Call to Action Fundamentals

By Savicom News

Call to Action buttons (CTAs) are buttons on your websites, emails, and landing pages to encourage users towards conversion. CTAs can increase clicks through design and other factors.


Color

Use contrasting colors for your CTA to make sure it stands out.

energizes and gives off a sense of urgency. It is used for sales, limited time offers, or tickets to an event that’s almost sold out.

is for immediate action. Use it to encourage people to sign up, buy or join immediately. It’s associated with inexpensive things.

is used to attract attention. It encourages positive feelings and creates anxiety to motivate people to action.

is easiest for the eyes to process, and therefore encourages relaxation and growth.

is used to build trust and security by making people feel safe.

 

Copy

  • Use active verbs such as “Start” and “Download.”
  • Be specific by helping the audience understand what you want them to do. Use phrases such as “Download this guide” rather than “Click here.”
  • Make it short so that it can be easily read and understood. No more than five words.
  • Create a sense of urgency by adding “Now” to your button.
  • Use the first person, “Start my free trial” instead of “Start your free trial.”

 

Location

  • Choose images of people looking in the same direction as the CTA.
  • Place it above the other content/fold. This makes it easier for people to see it even if they’re just glancing through the material.
  • You can also place CTAs toward the bottom or to the right of content since we read top to down and left to right. Never make users go back to the top to click a button.
  • Surround it with white space so it pops, but is still a part of the design.

 

Shape

  • Rectangular buttons are the most utilized.
  • Rounder buttons including rounding corners of rectangles work well since research shows we like to avoid pointy corners.
  • Bigger buttons stand out without ruining the design.
  • It should be easily tappable on mobile phones.
  • Test out different buttons such as circular ones.

Size

The button should be slightly bigger than surrounding copy to attract attention, but it should not be a distraction from the message. CTAs must be easy to click on mobile phones with a minimum of 30 pixels, preferably 45 pixels. There should be at least 10 to 15 pixels of padding around the button to avoid tap errors.

Quantity

CTA buttons should not compete with other content. Too many CTA buttons are confusing for readers. There should be one main one that is the center of attention.


Test different copy, colors, shapes, placements, keywords, sizes, and images as part of your CTA to see what works best for your audience. A/B tests can improve conversion rates by as much as 49%. Great CTAs can generate and nurture leads, increase social sharing, and promote events.

Still have questions? Contact Customer Support at (415) 617-9000 or email support@savicom.com for assistance.