A CTA can be in different forms, from text links to buttons and images. In this blog, you will find out different types and styles of calls to action, and you will also get some pro tips to write exclusive CTAs for your website.
CTAs can be direct, such as “buy now,” or soft, such as “find out more.” The higher they are in the buying journey, the softer your CTA should be.
Creating a magnetic calls to action can be tricky. That’s why we use CTA marketing strategies like A/B testing and conversion rate optimization to test different elements until we maximize our conversion rates.
Types of Calls To Action
In general cases, CTAs are meant to turn visitors into conversions. They encourage users to purchase or sign up for a free trial. But CTAs can also get users to:
- Sign up for a newsletter
- Share your content on social media
- Submit a form
- Review a purchase
- Contact a sales representative
You’ll need to adapt your language according to your CTA’s purpose. Conversion-based CTAs are more direct, but you’ll use softer language when asking to review a purchase or share your content.
Your calls to action format must also differ depending on the use and their position on the website. CTAs can be in the form of:
- Buttons
- Banners
- Links
- Images
- Popups
Buttons are the most common type of CTA. They are used on blogs as well as on banners, pop-ups, and link-based CTAs.
Benefits of Good Calls To Action
In marketing, a CTA is to guide your audience, capture data, and create engagement. Here’s a look into other benefits:
- Visitors need a push to convert into customers. Conversion-focused CTAs are meant to increase sales and revenue.
- CTAs can be used to capture data (like an email address) from users who aren’t ready to purchase any product yet.
- CTAs act as signposts, guiding visitors to what they must do next.
- A top-of-funnel CTA like an email sign-up form or a text-based link to “find out more” can encourage users to build a link with your brand.
Call-To-Action Techniques
If you want to create a high-converting call-to-action or optimize your existing CTAs, you can use many techniques. Here are some of the best methods:
1. Use of Strong Action Verbs
CTA meant to urge your users to take action, right? So, use action verbs. Strong action verbs create a sense of urgency, energy, and momentum. They push users forward and encourage an equally strong response.
Here are some popular action verbs to inculcate into your CTAs:
- Buy
- Save
- Subscribe
- Download
- Get
- Claim
- Reserve
- Discover
- Learn
2. Sell The Trial
A free trial call to action always proved to be most compelling for users. It works very well for SaaS companies, which offer users to purchase a monthly subscription rather than buying the product. The First Page Sage says that the average conversion rate of free trials for organic traffic is 8.5 percent.
Free trials work great because they make a smooth way to a quick purchase. Users don’t think about what a product will look like or whether it will solve their problems or not. They get a hands-on trial.
For example, analytics company Matomo has a free trial CTA on its homepage, which clearly means that users don’t need to enter a credit card to get started; they can get access with their email.
3. A Benefit-Oriented CTA
You need to let users know what’s in the deal. The best way is to add a benefit to your CTA to give users a reason to take action. For example:
- Solving a problem
- Reducing costs
- Saving time
- Reduce burden
Evernote presents a great example of a benefit-oriented CTA. The headline tells the main benefits of Evernote and shows users how it can help achieve an important goal of its target audiences: an organized life.
That’s supported by a subheading that offers even more benefits: “remember everything” and keeping it “all in one place.” If you want an organized life, Evernote positions itself as the answer.
4. Offer Instant Value
Consumers need a clear reason to make a purchase. Offer them some immediate value. It can be a free resource, a time-saving tool, or a simple solution to their problem.
But it’s a little trickier to encourage customers to make a purchase with an email sign-up CTA. The solution? Clearly tell them what they will get and follow through when they click.
5. Stir Some Curiosity and Touch an Emotion
Your CTA is designed to provoke a reaction. So, creating some curiosity and emotion in your visitors is a great way to do that.
Your CTA’s copy can do this by creating a sketch of how your product can make their lives better. Or you can use social proof like reviews and client logos to show them that they’re missing out on something.
