Imagine you’re browsing a website, and suddenly, a button urges you to “Discover more” or “Get started today.” These prompts are designed to guide your next move, seamlessly leading you toward deeper engagement. Such strategic nudges play an essential role in converting casual browsers into active participants.
Read below for a definition and tips on what makes a great Call to Action.
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A Call to Action (CTA) is a phrase or sentence that prompts your audience to take a specific action, such as downloading a resource, making a purchase, or starting a free trial. You can find CTAs on almost every website, page or even email campaign.
An effective CTA uses clear language, describing what the user will get when they carry on the action. For instance: “Get started with digital advertising by downloading our demo”. Calls to action are usually short, direct-to-the-point phrases, but in some cases may involve a longer sentence or even a short paragraph.
Crafting a compelling CTA is essential to drive conversions. A user may enjoy your website content, but without a good Call to Action, they won’t proceed to the next stage on the funnel.
To write a Call to Action that encourages users to click on it, there are several elements that must be present:
Clear and direct language: First, is the language and voice tone you use. Calls to Action cannot be ambiguous. After all, you want the objective of the CTA to be absolutely clear for the user. To achieve that, use concise, action-oriented verbs like “Talk to us”, Download”, “Contact us”, “Subscribe” or “Get started”.
A value proposition: The user needs to know what they’ll get by clicking on the CTA, so, ensure you showcase the benefit to the user. For example: “Leverage unmatched customization and support. Contact us”, “Start increasing conversions with our platform. Download our demo”, or “Sign up now to receive exclusive updates”.
Urgency: CTAs should make the user feel they’re going to miss out by not clicking it. Copywriters usually incorporate time-sensitive and imperative language into the Call to Action, to prompt immediate action from the user. Examples may include adding phrases like: “Call us today”, “Download now”, “Get your free trial today”, or “ Limited offer”.
Visibility: The best CTA won’t be effective if the user cannot find it on the page or the article. It should attract attention visually, so. manage its design and placement on the page the way it stands out immediately as the page loads. Contrasting colors draw the user’s attention while placing CTAs after relevant and engaging pieces of content can prompt the user to click on them.
For example, a Call to Action right at the top right corner of the page:
Relevance: Calls to action need to stand out on the page to be noticed. However, it also should stay relevant to the surrounding content, and the user needs. For example, aligning an informative article with a CTA of “Request our demo” or “Download our demo”, can steer the user into exploring more about the product, instead of a simple “Contact us”, or “ Buy now”.
Calls to Action are a core element of digital advertising. They give users the nudge to take immediate action, which is essential to drive conversions. Regardless of how engaging and brilliant a webpage content may be, without an effective Call to Action, a visitor may bounce away from the page.
Calls to Action have the power to direct user behavior to a desired action, increasing online engagement, encouraging prospects to move down to the funnel, and ultimately, converting. CTAs also play a key role in measuring campaign efficacy, through click-through rates.
Any copywriter will tell you that creating a CTA is harder than writing long text. These short pieces of text need to pack a lot of messaging in very few words. To write a CTA that aids conversions, here are several tips you can follow:
Identify the desired action. The first step in crafting an effective Call to Action (CTA) is clearly defining what you want users to do. Are you guiding them to request a demo, download a resource, sign up for a newsletter, or make a purchase? Without a well-defined objective, your CTA may lack the focus needed to drive user engagement. Be specific and intentional in your messaging.
Use targeted, action-oriented language. Start with a strong verb that directly communicates the next step. Avoid vague phrases like “ Click here”, or “Learn more”. Instead, opt for action-oriented language such as “Start a free trial now”, “ Get exclusive access”, and “Schedule a demo”. Personalization also plays a key role in your message to resonate with your target audience by highlighting benefits that matter most to them.
Mind the length. The length of a CTA will depend on the type and placement. For button CTA, for example, conciseness is essential— limit the text to no more than five words for maximum clarity and impact. In-article or long-form content CTAs can have slightly longer messages but should still remain concise. The goal is to maintain focus and not overwhelm the user with excessive text.
Create urgency. Adding a sense of urgency can significantly boost the effectiveness of your CTA. Encourage users to act immediately by incorporating power words and time-sensitive phrases such as “ Limited time offer”, “Reserve your spot now”, and “Don’t miss out”. Urgency taps into the fear of missing out (FOMO), prompting users to take quick action rather than delaying their decision.
Test and optimize. Continuous testing and optimization are essential for creating CTAs that drive results. Use A/B testing to experiment with different wording, colors, and design elements. Test variations simultaneously to see which resonates best with your audience. Analyze performance metrics, such as click-through and conversion rates, to identify winning strategies.
