We’re back to our conversation about one of the most essential elements of your organization’s website: Calls to Action! And if you missed our first post, take a look at how different types of CTAs work best when considering your customer’s journey.

6 best practices for creating CTAs that will inspire action

Now that you’ve learned the basics in Part 1, we’re moving on to sharing our top tips for creating CTAs that spring users into action.

1. Understand the goal of the page

Each page across your site has a different use, so before you begin placing any CTAs, it’s important to define a page’s purpose clearly.

Is it the homepage? If so, then short snippets with soft CTAs that lead to more information are the best approach.

Is it a product page? Our recommendation for product pages is to keep things simple; don’t lead the buyer down a rabbit hole. A direct CTA will work best if you want to convert a prospect into a customer.

2. Use clear and concise language

A CTA is more than a button. It’s your chance to lead a visitor to a target. Clear, concise language that engages the user is critical! Here are some examples to try:

• “Learn about our impact. Sign up for our newsletter today!” with a “Subscribe” button
• A blog post title and excerpt with a “Read More” button
• A product page with a short product description and a “Buy Now” button

3. Use obvious click targets

Calls to action need to have clear, concise click targets. Rather than hiding them in text, use buttons or separated links.

4. Minimize clutter and confusion

As a rule, the more CTAs you have on a page, the more confusing it is for a user. Our advice is to keep your CTAs to a minimum to help your visitor stay focused.

Pages that cover a lot of ground, such as the home page or an overview page might have a few different soft CTAs. Once you are past those pages, each page should cover a single topic with one clear call to action. 

5. Be consistent

When it comes to good User Experience on your website, there’s a best practice we recommend to every client— get into the mindset of minimizing cognitive load. In other words,  “don’t make me think!” You can make your website visitor’s experience much easier by  using consistent language and design for al of your CTAs.

If you are using “Read more” for blog post CTAs, use that same language throughout your site for that type of CTA. For your newsletter signup, decide what you want first. “Sign up,” “Subscribe,” “Stay informed” are all great options to use. But, choose one and stick with it.

6. Give what you promise

This is another User Experience best practice we encourage you to consider: deliver on your promises.

If you have a button that says “Learn more,” the user will expect to be taken to a page that gives more information on the topic. If they are presented with a form that they have to fill out instead before proceeding, there is a high chance they’ll leave or “bounce” off your site.

This seems to be the trend for news sites these days, but for most sites, it’s not a best practice to require forms for more content.

If you do intend to collect information from the user before allowing them to proceed, tell them so ahead of time—in the CTA. This practice is more common for lead magnets, where a user exchanges an email in order to receive some high-value content.

Merge can help

If you like what you’ve read and want to dig in more, check out our post titled 8 Tips for Increasing Website Conversions. And if you need help developing good UX and effective calls to action, let’s talk.

Merge Studio creates websites and offers digital marketing solutions for nonprofit organizations and mission-driven B2B businesses. Let us create a custom solution that fits your needs with web design or digital marketing services like SEO, social media, paid ads, email marketing, copywriting, and branding.

Together, our goal is to amplify your great work and empower your team to thrive. Start today!