The idea behind a call-to-action is to get the reader to “perform the desired action”. There are different factors that affect the effectiveness of calls to action. We hope you can find some tips from these all-time classic examples of effective CTAs.
Be liberal in the usage of white space: its appropriate positioning around the CTA would lead to it appearing conspicuous in the whole layout. It’s vital that the CTA should not be lost and should not merge with the rest of the background. Remember that your user would not spend extra time in navigating around the site, looking for the CTA.
Colour-layout: the colours that are a part of the CTA should stand out, but not in a jarring way.
Not too imposing: while the idea is to ensure that the customer does not get lost in the layout and is able to navigate to the CTA button, it does not imply that entry to the site gets blocked and is open only when he /she has registered on it. This might turn your potential lead into a bounced-off visitor.
Incorporating a sense of urgency: It’s a well-known rule of marketing. A CTA that evokes a sense of urgency in the mind of the visitor leads to more conversions.
Making economic sense: a freebie is always welcome, no matter who your reader is. Therefore, if the monetary logic of registering on your site would also be incorporated in the CTA, it would go a long way in ensuring quicker conversions.
It should not be too verbose: remember that the idea is to allow as little time as is possible for the user to deliberate over the signing up process, and if you were to include lengthy text in the CTA, it would not be ideal.
An uncluttered layout: asking for the bare minimum information and keeping white space the main focus is the eBay call-to-action.
Attention catching but not in an imposing manner: when you look at Amazon for the first time, there is no way that you would not notice the call-to-action button. However, it does not interfere with your browsing the site, nor does it block your entry into the main site.
This post was written by Ananya Srivastava, a tech writer working with EnablingBiz eSolutions – a leading Internet marketing and web agency that offers a wide range of Internet marketing, web design and development services. EnablingBiz also provides white-label services to design and development firms in North America and Europe. Join us on Google+.
