In the world of marketing, calls to action (CTAs) are a critical factor. Meant to drive the audience to take a specific action – typically clicking, downloading, or signing up – a great CTA is often the only thing that spells the difference between a successful conversion and just another bounce. To learn more about what great CTAs are and how you can make yours more effective, read on.
The 6 Traits Of Great CTAs
According to CrazyEgg, a great CTA has six key characteristics. These are as follows:
- The CTA is a button
- The CTA is compelling
- The CTA is located in a logical position
- The CTA is designed with a contrasting color
- The CTA makes it simple for users to convert
- The CTA isn’t competing with other elements of the site
Examples Of Effective CTAs
To understand what makes a great CTA, it’s helpful to see a few great CTAs in action. Consider these highly effective CTAs from around the web:
Evernote: “Remember Everything”
Evernote is an online organization and note-taking platform. The company’s CTA, “Remember Everything,” is simple, succinct, compelling, and to-the-point, which is likely part of the reason that Evernote currently has more than 75 million users.
QuickSprout: “Are You Doing Your SEO Wrong?”
People hate to be wrong, and that’s a valuable truth for marketers everywhere. What QuickSprout’s CTA gets so right is that it plays on that fear of making a mistake. By asking, “Are you doing your SEO wrong?” QuickSprout appeals to fear (a very persuasive emotion) and implicitly promises to alleviate that fear through education.
While these CTAs work well for their respective companies, determining which type of CTA is best for you will require some thought. Do you want people to click, read more, or purchase? What’s the ultimate goal of your CTA? Answering these questions early will help you craft CTAs that are truly relevant to your company.
How To Craft Effective CTAs
While effective CTAs might seem like elusive, mystical creatures, they’re actually quite simple to produce. Here are five tips to get you started.
1. Use Action Words
Action words are critical for motivating people to do something, and they can make a huge difference in the effectiveness of your CTA. Words like “get,” “start,” “stop,” “download,” “click,” and “discover,” are fantastic options.
2. Keep It Short
CTAs are meant to be short, snappy, and persuasive. Keep your text as minimal as possible without damaging your value proposition. Too much text will lose the reader, resulting in decreased conversions.
3. Put It Somewhere Obvious
In many ways, a CTA is only as good as its location. If you hide it in the bottom right corner of your page, it’s never going to convert. Because of this, it’s critical to position your CTA in a prominent place, like the center of your home page, or immediately after a related piece of content.
4. Make It Easy For The Viewer
The easier your CTAs are for your viewers, the higher their conversion rates will be. Ideally, your requests should be simple, as should the entire CTA follow-up process.
5. Eliminate Filler Words
Filler words cloud your CTA copy. Eliminate them for a crisp, clear marketing message that inspires your visitors.
The Case For Good CTAs
CTAs are a critical piece of effective marketing, and these simple tips can help you effortlessly craft great CTAs. If you need a little help boosting your digital marketing efforts, or simply don’t know where to begin, contact our professionals at Thrive Internet Marketing. Work with an award-winning full service digital marketing agency, and take your business to the next level.
