Building Effective Calls to Action on Your Website

Clear and concise websites where users don’t have to guess what you want them to do next drive more sales and create more leads. That’s where Calls to Action (CTAs) come into play. A well-crafted CTA can transform passive browsers into active leads and loyal customers.

What is a Call to Action (CTA)?

A Call to Action or a CTA’s purpose is to tell your audience what to do next. It guides them toward an action or goal—

1. Sign up for an email newsletter.
2. Purchase a product or service.
3. Donate to your cause.
4. Contact you for an estimate.
5. Download something.

CTAs are usually buttons or links, but they can also take the shape of banners or pop-ups on websites. According to Storybrand, there are a couple of different types of CTAs.

1. A Main Call to Action

A main call to action is the action you want your audience to take. It’s a direct ask. The main CTA’s goal is to encourage them to engage with your product or service and then make a purchase or commitment.

Examples are:

• Buy Now
• Schedule a Call
• Sign Up Today

2. Transitional Call to Action

This is a softer and more indirect ask. It nurtures your relationship and builds trust before asking for a sale or commitment.

Examples are:

• Download Our Free Guide
• Get a Free Sample
• Join Our Newsletter

How Many CTAs Should You Have on a Webpage?

You can include your main CTA at least three times on a webpage for maximum impact.

1. Once above the fold (this is old school speak for before they scroll.)
2. In the middle of your page with relevant content.
3. At the end of your page. 

Your audience will see it multiple times and will be clear on what action you want them to take next.

The Three Golden Rules of a Call to Action

Okay, so you’re convinced you need a call to action, but how do you go about making one? Here are three golden rules for crafting an effective CTA.

1. Focus On Your Audience

Ask yourself—where is my audience in their buyer’s journey? 

• Do they know they have a problem? They may be trying to identify their problem and, in research mode, trying to name their problem or pain.
• In the consideration stage, customers look at different solutions to their problems. A low-commitment CTA, such as downloading a guide or checklist, would help nudge them in the right direction.
• When your audience gets to the decision stage, they evaluate and decide on the best solution. A CTA like “Don’t Miss Out” for limited-time promotional offers, “Schedule a Call,” or “Get an Estimate” if you offer a service works, too.

2. Make Your CTA Stand Out

Avoid clutter. CTAs should stand out visually and be accessible without endless scrolling. Use a different and consistent color or a different style for your main CTA.

3. Experiment & Test Your CTA

As with any marketing, experiment with the placement, verbiage, and style of your CTAs to see what works best for you. If you have a landing page, you can also use an A/B test to compare which is more effective.

Is Your CTA Working?

To see if your CTA needs adjusting, review these metrics to measure the success of your CTAs.

Click-through Rates (CTR)

CTR is the number of users you click on the CTA after viewing it.

Conversion Rate

These are the folks who not only clicked but followed through with signing up for your newsletter, downloading the pricelist, or making a purchase.

Bounce Rate

How many people who clicked the landing page “bounced” or left without taking any further action?

Engagement Metrics

• How much time did they spend on the page after clicking?
• Pages they viewed per session?
• How far did they scroll down or scroll depth?

The Bottom Line

Calls to Action (CTAs) on your website encourage and direct your audience to take action.

Use Main CTAs to direct your audience to the end-game action and Transitional CTAs to build trust.

Place your CTAs at your webpage’s top, middle, and bottom for maximum exposure. Focus on the buyer journey to create relevant CTAs to meet your audience where they are on the path to making a purchase or commitment. Make your CTAs stand out with different colors and styles. And remember to measure success with metrics like CTR and conversion rates to see where you need to adjust.

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