When it comes to marketing, the goal is conversion, to drive revenue, and increase market share.

To accomplish the first piece, call-to-action (CTA) buttons, links, or images are the most effective strategy. A call to action is imperative to push a user forward into the site and ultimately build a relationship and drive future conversions. The most important metrics to focus on are placement, prevalence, and alignment with the user journey.

Placement

“Location 100% dictates the engagement CTAs produce,” says Lindsay Nasi, former Arke Director of User Experience. The user should have minimal interaction on the site to get to the CTA, meaning it should never be hidden behind a layer of clicks. Depending on what step of the journey the user is on will determine when you surface the CTAs. For example, a user who is in the early stages of awareness and understanding about your brand may not be ready to hit the conversion CTA

“Location 100% dictates the engagement CTAs produce”

In that case, you would want to hit them at the next CTA point when they know and understand what part of your business they are interested in. Always pull the CTA forward on the site. According to Nielsen Norman Group, people rarely read online and are more likely to scan. Through research they have determined that there are 4 main patterns that people use to scan contextual information of web pages. Placing the CTAs within the user’s path, according to these patterns will generate higher conversion rates for the CTA.

Prevalence

There is no set rule for how many CTAs a page can have. If there is more than one CTA on a page, they should look different and be clear on their purpose. This can be accomplished by using phrases like “get started today,” “read on,” or “ask a question.” That way the user is not overwhelmed or confused as to what they should do next. The most important thing to note about prevalence, according to Arke UX experts, is the omnipresence CTA. This means having a call to action in a banner or sticky footer on each page of the site to provoke primary interaction. If the user is still in the awareness and understanding phase of the customer journey, this is a great option as the only page CTA because it is typically very general.

Alignment

“The CTA should always be indicative of what the user will get by clicking on it.”

After we figure out where and how many, we can focus on the disposition. The CTA should always be indicative of what the user will get by clicking on it. We never want the user guessing where or what they should click next. Use clear and direct phrasing such as “learn more,” “contact us” and “find out how.” Focus on benefits for the user and incite loss aversion, a term coined by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, outlined by the phrase “losses loom larger than gains.” This can be accomplished by replacing terms like “take advantage of” by “don’t miss” and highlighting upcoming deadlines and important dates. Always be mindful of the colors you use. According to Kirsten Stimmel, former Arke Executive Director of Experience Design, you should “never use the big red button.” Utilize your company color palette and pick highlight colors that stand out from the rest of the page. CTAs can also be personalized based on location, language, or if the user has interacted with the site before. For example, if they have downloaded a piece of information previously, give them a CTA for a different piece during their next visit.

The call to action is key to generating conversions and moving a customer along in the buyers’ journey. Most of all, CTAs should be succinct with an obvious next step, acting as a signal to the user, and thoughtfully placed throughout the site. Realize the potential of your company through the tips above and implement effective CTAs for conversion generation.