It can be clever or creative, but if it doesn’t make customers take action, it’s not effective.
We’re talking about your Call to Action. CTAs are the small but important steps you ask your customers to take: click on a link to find more information, enter an email to download a free white paper, or make a purchase. Without a strong CTA, your marketing efforts are less likely to yield the results you want.
They can be as a simple as a button that says “Sign up for free,” but creating a compelling CTA isn’t as easy as it looks. Here are five quick tips to help you make your CTAs even more effective.
Don’t forget to include one
It may sound obvious, but 70% of small business B2B websites didn’t include a CTA according to this 2013 survey. It can be easy to start to create marketing messages without thinking about the CTA. Before you write your next marketing piece, pause to think about what you want readers to do. Do you want them to visit your website to learn more about your brand? Subscribe to your email list? Buy a product during your sales promotion? Once you’ve clearly identified the action, you can create an effective CTA.
Think short and simple
Sign up now. Subscribe for free. Save 20% today. The best CTAs often tell customers exactly what to do in just a few words. If your CTA is too long or complicated, you’ll risk confusing your customers or losing their attention before they take action.
Make your CTA stand out
The average reader leaves a webpage after 15 seconds, so it’s imperative to make sure customers see your CTA right away.
Good design can help to draw attention to your CTA. Colorful buttons, large fonts or links can make it easier for readers to find your CTA. Your CTA doesn’t necessarily have to be at the top of the page – one icopify test found that placing a CTA button at the bottom of a web page actually led to a 300% increase in conversions – but it’s important to place your CTA somewhere it stands out.
Write from the customer’s perspective
To make your CTA even more enticing, consider what would motivate a reader to take action. Do they want free information or resources? Are they interested in your services and want to learn more? Include words in your CTA that explain the value your customer will get, such as “Get a Free Membership,” or “Take 15% off today.” Beem Digital even found that writing the CTA from the customer’s perspective by changing “Start your free 30-day trial” to “Start my free 30-day trial” improved click-through-rates by 90%.
Test everything
What’s the best CTA? Ultimately, it’s what works best for your brand’s marketing campaigns. To find out what works for you, test different options and measure your results.
A/B testing can help you determine which CTAs yield better results. And you can test various elements of your CTA, from the text you use to the color and placement of CTA buttons on your website.
To find out how Bynder can help you manage your CTA creatives, sign up for a trial.
