Call to Action (CTA) Buttons are found in numerous locations all over the internet including emails, newsletters, blog posts and web pages. The goal of the CTA button is to get the reader to take immediate action. Usually, this button is placed in the context of other information, products or services. Hopefully, you have made a persuasive enough case in your supporting content that the user will take you up on your offer to “Learn More”, “Buy Now”, “Download”, “Read More”, and so on.

Below, we highlight five CTA button tactics to help compel customers to take the desired action.

1. Use Outlined Styling or Contrasting Colors

You will want to make a button that stands out on your landing page. It can stand out either by color, or by using a simple outline around the button so that it “pops” from the page. Also, think about the color of your landing page; if your site has a black background, what about a bright red or green CTA button to stand out in contrast to the site? Contrasting colors always draw the eye. Some examples of this can be seen here:

2. Use Unique Copy Text in the Button

Use eye-catching text on the button, not just the typical “SIGN UP”, “CLICK HERE”, or “READ MORE.” Most people are used to seeing buttons on pages with those familiar terms listed. Why not jazz it up a little and put something that will catch their eye like “FREE BUSINESS PLANS!”, “HOT TIPS!”, “LEARN FROM THE MASTERS!” These unique phrases may go a long way in having someone click those buttons. An example of this can be found on Hootsuite’s homepage.

3. Use Icons or Style Elements

Some brands have become large enough to be synonymous with either their logo or an icon that can be used as a call to action button on many pages. You see this often with social media buttons on blogs or websites.  To quickly share to Facebook, you’ll usually see an ‘F’, and for Twitter you will see a stylized bird. Using an icon within a button can help your CTA stand out, but you will need to make sure that it is evident what the icon means. Otherwise, the reader may not understand what the icon symbolizes and will never make the click. See this example from the ShareASale Blog.

4. Conversion Centered Design

While designing a landing page for your CTA you’ll want to keep in mind one thing: driving a conversion. There are specific things you can do to have the CTA stand out, such as: contrast, directional cues (point at it!), use of white space, a sense of urgency in the actual CTA, testimonials and more! Here are some example web page templates from Unbounce that show some of these features:

5. Above The Fold is Always The Best

Keeping the CTA button above the fold is the easiest way to make sure the reader does not miss it. You see this a lot when it comes to concerts, conferences, and more. The extraneous information usually follows and may go under, but the actual button to order the tickets is always at the top because that is what we want people to do. Affiliate Summit does this for the conferences on their homepage, see below:

In conclusion, the use of different ideas in your call to actions can bring great success in your click through rate and conversions. Get creative!  Break conventions and grab your reader’s attention! Remember, the overall goal is to get them to click and continue or to make a purchase from your website.

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