What is a call-to-action?
A call-to-action, or CTA, is a piece of content that prompts people to take a specific action. The content could take the shape of a button, image, or line of text. Typically, a CTA comes at the end of your marketing, your advert. Whenever you have seen or heard phrases like “buy now!” or “click like and subscribe,” these are calls to action, and they give a simple directive, leading your customer into a sale.
Why is a call-to-action important?
When it comes to marketing, no business can succeed without a solid call to action. A CTA is a rallying cry to bring customers to your company, and it’s the way you guide a potential customer into an actual one.
They also serve other purposes besides just selling. If you are looking to build a loyal fanbase or promote an offer, they are vital here, too. Common examples of a strong call-to-action include:
- Sign up for our newsletter
- Follow our company on Facebook or Instagram
- Register on our site
- Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Strategically placed CTAs in your advertising campaign can dramatically increase customer conversion. They are powerful tools to help draw customers to your store from your landing page or give them specific keywords to help them find you.
The most effective CTAs are also the most natural. By planning your intended CTAs around your ad campaign, you can streamline the buying process.
Types of call-to-action buttons
The call-to-action is as multifaceted as the business itself. If you need your potential customer to do something, then you can create a CTA for it. Some of the types of call-to-actions are:
The “add to cart” or buy button
These simple buttons directly take your customer from seeing an item to owning it. Without them, any customer would be lost as to how to proceed. Every online store needs these buttons to function, so make them obvious and make them welcome.
The social share and follow option
In today’s more socially-driven world, advertising doesn’t have to be left solely to you. You naturally widen your network by giving your customers the option to follow your company and share you with their friends.
The “leave us a review”
Customer reviews are the easy and honest way to garner faith in your product or service. People will make purchases based on the opinions of others, so it pays to make it easy for your customers to share their thoughts. A few good reviews can be the difference between a lost sale and a recurring customer.
The sign-up or subscribe
Keeping your customers coming back is the goal. By giving customers the means of joining your site or mailing list, they will be providing that loyalty. This will allow you to set up tailored ads that go directly to them. Some companies even sweeten the deal with a sign-up bonus or coupon.
Call-to-action best practices for ecommerce businesses
1. Make life easy for customers
Visitors to your ecommerce store come to find solutions, not new problems. It is your duty to help them find solutions by directing them through your call-to-action buttons. Without precise instruction or knowing where to look, the user may get discouraged and leave. Don’t just assume visitors know what action to take next; make it clear for each person who visits your store.
2. Be clear and transparent
Buyers do not like to be manipulated or misled. They want you to tell them the truth and have clear facts about any offers. If you try to give them any price or terms-related surprises, buyers will not be happy. So speak to your audience in simple language and do not twist details. Be kind to them and use text on the CTA that clearly depicts the benefit of following a CTA. Treat your buyers the way you want to be treated.
3. Test CTA buttons with specific audiences
Most marketers are aware that ‘Submit’ is a poor choice of a CTA button. You should use a copy that accurately reflects the advantage of engaging with that CTA. Make sure that your prospects know exactly how the button will work. Based on the context and the placement of a CTA, copy like ‘Found Out More’ and ‘Show Me How’ will be appropriate. At the end of the buying journey, CTAs like ‘Move To Cart’ and ‘Buy Now’ can be your best choices.
You will know exactly what works when you test and experiment with the CTA buttons and their placement. Try changing things like the copy on the CTA, the color of the CTA, its shape or placement. There are many tests you can run to see which combination makes the most impact. The best results will come when you experiment with your audience and the products and services they prefer. Then you can tailor your CTAs to speak directly to your audience.
4. Have a logical path to conversion
Build your path to conversion to ensure a logical flow that will help make your call-to-actions more effective. Start by aligning your CTAs with specific stages in the customer journey so you can make relevant offers. For instance, it won’t make sense to market a yearly shipping subscription to new customers because they’ve just entered your sales funnel. In this case, the CTAs need to focus on later-stage conversions and have a landing page that minimizes distractions for the customer.
5. Optimize for mobile
In an era where most purchases are made via mobile, you should pay special attention to the positioning of your CTAs on mobile. Ideally, they should pass the thumb test, which ensures it’s not annoying for small screen users to tap on the main call-to-action. You should make it large enough to fill the width of the smartphone screen to get good results.
It’s also a good idea to minimize the number of widgets, as mobile real estate is limited. Remove social media icons and keep footer links to a minimum so that people aren’t distracted from the CTA. Provide breathing room and extra white space around call-to-action buttons to ensure they’re clearly noticeable to the visitors.