In selling, advertising, and marketing, a Call to Action or CTA is a phrase, sentence, or even image that tries to encourage the viewer to do something specific, i.e., act. The aim is to boost sales by prompting the consumer to purchase something, ask for a free sample, apply for a two-week trial, subscribe, or request a brochure.
In a non-business context, the term refers to a stimulus or exhortation to do something to address a problem or achieve a goal. If I say: “He concluded his speech with a call to action,” it means he ended by trying to encourage people to do something about a problem.
This article focuses on the term when we use it in a sales, advertising, or marketing context.
Businesses commonly use CTAs in their:
- Catalogs
- Brochures
- Flyers
- Sales letters or mailshots
- Email campaigns
- TV and radio ads
- Face-to-face presentations
- Web pages
- Podcasts
- Social media platforms
A marketing statement
A call to action is a marketing statement designed to get an immediate response from the viewer, listener, or reader. In a sales letter, for example, you will usually find the CTA at the end.
It usually tries to create a sense of urgency by, for example, warning that the product is selling fast, so it is better to act now before it is too late.
For example, you may receive an email from a company that is launching a closed beta (testing version) of an application you’re interested in. It may drive urgency with a CTA like “Reserve your spot!” with a countdown timer next to the CTA indicating when the invite period will end (strengthening the sense of urgency even more).
Effective CTAs
It is important to understand the process of creating effective CTAs as a both an art and science that makes a button so much more than a button – a tool for increasing conversion rates.
In order to achieve the highest possible conversion rates, it is imperative that every aspect of the CTA is working in harmony; from the language used to encourage the user to take action through to the design elements that grab the user’s attention.
Language
The first step is the language. You need to use direct, engaging and action driven words in your copy. Certain phrases such as “Download Now”, “Join Free”, or “Get Started” are Navigation commands that are very direct to the user on what they are expected to do and also convey the value of the action to be taken. The language should not only tell the user what action to take but also explain why that action is valuable – or provide exclusive insights, offer a free trial or give access to premium content.
You may also want to build some sense of urgency or scarcity into the call to action, like “Limited Time Offer” to encourage people to take action now.
Visual Design
The visual design of the CTA is just as important as the copy. The button or link must stand out from the rest of the page; a goal achieved through the use of contrasting colors and adequate whitespace that is naturally attention grabbing.
CTAs can be designed in a way that makes them seem bigger, sharper and even animated to make them look more clickable and less hidden among other contents. Some small yet effective design elements like using an eye-catching icon or a sleek border around the CTA can help it deliver its function without even having to read the text.
Placement
Placement is also crucial in ensuring that your message is delivered at the right time. Whether it is located at the top of the page so that it is easily seen or incorporated into the content in a way that makes it hard to miss, the CTA should be shown when the user is most likely to be engaged.
Good CTAs are those that are strategically placed to lead the user from the beginning of the funnel to the middle without overwhelming them.
Trust
Trust is crucial. People will respond to a CTA if they feel safe with what is being offered to them. This can be done by placing the CTA around elements that make the visitor trust, like testimonials, badges, or guarantees like “No Credit Card Required”.
These serve to alleviate the fear that is sometimes associated with the action that the visitor is about to take.
Testing and analytics
A/B tests and analytics are used by marketers to determine the effectiveness of CTAs and improve them based on the actions of real users. For example, marketers may A/B test a campaign with one CTA button saying “Click to Download” and another saying “Download Now”. The two CTAs are very similar, however, with testing and analytics marketers can narrow down on the one that works better and stick with it.
A call to action is a useful marketing tool
Many small business owners, especially when they are starting out, are reluctant to use CTAs. Some believe they are not necessary because their target consumers already know what to do.
Others wonder whether such phrases might be too pushy and will discourage prospects. A prospect is a consumer who you believe could turn into a paying customer.
CTAs are fundamental components of your marketing tools. Do not undertestimate their power.
Moreover, tailoring the language of your CTA to match your target audience’s preferences can significantly enhance its impact; for instance, a youthful demographic might respond better to informal or playful phrasing, whereas a professional audience may prefer more direct and formal language
Call to action in a website
A call to action in web design may be in the form of a text, graphic, button, or banner. The aim is to encourage the online visitor to click it and continue along the conversion funnel. CTAs are important components of permission marketing and inbound marketing in that they try to turn users into leads, and ultimately into paying customers.
Improves conversion rates
In a bricks and mortar shop or online store, there are visitors and buyers. The aim of every business is to convert as many visitors into buyers as possible.
If 200 people visitor your store, and twenty buy something, your conversion rate is one-in-ten or 10%.
Effective calls to action can improve your conversion rates significantly. Humans really do respond to sales and marketing tactics. If they didn’t, companies would not spend hundreds of billions of dollars every year on marketing campaigns.
CTAs help visitors navigate
Do most of the visitors to your website leave without purchasing anything or asking for more information? If so, it is possible that the path they need to take to buy something is not very clear.
On a webpage, a CTA acts as a signpost that lets the visitor know how to proceed, i.e., what to do next. Without a clear and effective call to action, your website could be missing out on hundreds of sales each month.
If you have not set things up properly on your web pages, you might be boosting consumer desire for your type of products but handing over sales to your rivals whose websites have excellent CTAs.
Some examples
Below are some examples of call to action phrases:
- Subscribe now!
- Want more info? Call 890…..
- Call this number now!
- Yes, I want a free trial!
- Seize your free trial now!
- Activate your free trial today!
- Do you want to get fit? Yes or No!
- Get your discount before it’s too late!
- This is a limited time offer. Act now!
- Add to cart!
- Request a demo!
- Sign up for free!
Your call to action must offer a clear benefit, have actionable text, be short in length, and convey a sense of urgency.
Video explanation
This educational video explains what a ‘Call to Action’ means using simple and easy-to-understand language and examples.