Your call-to-action buttons are one of the most crucial parts of your website – no matter what industry you are in, be it manufacturing, higher education, eCommerce, or construction. After all, they allow interested prospects to follow through after you’ve helped them understand the benefits of your product or service. As described in Marketing Made Simple, whereas brick-and-mortar businesses have a checkout line with a cashier, you have a call-to-action button and perhaps a checkout or enrollment page.
All call-to-action buttons aren’t equally effective, though, and a poorly written or poorly designed call-to-action could be costing you sales. If it’s hard for customers (or potential students, for our readers in higher education) to take the next step, whether that’s checking out, scheduling a call, or submitting an application, they could become frustrated and perhaps give up… or even move on to one of your competitors – and you certainly don’t want that!
Here are some of the most common mistakes you should avoid when creating call-to-action buttons on your site, and a few great ways you can quickly improve yours.
Your call-to-action is indirect
Your call-to-action should be direct and clear. It should explain exactly what will happen when customers click the button. While it can be tempting to use this opportunity to come up with a clever phrase related to your business or the products you provide, your call-to-action button isn’t the place. You aren’t trying to convince customers to buy with your call-to-action button; they should already be ready to buy before clicking.
Keep the text on your buttons short and simple, using phrases like “BUY NOW” or “APPLY TODAY”, or even “GET YOUR FREE BOOK NOW.” This way, website visitors won’t be disappointed or frustrated with what they receive, and there will be less friction to get them to click.
Your call-to-action doesn’t stand out
If you were shopping in a store, wouldn’t you be frustrated if you couldn’t find the cash register to check out with your items? Your call-to-action buttons are one of the most important components of your site, and they’re the only way customers can make a purchase, so it’s important customers are actually able to find them with no issue.
Your call-to-action buttons should be a different color, making them pop and encouraging leads to take a look. HubSpot conducted an A/B study that found that red buttons were the most effective option for their client, perhaps because this color contrasts their client’s site’s color scheme. Take a look at your own site or business’ color scheme and determine which complementary or contrasting colors might be best for your own call-to-action buttons.
Using a bold and easy-to-read font can also help draw wanted attention to your call-to-action buttons. Try to avoid flashy or unusual fonts.
Your call-to-action is only in one place
Your site’s call-to-action should be distributed regularly throughout the site so it’s easy for customers to see and find. If it’s just in one place, often on the homepage, then viewers won’t be able to find what they’re looking for as they navigate through other pages. Worse, if it’s hidden in the footer, leads may not be able to identify your call-to-action at all.
Place your call-to-action in the upper right corner of the site, in the header, and on every page throughout the rest of your site for maximum effect and visibility. Don’t be afraid to place multiple calls to action on one page, either; placing them tactfully throughout a page so customers can click after they see something they like can be highly effective and necessary. The marketing “rule of 7” says people need to see a message 7 times before it registers enough for them to take some form of action, so your call-to-action needs to be repeated.
You don’t use the same call-to-action
Using multiple different call-to-action buttons throughout your site can be confusing for customers. They wind up unsure about which one to click or become overwhelmed by the options. You might think “BUY NOW” and “WORK WITH US” are the same, but your customer sees that as two distinct choices. Which one are they supposed to choose?
Use the same call-to-action to ensure consistency and make it easier for visitors to find what they’re looking for. Of course, if you have multiple offerings, it might be necessary to use a small sampling of call-to-action buttons, but use different variations wisely to eliminate confusion.
Creating effective call-to-action buttons for your site takes a little bit of thought, but it’s probably simpler than you realize. Ensuring your call-to-action buttons are clear, bold, and consistently distributed throughout your site will help customers find what they’re looking for and make it significantly easier to do business with you. By implementing these tips, you’ll no doubt improve your site and make more sales both in the short-term and in the long run.
Need help determining the best call to action or how to organize your website so customers take action? Schedule a call with our team to talk about the importance of clear website design as a way to generate leads and grow your business.
