What is a Call to Action?
A call to action (CTA) is a statement usually included above the fold on a landing page or at the end of a piece of content designed to get an immediate response from the reader. It is typically a command to the user in order to entice them to click a button or a hyperlink.
A call to action prompts your site visitors to take that extra step to engage with your website. CTAs usually move the user down the marketing funnel and ultimately assist in the lead generation process.
Depending on the type of digital marketing being performed, a call to action can be a hyperlink in an email or a CTA button on a core page that leads to a conversion page. Ultimately, the goal is to generate leads, and the call to action is there to bring the user to that conversion page and ultimately convert.
Why is a Call to Action Important?
The call to action is the element on your website that grasps the eyes of the user and guides them to the next step towards converting. When you visit a website and want to find more information, you look for a button that tells you “Learn More”. Without a proper call to action, visitors will not know where to get more information.
Whether your offering is a subscription, a free trial, or a demo, you must provide a clear message to the user that is enticing and informational. If you don’t include a call to action, it is likely that users will ignore your advertisement or advance without accomplishing the intended goal.
A call to action helps move users through the marketing funnel. Quality call to actions leads to conversions because it provides users with a clear next step. Their interest has already been captured, and a CTA tells them what to do next.
For example, if you have created a blog article about the difference between the cost per acquisition and cost per click, the user most likely wants information regarding PPC services or Google Ads.
A good way to capture the users to move forward on to the next step is with an inline CTA. An inline CTA is a call to action added within a blog post or core page (in the middle of the content). By adding an inline call to action, you grab the reader while they are learning about their targeted topic and move them down the marketing funnel to a conversion page. Without this call to action, you lose the reader after the blog article is done.
How Do You Write a Call to Action?
When writing a call to action, there are a few things you must consider. You want your call to action to be clear and concise, easily stating what you want your customers and potential customers to do. To increase response rates and ensure clarity, keep the following in mind:
Keep Things Simple: You don’t want a call to action to be complicated. Your CTA should not make potential customers do gymnastics to get to their end goal. Keep the copy simple (i.e: “Call today,” “Get a Free Trial,” or “Request a Demo”) to increase their potential to convert.
Keep Things Clear: You want to be as clear as possible. If your directive is not clear, it could cause potential customers confusion, ultimately leading to a bounce and a lost conversion. Simple, clear, and concise call to actions is the best way to get the best results.
Don’t Assume People Know What To Do: You never want to underestimate your customers, but don’t overestimate them either. This falls in line with keeping things clear and simple – you do not want to make things too complicated or under-explain them because there is a real chance your site visitors won’t know what to do. Ensuring that your call to action is clear and easy to understand will deliver the right message that converts at a high rate.
High Frequency: If you want your visitors to take the next step and learn more about your business, give them plenty of opportunities to do just that. Frequent call to actions allows users to have a chance to engage on every page they visit. If your call to action is scarce, it can be missed and conversions can be lost.
What Are Some Call to Action Examples?
As a B2B company, lead generation is your main goal because ultimately you need to generate leads for your sales team. With that in mind, you may see some of the following throughout your website:
- Sign-Up
- Call Now
- Subscribe Now
- Free Trial
- Request a Demo
- Get a Free Quote
As a direct-to-consumer or E-commerce business, online sales are what drive your business. With that in mind you may see some of the following:
- Buy Now
- Add to Cart
- Add to Wishlist
- Add to Favorites
- Checkout
Each of these options is quick, concise, clear, and simple. They can be used frequently throughout a website without becoming annoying or overwhelming, and clearly communicate what your potential customers can do next.
How Can A Call to Action Boost Lead Generation?
Lead generation tactics such as call to action placement and conversion rate optimization services (CRO) could be what helps you surpass your quarterly goals in marketing.
Directive has increased clients’ inbound leads by more than 80% and organic traffic by more than 125% on average. By utilizing CRO tactics such as fixing call to action copy, including contrasting colors to call to actions, and optimizing their CTA placement, we fix every portion of your marketing funnel. We ensure you are not only increasing traffic to your website but directing your users more efficiently towards conversion.
If your business wants world-class increases in lead generation, get a free proposal to see how Directive can help you surpass your goals.
