Creating a good call to action (CTA) is a really important part of digital marketing and content design. A CTA can trigger your visitors to consider taking the action you suggest. You should have some kind of CTA on almost every page — doing so will certainly help you to reach your goals. In this post we’ll explain how to write a great call to action, where to place them, and common mistakes to avoid.
What is a call to action?
A call to action is a kind of trigger that encourages your visitors to do something. The action you want them to take could be anything. Maybe you want them to buy a product, sign up to your newsletter, leave a review, or just visit another page on your site. Whatever your online goals are, a CTA in the right place can guide your users through the steps you want them to follow.
A CTA usually contains commanding language telling a user what to do. That means using words like “buy”, “read”, “find out”, “get”, and so on. Admittedly, it can feel a bit strange to give your users commands. Adding your calls to action in a button or a call-out box can feel a bit less awkward, as it keeps your commands separate from your other (more natural) texts.
Why a call to action is important
Every website, and every page on a website, has a reason to exist. But if you don’t add a CTA, there’s a high chance that your users will look at your content and then leave your site without doing anything else. Calls to action will help you to keep users on your site and convert them into loyal fans or customers.
If you want your users to follow a specific set of steps to do something, CTAs are even more important. They can create a kind of roadmap to guide your visitors to the content they need to see, or a set of steps they need to take to buy a product. Without these ‘signposts’, your users will be left guessing what they’re supposed to do next.
How to write great CTAs
When thinking about text for your CTA button, there are a few important things to consider:
- Use active voice
First of all, you need to be sure you’re using an active voice. An active voice is action-oriented, and so literally calls people to action. And that’s exactly what you want. Make people want to click your button!
- Use relevant labels
Make sure your button text is specific to what people are doing. “Send” is just too generic. Use something like “Sign up!” for a newsletter, or “Contact us” for a contact form. The text has to explain what the button will do.
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This article was written by Amy Lees and originally published on SEO blog • Yoast.