6. Highlight The Problem, Then Offer The Pill (Sugarcoating)
Stuck with your CTA’s headline and body copy? Use a tried-and-tested copywriting mantra to craft a classy CTA.
Problem, agitation, solution (PAS) is a formula for writing clear and persuasive copy. Here’s how it works:
- Present a problem. Start your CTA with one of your audience’s pain point.
- Agitate the problem. Show readers why solving it is so important.
- Offer a solution. Explain how you can solve the problem.
PAS works well by using your users’ problems and fears to create a strong emotional connection.
This CTA by Flux Academy is a great example of PAS in action. It highlights a deadly fear of designers in the headline, the blank canvas. It plays on fear of blending in with others by highlighting “cookie-cutter designs” and “templates.”
Then it hits readers with the solution: a $695 course that tells them how to create websites that mesmerize the clients.
7. FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)
Do you know why FOMO is such a popular phrase? People don’t want to feel like they are missing out on something. You can take advantage of that by telling your readers what they could miss out on if they don’t click.
Time-sensitive CTAs are a great way to inculcate FOMO. Here is an example from Yoga International that uses a limited sale time to increase the reader’s FOMO:
They didn’t highlight anything. They simply call out the fact the deal will end soon and even include a countdown timer to top it off.
8. Use Clickbait in an Ethical Way
Clickbait is usually associated with headlines and low-quality online ads, but you can use clickbait in your CTAs to tempt the consumers. Use this tactic very carefully because if you fail to deliver on your promise, you’ll lose your audience.
9. Offer A Bonus
Sometimes, you need to give something to get something, you know, “tit for tat.”If you want readers to click on your CTA, give them something in return.
It can be:
- A discount code
- An e-book
- An online course
- A gift
- Exclusive access to a sale
It doesn’t matter what it is as long as your readers think it’s valuable enough to hand over their data. Lead scoring software Breadcrumbs offers free templates to anyone who subscribes to their newsletter.
10. Place Your CTAs Wisely For UX
While your CTA can go anywhere on your site, there are a few popular areas, including:
- At the top of the page
- In the sidebar
- In a banner above or below the navigation bar
- At the bottom of the page
You’ll have to test which placement works best for your brand, but we recommend having CTAs higher up the page where possible. Even blog post CTAs shouldn’t go at the bottom. Wherever you place your CTA, make sure it stands out from the rest of the content on the page. Achieve this by:
- Using contrasting colors
- Using different, eye-catching fonts
- Surrounding your CTA with white space
11. Match Your CTAs To Stages of The Marketing Funnel
Many users won’t be ready to purchase, so adding “buy now” buttons all over your site won’t work. Instead, you need to match your CTA to the relevant stage of the marketing funnel.
By all means, add “buy now” buttons to e-commerce product and category pages. But don’t add them to your blog, where readers are much more likely to be in the discovery or consideration phase of the marketing funnel.
In this case, a CTA encouraging them to “find out more” or “start a free trial” makes much more sense.
That’s what Buffer does in the middle of all its blog posts:
There’s no hard sell since users aren’t going to respond to one. Considering that all they blog about is how to build and grow a social media following, though, readers might be interested in trying the software for free. Informal CTAs are particularly powerful in blog posts.
12. A/B Test Your CTAs
Calls to action are some of the most popular website elements to A/B test. That’s because the only way to know if your CTA is really effective is to test it against other CTAs. You can test one type of CTA, like a button, against a different type of CTA, like a banner or popup, to analyze which type suits your website the best. Or, you can try changing elements of your CTA like it’s:
- Placement
- Copy
- Design
- Offer
Conclusion
A great call to action guides users to the next step and drives engagement and conversions. By applying these tactics and testing your CTAs, you can turn casual visitors into loyal customers.
You’ll need to sharpen your copywriting skills to make a splash with your readers and run statistically significant A/B tests to optimize your CTA’s design and placement. But if you follow the tactics listed above, you’ll be off to a great start.
If you still need any guidance about calls to action or want some exclusive CTA s for your online business, contact The Mighty Apes and turn your clicks into conversions.
