If you have an online presence for your business, it is likely that there is a reason for it. Are you attempting to drive traffic to your business? Do you need to inform people about your Cause? Either way, one of the most common things people struggle with for their sites can be a simple “Call to Action,” or “CTA.” A CTA is a way to drive people to make “next steps,” whether it is reaching out to you on social media or buying your new product.

The Benefits of Repetition

Repeating one’s self and pushing someone to buy something over and over can definitely be perceived as overbearing, to say the least. However, when used correctly, repetition is a highly effective tool and does not have to be offensive. It is also important to keep your CTA from being easily overlooked. One way to achieve this on a single-page site is to “book-end” your page. To do this, you start off strong with a “Learn More” button or something to that effect very early on—almost as soon as you land on the page, or “above the fold.” Keep your audience engaged, using a linear progression throughout your site, then finish with another CTA, which prompts the user to take next steps such as contacting you directly or making a donation to your Cause. On a multi-page site, this method can also work, but you have more ways to use repetition. You can use your Home page to drive users to other pages on your site, but on every page, you can still use a similar (if not identical) vibrant, attractive CTA to motivate users to make a purchase or reach out to you on social media. When done tastefully and in moderation, repetition can be a true benefit when calling your users to action.

Keep It Simple

The most successful CTA’s are the ones that are easy to identify and navigate. For example, using a hyperlink word at the end of a lengthy paragraph that says a passive “we look forward to hearing from you,” is never going to be as obvious as a large button or attractive image that clearly states, “Contact Us to Learn More,” or something to that effect. More than that, whenever possible, take out the additional work of navigating to a different page. If possible, use a form on your Home page, for example, so that people can instantly contact you if that is your CTA.

Be Polite

It goes without saying that wording counts for everything but I’ll say it anyway… wording can count for everything. Ordering your audience to “Buy Now!” or “Join Our Mailing List!” is not the same thing as simply identifying a button as a “Buy” button or an inviting, “Feel Free to Join Our Mailing List.” CTA’s are an opportunity for your audience to engage with you, and usually, people respond better to invitations and requests, rather than demands. In addition, showing a picture of your product and slapping a “BUY NOW” button is not going to be as effective as explaining why your users should purchase your product, rather than making it a demand.

In the end, CTA’s are a balancing act. When used well, they can be considerably effective at inviting users to engage with you and take their next steps with you. There are many elements that cause a particular Call to Action to be successful, but hopefully, this post has helped to identify a few of the major factors to help drive your results.

By: Jen G Anders, Lead Designer, Cosmital Designs