this is especially true of interactions a browser wants to make quickly, such as start a chat or ask a question.