A CTA can be as versatile as the channel you choose to use it on. Since you can use it everywhere, from websites to digital billboards, here are some of the most common types of CTAs:
Buttons are one of the most common and effective types of CTAs. These are clickable elements designed to prompt immediate user action, typically with short and impactful text like (“Buy now”, “Get started” or “Sign up”. Their distinct shape and contrasting colors make them visually appealing and easy to locate on a webpage. Buttons can guide users to desired next steps, such as product pages, demo requests, or registration forms.
According to their color, design and placement, buttons can increase conversions. They should be always in a visible place, after engaging content. For example, the below button takes visitors to our advertising solutions page.
Text-based CTAs seamlessly integrate into content, making them versatile and unobtrusive. These text-based CTAs contain clickable links prompting users to take specific actions. One key advantage of hyperlinks is their ability to blend naturally into blog posts, product descriptions, or promotional text. They work well for encouraging deeper exploration of content and directing readers to supporting resources or promotional pages. For example, the following text CTA precedes a button CTA in one of our blogs.
Banners are graphic CTAs that visually capture users’ attention while promoting offers or encouraging specific actions. They often appear at the top, bottom, or sides of web pages and are designed with vibrant colors, engaging visuals, and compelling messages. Banners can advertise special promotions, highlight key features, or provide limited-time offers. Their bold design and prominent placement make them a powerful tool for driving conversions when effectively aligned with user interests.
Forms are interactive CTAs prompting users to provide information, such as their name and email address, in exchange for valuable resources or services. Common examples include newsletter subscription forms, registration fields for webinars, and download forms for whitepapers. Well-designed forms use clear instructions, minimal required fields, and enticing CTAs like “Subscribe now” or “Get your free guide”. By reducing friction and emphasizing user benefits, forms can significantly boost lead generation.
There is hardly a digital marketing scenario that doesn’t feature CTAs today. These small, but effective pieces of text are placed across various digital touchpoints, from webpages to articles, emails, and ads. Below are some scenarios where you can use a CTA.
Web conversion pages – CTAs are essential on websites to direct visitors toward exploring, services, or specific content. A well-placed button or hyperlink can guide users to book a demo, read a blog post, or complete a purchase. For example, an e-commerce site might use “Add to cart” CTAs on product pages, while a service website might encourage “Schedule a Free Consultation”.
Email marketing campaigns – CTAs are an essential part of every email marketing campaign. They encourage recipients to take further action, such as reading a blog post, downloading an ebook, or visiting the site to redeem a special offer. Effective email CTAs are concise and action-oriented, such as “Claim your discount” or “Read more”. They often stand out through bold colors or buttons, helping guide the reader to the next step. Personalized CTAs can significantly increase click-through rates, making email campaigns more impactful.
Social media campaigns – On social media, CTAs prompt followers to engage with content, visit websites, or participate in promotions. Phrases like “Swipe up” “Shop now”, or “Join the conversation”, are common examples. Social media platforms offer a variety of formats for CTAs, such as buttons on ads, or text prompts with captions.
Advertisements – CTAs also encourage immediate action in advertisements. You can see calls like ”Call now”, “Learn more”, “Download today”, and “Install app”. Whether in display ads, video campaigns, or search ads, these CTAs are designed to capture the user’s attention and elicit a quick response.
An effective CTA is critical for a successful digital marketing strategy. Below are some of the main benefits of using CTAs:
Increased engagement: One of the positive effects of using a CTA is it encourages users to actively engage with content, instead of passively consuming it. A CTA prompts actions that take users deeper into the website, and gather more information about the products.
Higher conversion rates: This is the ultimate goal for an effective CTA: to guide customers along the funnel and ultimately convert. Communicating the next steps, a CTA reduces decision-making friction and turns interest into action.
Improved user experience: When a CTA is well crafted, and not vague, it provides clear guidance to the users. By doing this, it ultimately enhances the user experience and increases the click-through rates.
Measurable results: CTAs are a valuable tool to track user actions and conversions. Marketers use them to monitor click-through rates, engagement levels and conversions and evaluate campaign effectiveness.
Effective CTAs are direct, to the point, and compelling. Here are some examples from Perion campaigns and our own website.
The above image combines a longer text CTA establishing the benefit, with a short, powerful button CTA encouraging visitors to connect with us.
Source
This display advertising campaign made use of several creatives with unique CTAs to drive performance and conversions. The different, responsive ads, were always accompanied by the “Shop now” CTA, reminding the user to click on the ad.
