Ever heard the terms CTA or call-to-action thrown around by your web designer, and wondered what are they talking about? The first standard response is probably “a CTA is a call-to-action.” Oh, okay, a call-to-action? That makes total sense, right? Well, if you still are thoroughly confused, don’t worry! In this blog post I’ll be giving you the insider explanation on what a CTA is, why they’re important, and how designers should be using them. The next time you talk to your designer, you might even know things that they don’t! And you will definitely have a better handle on the conversation.
But, before we begin, what is a call-to-action? There are several types of content that make up a webpage: Text, Pictures and Graphics being the main categories. CTA’s are a bit of a love child between all of these. They can be as small and simple as a button, or as large as a picture with text overlaid, and some action words that cause the viewer to want to see where it leads. See some examples below:
So that’s great, you’re probably thinking, but what are they good for? And how should they be used?
PURPOSE:
Calls-to-action fill the areas of your page designed to stand out and grab the readers’ attention, with strong colors, bold text, and links to further content. CTA’s are designed for users to click on them to be taken to special offers, contact forms, or pages with further info about a product. Thus, they are a very important part of the web design process. They are the visual “action verbs” of your site. And they should include strong action verbs as part of the text on the CTA itself. Clear, compelling verbiage is what will make the CTA do its job in attracting viewers to click on it.
The final goal of a CTA is to make viewers of your site into potential customers and leads–and ultimately, lifelong followers.
PLACEMENT:
Where the CTA goes on a webpage is completely dependent on the structure of the page itself, and what it is asking the viewer to learn more about. There are general rules to follow, such as putting some CTA’s “above the fold” (meaning, towards the top of your site where they show when the page first loads), on the left-hand side of the page, or to give plenty of white space around it. The size and colors used in the CTA should make it stand out and draw the eye. If the CTA is closely related to specific content on the page, it should be placed close by with less white space. Often pages will have multiple calls-to-action on one page, and prominence must be in relation to the importance of the CTA. For example, a short-lived campaign asking visitors to sign up for a free trial would be more important than a link to view a blog page. The main thing is making sure each CTA stands out compared to general text, but making sure their colors and design fit in with the overall theme of your site/company.
At the end of the day, experimentation will decide what works best on your site. The real requirement is for your CTA’s to stand out and generate attraction, and to have clarity.
PAYOFF:
Calls-to-action make your website a two-way street, where users get to interact with your company and engage in giving information and receiving benefits. Instead of simply throwing information out onto the web and wondering if it will ever come back to you, CTA’s help you guide the user experience. They make your webpages visually active, pulling the viewer in and making them a participant. By doing so, they give you opportunities to capture potential leads’ information, and have concrete ways of following up with them. They also provide a wonderful way to measure the effectiveness of your website.
In the end, CTA’s are the number one way to generate leads and future clients from the viewers perusing your site today. You should give it a try!
NOW YOU KNOW!
That’s the basics of what a CTA is, and what it is supposed to do for your website. I hope this post has been helpful for you! Now you should be able to go to your designer and know exactly what you’re talking about….and if you’re still confused about something, give us a call!