By Dwayne Coots on Aug 16, 2021
A call to action (CTA) is a term that describes an action a business encourages its audience to take. Regardless of the marketing platform (website, email, blog post) a CTA is an opportunity to motivate users to take real steps toward becoming a customer. Effective calls to action can be the determining factor between a website visitor and a conversion.
We want to share the power of a strong CTA and how a local digital marketing agency can help you implement effective calls to action that grow your business and drive sales.
Understanding the Value of a CTA
A CTA can refer to any request that you make of a user in your marketing efforts. It can come in many forms like a closing statement in a blog article, a line in an email or social media post, or a button on your website. Some examples of CTA statements include:
For B2B businesses, calls to action may be more sales-oriented than those on B2C sites, such as “Schedule a free demo.” Unfortunately, one study found that 70% of small business B2B websites lack calls to action. Just think of the missed opportunities!
A good CTA guides a user through your sales funnel, leading them to additional relevant information and keeping them engaged with your brand or website. Over time, this engagement increases the likelihood that your audience will take meaningful action with your business such as buying products or contacting your sales team. However, without a call to action, the user is left to self-navigate and the odds that they’ll leave your website naturally increase.
Many businesses choose to work with a local digital marketing agency because they offer expertise in online marketing. These agencies employ various tactics, strategies, and tools to help a business reach its marketing and sales goals. Working with one can help your business determine the areas in your digital marketing where a strong CTA is needed to increase clicks and conversions.
When crafting a CTA, the first thing to consider is what you are offering to users. Whether it’s a chance to sign up for your newsletter, buy a product or contact a team member, your CTA should provide value to the user. The offer should naturally correlate with the messaging of the content the CTA follows of course. For example, if an email is promoting an upcoming event, an effective CTA button would be “Buy Your Tickets Now.”
A CTA should be clear and concise and let the user know exactly what they get if they click the button or link. It should also create a smooth transition through the sales funnel, not create obstacles taking the next step. For example, a “Contact Us” CTA should link to a landing page with an easy-to-use contact form. It should not link to your website’s home page where the user has to figure out how to contact your team. This may cause users to become frustrated and leave your site without taking any action.
The second thing to consider when crafting a CTA is the messaging. Your CTA should make the user want to continue on their buying journey. You want to highlight the value and benefits your business offers to customers instead of just listing features or “what’s included.”
The words you use in your CTA should be representative of the action your visitors are taking. Avoid using generic terms like “Click Here” or “Submit” and use action-oriented words like “Explore Our Products” or “Book Your Appointment.”
A CTA is only as effective as the overall marketing strategy. While you might have a clear and engaging CTA, if your website is hard to find in search results, you won’t generate a lot of website traffic to take the next step. Too few people will ever see your carefully crafted CTA. A digital marketing agency can work with your business to review your marketing strategy and provide advice and services to enhance your digital marketing efforts.
Even if your CTA has the perfect message, you want to make sure it is used in a way that captures the user’s attention. CTA buttons should stand out from the rest of the content provided. One case study reported that conversions increased by 232% when clutter around the CTA was reduced.
Calls to action should be included throughout your marketing efforts not just on your website. One study showed that emails with a single call to action increased clicks by 371% and increased sales by 1617%. Adding CTAs to your Facebook page can increase click-through rate by 285%.
You will want to vary your CTAs according to the marketing media you are using as well as your goals. While an email targeting existing customers may have a CTA to “Connect with Your Sales Rep,” a social media post introducing your brand may encourage users to join your email list to stay up-to-date.
Measuring Effectiveness of a CTA with A/B Testing
Effective calls to action will vary by industry, business and brand. One software company found that orange CTA buttons boosted their conversion rate by over 32.5%, while another found that red CTA buttons increased their conversion rate by 21%.
A/B testing is the process of testing multiple versions of a variable (in this case, a CTA) to see which version is the most impactful for users. For example, sending the same email to two groups of contacts – the only difference being the messaging used for the CTA – to see which one generates more clicks and conversions. A/B testing is a measurable way to analyze and update your calls to action to get the most clicks and conversions.
Start Boosting Your Conversions
To create effective calls to action, your business needs to have a strong digital presence. Contact your local Umbrella Local agency, a local digital marketing agency that has offices throughout the country. We have extensive experience working with a variety of businesses, including service providers, retailers and offline and online companies.
Contact our team of marketing experts to learn how we can help grow your business.
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Look to an experienced local digital marketing agency to boost your conversions with strong calls to action.
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