CTA (Call to Action)
A call to action (CTA) is a statement — a link, button, form or similar element — designed to get an immediate response from the person who reads or hears it. If you find that potential customers are not taking the next step in your sales process — whether that is buying or simply requesting more information — the problem could be a defective or non-existent call to action.
What is a CTA or call to action?
CTAs are used in business as part of a marketing strategy to get the target market to respond by taking action. They are generally placed at the end of — or sometimes during — a sales pitch, so that potential customers and clients know what to do next if they are interested in what you offer.
It seems obvious to let people know the next step for doing business with you, but the truth is that many new business owners do not include calls to action in their marketing and sales content. This is typically for one of two reasons:
- The belief that the customer already knows what to do if they are interested in buying or learning more.
- Calls to action feel pushy and will put the potential customer off.
Whatever the reason, leaving calls to action out of your marketing can mean losing customers and revenue. They are essential for directing a customer to the next step of the funnel or sales process. Do not assume people know what to do when they read your advertisement or marketing content. You will get better results if you are clear about what the customer needs to do next.
Every time you are in front of your prospect or customer, ask them to take the next step — whether that is reading more, giving feedback, signing up or buying.
How does a call to action work?
The most obvious use of a CTA is in sales, such as "Buy now!" However, the sales process is not the only place where a call to action is useful. If you have a high-value product or service where it can take time to persuade someone to purchase, a CTA that acts as a roadmap towards the sale can be helpful. For example: "Call now for a free quote".
A call to action can be used to build your email list ("Sign up for a free report now"), grow your social media following ("Get more tips and deals by following us on Facebook"), keep readers on your website ("Click here to read more about…"), and much more. Call-to-action phrases use action verbs, such as:
- Sign up
- Register
- Call now
- Subscribe to
- Donate
- Buy
- Order
- Share
- Follow
- Download
- Click here for
Make sure that every page of your website, every sales conversation and every piece of printed material contains a clearly defined and easily identifiable call to action. If you are a blogger, add a CTA at the end of your blog post to read another related article, check out your product or an affiliate product, or sign up for your mailing list. A useful technique for getting people to act immediately is to add a sense of urgency and fear of missing out. For example:
- Offer expires at Halloween
- Limited-time offer
- Buy now before stock runs out
- Respond before 30 July to sign up at this special price
Test several CTA design options on your website, change them one at a time, then check whether one leads to more responses and sales than another.
Benefits of a call to action
Calls to action are essential for any business looking to convert users into customers and consumers. As a business, you can never assume that users will follow the sales path you predict or want them to take. Having a call to action helps guide them through the sales funnel and improves the user experience by being direct and telling them what you want them to do.