What is a Call to Action?

A call to action is getting a customer from one step in the sales funnel to the next with an immediate response from readers. A standard indicator for a CTA includes phrases like ‘find out here’ or ‘buy now’ and is generally at the end of a post. This simple addition to any post, blog, or ad is vital to a successful conversion rate from viewer to buyer.

Many companies rely on CTAs to generate real interest in their products, services, or offers. A call to action is the tool many websites use to generate leads; it’s important that this call reaches its target audience and successfully brings visitors into the conversion funnel.

The call to action on your site should be written out for customers to take their next step. Whether it is a call to further educate customers on your product or to purchase it, the call needs to be visible.

Without a call to action or with multiple unclear CTAs throughout a site, many customers will get lost and leave without completing their conversion process. This means that the business behind the call has failed in getting customers from one step to the next.

Today’s customers, especially online customers have many choices of where to spend their money. The best way for a business to make sure that they are on top of the list is through the use of a call to action. With this addition, it can be guaranteed that if done correctly, viewers will stay on their site longer or have an increase in interactions with the company.

Why is a Call to Action Important?

The CTA is one of the most critical steps for creating content. Without incorporating a CTA, there is no “next step” for a potential customer to take, resulting in them leaving your site. A clear call to action at the end of the page takes readers to the next level in interacting on your website. Avoid assuming people know the next step after encountering your material. For the best results, be clear on getting customers’ to the next step in the buyer funnel. 

The last thing you want is your hard work and time wasted by a viewer leaving your site without action. When you encourage followers to take action and keep them on your site, this increases overall engagement and boosts sales. This also builds trust between the brand and viewers, resulting in long-term customers.  With the call to action, you are telling customers that they can trust you and also promotes engagement with your site.

Due to the call for conversion, it is important to get people into the next step of their buying process. However, this does not mean convincing them at all costs of what you are selling benefits. The call to action should be written in a way to spark the interest of prospective buyers.

The CTA used should be clear and concise, not hazy or wordy. It should be apparent what you want viewers to do next so there is no confusion with your call. The call to action also needs to offer value beyond just an immediate response.

Where Should You Use a CTA?

The call to action is a valuable tool that can be used in several different ways. You can find CTAs within blogs, websites, social media sites, and email marketing campaigns. If you are looking to implement these within your company, a great place to start with these can include:

• blog posts

• site navigation

• email campaigns

• product pages

However, it is important not to spam CTAs throughout your site or platforms. Only include them where they make sense and are valuable to visitors.

How to Incorporate a Call to Action

You can find these 'next steps' everywhere in your day-to-day life. When you are watching TV, you may see calls for credit card applications or websites. This is just one example of call-to-action advertising in the real world. While they are utilized very heavily in the offline world, though they may seem like something that is website specific. In the real world, they can be used in several ways including:

• Coupons

• Applications

• Sales

Don’t rush creating these enticing requests, and these should be a high priority, not an afterthought. Incorporating a CTA will increase sales substantially. A clear CTA is important for each part of the buyer funnel, whether it be a phrase like ‘click here for more information,’ ‘buy here’, or ‘start today.’ Some factors to experiment with when creating a call to action:

• Button size

• Button color

• Putting the CTA on different parts of the page

• Including text or step-by-step instructions

Besides the call to action button, offer a discount or perk added with the call to action. Or addressing concerns, such as offering free shipping if they call within x-amount of time. Allowing customers to call, email, chat, or use social media as a way to contact you is an additional call to action.

Call to Action Examples

Now, you’re expecting to learn what an enticing call to action includes. To create a call-to-action that will engage viewers, there are several factors to keep in mind. Such as where on the page, how far in the buyer funnel they are, and the specific action you want them to take. Write out a CTA that provides specific details about your company or industry.

For example: If you sell a specific product, call it out by using phrases such as ‘buy our top-of-the-line _________ today’, or ‘start your trial today!' Promote their CTA by asking ‘what are you waiting for?’ or even ‘add to cart.’

Other examples include:

• 'click here!'

• 'sign up today!'

• 'start your free trial now!'

How Long Should the Call to Action be?

Don’t make CTAs long and wordy as it will decrease your effectiveness. Keep it short, sweet, and simple.

The call to action should ideally be long enough that viewers will consider your call, but not too long where they are turned off by your next step altogether. An effective CTA is concise and straight to the point.

Typically call-to-actions are brief with one word or short sentence, but they don't have to be. You can have CTA buttons with long sentences on them as well, however, this is not the best way to go about getting customers what you want them to do.

Including a link on social media is another great way to gain more traffic to your site and provide more value to your company.

A call to action can increase your bottom line and save you time. It is also a great way to show trust and engagement with potential customers on the web. Utilize CTAs by following clear instructions, setting them up in certain places, and keeping them short for more effectiveness.

Speak to your Target Market

One of the best tips we can give you for a successful key to action is putting yourself into your customers’ shoes. When you understand your target audience, create content that appeals to their needs and speaks to where they are at in the buyer funnel. What are they looking for? What type of information would they click on? Once you understand your target market, the customer's next step will come easily. You can call-to-action by differentiating between your buyer types such as:

• High-level call to action for product pages

• Medium call to action for blog posts & email campaigns

• Short CTAs on social media

Be sure to design their next step as clear and concise for easy understanding. If you watch Youtube, you might be familiar with the phrase, ‘like and subscribe if you enjoyed this video!’ Some other examples include:

• Schedule a call today

• Download your free ebook here

• Start your trial today!

We can't stress this enough: call-to-action examples are everything. They show people real evidence of what CTAs usually look like, and that prevents them from feeling overwhelmed or not knowing where to start. The call to action should be simple, but enticing.

Key Takeaways

So, what are you waiting for? Start using CTAs on your website and in your social media posts today! And if you're looking for more inspiration, be sure to check out our Instagram account. We've got lots of great examples of effective CTAs that will help get your creative juices flowing. So what are you waiting for? Start using CTAs today and see how they can help your business grow!