The goal of any business is to capture the attention of its target audience, usher potential clients through the various stages of the customer journey, and convert them into loyal patrons.
However, with so much distraction online and stiffer competition, achieving those results is more difficult than ever. Businesses deploy diverse tactics to achieve this goal, but not all are successful. One proven approach that has worked for many businesses is the use of carefully crafted calls to action.
What is a call to action? What are the different types? Why does your business need one? We’ll cover the details in this blog post.
What Is a Call to Action (CTA)?
In its most basic form, a call to action is a content string that encourages prospective customers to take action, thus increasing the chances of a brand meeting its marketing campaign goals.
In many cases, businesses use CTAs to draw a customer’s attention and encourage a sale. However, you can also use CTAs to nudge customers toward other beneficial actions like sharing a post on social media, signing up for an upcoming event, completing a survey, and more.
An engaging CTA will draw the attention of your target audience, encouraging them to take action. Without CTAs, website visitors may browse your offerings and marketing messages and leave without doing anything.
It doesn’t matter what your local SEO services professionals are doing. You need effective CTAs throughout your website to motivate site visitors to interact with your business and ensure they don’t lose interest as they move from one stage of the customer journey to the next.
For example, when a customer reads a blog post that answers their question on a page, they’re more likely to explore other entries within the topic cluster if a CTA asks them to “Learn More” by linking to another post.
Exploring the topic further can influence their decision making in diverse ways, whether by establishing trust in the brand or arming them with enough knowledge to make a purchase decision. Without that CTA, the customer’s interaction on the page will likely end once they’ve found the answer to their original query.
Types of Calls to Action
The following are some common types of calls to action you can use on your website:
Lead Generation or Form CTAs
Lead generation CTAs encourage customers to provide personal details to access information on landing pages. The CTA should be catchy and concise, telling the site visitor what they can expect on the landing page.
Form CTAs are similar to lead generation CTAs, except there’s no landing page on the other side. The target audience provides their contact information for your database to receive newsletters, promotions, and more.
Popup CTAs
Popups are dicey as most web users have learned to block them. However, popup CTAs that appear when a site visitor arrives or is about to leave the page can work when CTA buttons at the usual positions are no longer getting enough traction. Similarly, popup CTAs are best for longtail prompts that won’t fit in standard-sized buttons.
Purchase CTAs
Those “Try It Free” or “Buy Now” buttons on e-commerce or service websites are examples of purchase CTAs. They nudge visitors close to a sale.
Social Media Sharing CTAs
Site visitors sharing your business with their audience will increase your brand’s reach. Depending on the sharer’s social capital, they will also help make your brand look more trustworthy. It’s always a good idea to have share CTA buttons across your website.
Event CTAs
An event CTA can help you raise awareness about an event and encourage pre-event signups to boost ticket sales.
Why Your Business Needs Effective CTAs
Mixing and matching the right CTAs can help your brand achieve its objectives faster. Think of a quality CTA as a bridge or a path that leads your prospects to what you want them to do or where you want them to go.
Calls to action are also great at helping website visitors avoid decision fatigue. When people have to weigh multiple options, they will become overwhelmed by the choices in front of them. CTAs help reduce confusion by telling site visitors what to do instead of leaving them to figure things out on their own.
Additionally, the average web user now instinctively expects CTAs across the website of any brands they visit. If your website doesn’t have any, the result is a poorer user experience.
How To Create Highly Effective CTAs
What is a call to action if it doesn’t generate results? Although people expect to see CTAs on websites, it doesn’t automatically mean any type will work. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
Short Is Better
A short phrase that gets straight to the point is better than a long sentence. The best CTAs are generally less than five words. However, if you need your CTA to be longer, it has to communicate value. “Order a Shirt Today and Get One Free” is slightly long, but most of your target audience won’t mind!
Incorporate Action Words
The best CTAs compel visitors to take immediate action. Therefore, ensure your CTA is as commanding as possible. ”Buy Now” is a good example of a compelling CTA.
Create a Sense of Urgency
Your CTA should communicate the importance of taking action immediately instead of waiting. It’s one of the best ways to keep the user’s attention.
Create a Captivating Design
Your CTA button and text should blend in with your site’s color theme but still stand out at a glance. When you arrive at a design, the work doesn’t end there. Be ready to engage in some A/B testing to see whether you can get better results.
Get Fantastic Results With Your CTA Today
Now you know the answer to “What is a call to action?” it’s time to put in the work to improve your conversion rate. Not sure where to start? Call Peppermonkey Media today at (888) 231-9764 to book a digital marketing consultation.
