Effective Call-to-action (CTA)

Effective Call-to-action (CTA)
Maxwell Reed

Maxwell Reed

Aug. 31 2023

14.5k

Call-To-Actions (CTAs) are marketing prompts on websites that guide visitors to take a specific action. Examples are "Buy now", "Shop now", "Add to cart", "Subscribe to our newsletter" and "Follow us

What are Call-To-Actions?

A call-to-action (CTA) is a marketing prompt on a website that tells visitors to take a specific action. In eCommerce, CTAs are used to encourage site visitors to purchase products, sign up for newsletters, or follow the brand on social media. Some commonly seen examples are:

+ Buy now

This is the most common CTA used to encourage users to purchase a product immediately.

+ Shop now

This CTA is used to invite users to browse a product catalog or collection.

+ Add to cart

A CTA that prompts users to add a product to the their shopping cart.

+ Subscribe to our newsletter

Used to collect email addresses so that the brand can stay in touch with them.

+ Follow us on social media

Used to encourage users to follow the brand on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Example of multiple CTAs on Uniqlo.com
Example of multiple CTAs on Uniqlo.com

Why are Call-To-Actions important?

Without a clear CTA, visitors may not know what you want them to do and may leave your site without taking any action. Here are 3 reasons explaining the importance of CTAs:

1. Guide visitors

CTAs guide visitors through the whole buying process from browsing to purchasing. For example, a CTA button that says "Add to cart" tells visitors that they can add the product to their shopping cart.

2. Improve user experience

CTAs make it clearer what visitors can do on your site. It can help reduce confusion and frustration and encourage them to stay longer.

3. Increase conversions

Combining all of the above will ultimately lead to an increase in conversion rates.

How to craft effective CTAs?

Factors that determine the effectiveness of CTA

1. Clarity

Clear and concise CTAs let visitors know exactly what action is being asked of them.

2. Placement

Placing the CTA in a prominent location on the website makes it easily noticed by visitors.

3. Urgency

When a sense of urgency is instilled in your visitors, they are more likely to take action immediately. For example, "Hurry, the offer is ending soon!"

4. Personalization

When personalized to the individual visitor, it is more likely to resonate with them. For example, "Get 10% off your first purchase."

Clear and personalized CTA on Laneige.com
Clear and personalized CTA on Laneige.com

Additional tips

+ Use strong verbs

Use strong and action-oriented verbs like "Sign up now” instead of “Learn more".

+ Use specific language

Be specific about the action you want your visitors to take. For example, instead of saying "Shop now," say "Shop our summer sale ."

CTA with specific language used by crocs.com
CTA with specific language used by crocs.com

+ A/B testing of different variations

Test out a few different CTAs, to see which one performs the best.

Overall, if you want to increase conversions on your online store, you need to make sure that you have clear and effective CTAs. By following the tips above, you too can create CTAs that will help you achieve your goals.

Alternatively, by setting up your business with Konigle,  effective CTAs can be used easily. Find out how by reaching out to us!

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Maxwell Reed

Author

Maxwell Reed

Maxwell Reed a growth engineer is helping online stores with insights and recommendations to help implement conversion rate optimisation tactics.