how to write a call to action

Click & Convert: How to Write Effective Calls to Action

Right now, you are one click away from making a profitable sale.

A call to action is, perhaps, one of the most important areas of your website. It doesn’t matter if you’ve poured blood, sweat and tears into your website content, if a user reaches your call to action but doesn’t feel compelled to click, it will have all been for nothing.

Writing a call to action that connects with an everyday user’s digital impulse is no easy feat, but there is a foundation of considerations to remember to give you the optimal chance of doing so.

Today, we’re going to explore everything you need to know about writing these effective calls to action, allowing you to maximise your sales and conversions rates.

Note the Benefit

The first and the most important, element you need to consider in your call to action is the benefit that the user is going to get from clicking on your CTA. For example, when signing up for Netflix, the red CTA simply reads;

“JOIN FREE FOR A MONTH”

This is a powerful call to action because the user knows exactly what they’re getting and why they should be clicking it, ensuring high conversion rates.

Start with a Power Verb

The very first word in your call to action needs to be powerful and directive for the maximum effect. In the Netflix example, the word is ‘join’, suggesting that you’re becoming part of a community of watchers.

Other words could be anything you choose, but for some ideas, you could use words like;

  • Enhance (your marketing plan)
  • Meet (the very best)
  • Sign-up (today)
  • Be (the best)
  • Start (your journey)

Keep Things Short & Sweet

Another important factor to consider is the length of your call to action. Of course, if you’ve got a lot of information to say, by all means, say it, but a call to action is most effective when it’s short and powerful.

“Keeping things short and sweet maximizes the impact it has on the reader (especially since your call to action will stand out from the rest of the page) and the content is, therefore, easily digestible,” shares Jennifer Goodson, a content writer for Paper Fellows.

Writing the Perfects Calls to Action

Since many calls to action will only include a brief amount of text, a couple of sentences at most, the chance that a mistake or error will stand out is high, damaging the credibility of your website and business. Thankfully, there are many online tools you can use to ensure quality;

Be Direct

When a reader reads your CTA, they should know exactly what they’re doing by clicking on the button. There shouldn’t be any questions or doubt in their minds. In some cases, if your website has a lot of content, the user may not be sure what the button does, therefore potentially losing you a sale.

Instead, the reader should know exactly what the next step of their journey is and what clicking your call to action will achieve.

Implement Urgency

Another effective CTA tactic is invoking a sense of urgency in the reader, making them want to click now, rather than thinking about it and coming back at a later date.

For example, if you run an online clothing store and you’re running a sale, asking the user to ‘Click here before the sale ends’ is a great way to tempt the reader into taking action now.