15 of the Most Effective Website Calls to Action
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Did that excite you? Did it make you want to click to read more of whatever it was I had to say? Probably not. And that’s a problem for the thousands of websites that use a bland, boring “click here” call to action as their one attempt to get their readers to convert.
A good call to action has to have a lot going for it. It has to, in one sentence, tell users what they’re getting, convince them of the value of what they’re getting and convince them it’s an easy process to redeem. A vague, boring or hidden call to action is a conversion killer.
Here are fifteen great call to action styles, and what you can learn from them.
1. The Temporary Offer
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The time-limited offer is providing an exclusive bit of value to users who otherwise wouldn’t get it. It makes them feel special, as if they are part of an elite group of special users, when in reality anyone at all can join the group. Hype up something valuable and then offer to give it away early, in exchange for your conversion.
2. The Choice Without Choice
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At first glance, this seems like a choice that segregates your users and makes it harder to cater to them both. In reality, your users are only going to fall into one category or another, so the choice is already made for them. The other button may as well be invisible. Just make sure you don’t give them too much choice.
3. The Free Demonstration
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This is a great call to action for a particular sort of content you can promote in order to increase conversions for your product. It combines a testimonial, multimedia content and a tutorial for your product all in one. With that kind of information freely available, you’re sure to provide the support they need when they convert.
4. The Free Trial
Try before you buy! Check out our product for 30 days absolutely free; no obligation, no credit card and no complicated registration necessary.
Any product that can be given away and time-locked is perfect for this CTA. Plus, a free trial is great for a CTA button you can stick in a sidebar. Users love the word free, and when you assure them that they won’t be billed if they forget to cancel, it’s even better.
5. The Ask The Audience
Which of the following services would you love it if we provided? Vote now and your wish may be granted.
Sometimes, a user is completely satisfied with what you offer. Other times, they may have a few small desires that you could implement, but you’re hesitant to invest the budget in developing. Running a poll helps you figure it out.
6. The Social Encouragement
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Social media is, of course, a huge asset to any modern marketing effort. You should have several CTAs for different social networks, so you’re never looking like you pasted the same CTA in to a bunch of different blog posts.
7. The Social Encouragement (Mk. II)
Did you find this CTA explanation valuable? Do you think your friends and colleagues would find it equally so? Share it on Facebook by clicking the button below!
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There’s a special brand of CTA centered around social media sharing. You should strive to become an expert in it; social shares are exceptionally valuable. Every share is a new audience you weren’t reaching before.
8. The Breaking News
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Your mailing list is the best lead generation tool you have that doesn’t depend on a third party like Google or Facebook. You may want to specify whether it’s a daily, weekly or monthly newsletter.
9. The Kindle Filler
Take our advice with you on the go; just download our free eBook and have a handy guide with you anywhere you need to work.
The eBook is a great tool for finding leads, publishing valuable information and building a reputation. A free eBook is already attractive; promise ongoing updates to the content to give it that extra flair.
10. The Product Promotion
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At the end of the day, it all comes back to your product or service. Anything you have that lends itself to an impulse buy is a great target for a casual CTA. For more expensive or intensive products, you may need to spend more time devising the perfect call to action.
11. The Related Content
Heard enough about CTAs? Want to learn a little something about analytics? Check out “3 Things You Can Learn From Your Bounce Rate!”
Sure, a related articles widget is a quick and easy way to link to other content on your site, but is it really the most effective? Use a personalized CTA to link to specific articles without shoehorning them into the middle of your content.
12. The Sales Pitch
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Most of the people checking out your site need more information, but they don’t necessarily want to dig for it. You can use this CTA to convince those users to give you a call, where a salesperson can give the pitch that convinces them to convert.
13. The Feed Follow
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Similar to encouraging newsletter signups, an RSS feed or email blog subscription allows you to gather information about your readers while delivering your content to them directly and quickly.
14. The Debate Club
Do you think black hat SEOs are immoral scum, or do you believe black hat SEO has a valid place? Weigh in on the debate in the comments!
This CTA isn’t one to use frequently; instead, hold it back for times when you’ve written a controversial blog post and tack it on to the end. Stir up the hornet’s nest and let them debate in the comments. Who knows? Maybe you’ll learn something new for a future post.
15. The Response Seeker
Do you have an example of a particularly successful call to action you’ve used in the past? Let us know in the comments how it worked!
Comments are great. We get to know you, you get to know us and everyone has a great time. Let us know!
Written by Kenny Novak
Kenny is an SEM and SEO professional. He uses blogging and content marketing as a launchpad for small businesses looking to grow their online presence.
