What is CTA in Marketing ?
A lot of people often wonder what a ‘Call to Action’ (CTA) is when they start working in social media/digital marketing or working on such projects. There are many who still wonder what a CTA is. Yet, those who have signed up for an online subscription, downloaded a movie or a program or made a purchase online might remember what it is, albeit not in theoretical terms.
A lot of people observed CTAs but don’t recognize it easily. They do know that it’s a button for conducting a transaction but never realized what it really is theoretically.
A CTA is basically a sort of an instruction to encourage people to take a certain action(s) when they are online. They are the basis of multiple kinds of online engagements. Various call to action examples are present in a lot of websites in many different ways.
Effective CTAs are basically action phrases that basically shelve stages of a customer’s journey, giving them chances and direction for taking quick or timely action. They are among the finest digital marketing examples entry level digital marketers can always look forward to.
Are people always sure of what a Click to Action is?
In all honesty, a lot of questions are asked about it and it basically asks online visitors and shoppers to take a certain action or actions. What is CTA in marketing? A call to action is basically a prompt on a website which subliminally tells users to take some specified action or a series of actions by clicking on that button.
A call to action is mostly prepared as a command or action phrase, such as; ‘Buy now’, ‘add to cart’, ‘sign up’ and the like. It sometimes can be in the form of either a hyperlink or a digital button. Call to action examples in the world of digital marketing can a;sp be a text on a button (A CTA button) or a web.
When it comes to CTAs used in email campaigns, they are usually links to a webpage leading users to perform the needed task. Hence proven that call to actions are among the finest digital marketing examples.
What are the examples of top-notch calls to action?
The call to action, apart from being a part of digital marketing examples, is a key element on a webpage, which acts as a signpost, letting the user understand what they should do next.
In the absence of a clear CTA, the user won’t know which next steps they need to take to either buy a product/service/program, sign up for a newsletter/service and the like. They’re more likely to leave the website without completing that task. This is why booth digital marketers and web developers must check call to action examples before they proceed to make one.
A call to action clarifies to potential customers the action they must take next and helps in removing ambiguities in moving them in the sales funnel. There can be numerous CTAs or a single one, on any page.
Suppose a website visitor comes to a blog post and observes an absence of a call to action at the lower end of the post; what will happen? They will leave the website because they could not complete any relevant tasks there.
But, if a CTA is present at the bottom of the post, asking readers to read more articles, sign-up for an email newsletter, updates or encouraging a transaction, then they are more than likely to continue interacting with that particular website.
Worthwhile examples of calls to action deployed into practical use
A call to action can refer to any request that businesses, brands and companies ask from users on a website. So, a CTA can take numerous forms which are dependent on the context of the content. A call to action (CTA) can be a closing statement in any blog post, a single line in any email, or a proper CTA button on any webpage or website, making one of the finest digital marketing examples ever.
Here are some worthwhile call to action examples people might usually see on a blog post:
- Read more articles (usually suggested or recommended as per reader’s interest).
- Sign-up for a newsletter.
- Supporting sponsors.
- Sharing it on social media.
For any organization which is B2B by nature, here are some call to action buttons it can probably feature:
- Get started.
- Free Trial.
- Sign Up.
- Contact Sales.
A call to action which is effective clarifies in clear terms what users can expect when they are going to click on it. This does improve the click-through rate (CTR). CTAs on eCommerce sites are focused on the commercial aspect. Key examples are as under:
- Checkout.
- Add items to cart.
- Buy Now.
- Remove Item.
- Add to the wishlist.
In each of these cases, The CTAs on the page gives users the choice to take their desired actions. This helps them continue interacting with the website and moving ahead in the conversion funnel.
Making compelling calls to action – brief steps
Digital marketers usually utilize a wide array of tactics and strategies for creating effective CTAs. Here are some common ones:
- Good Design: Some of the best calls to action often need to catch the attention of users. Hence a button with a bright color contrasting with the page’s color, or of an email, is quite an effective tactic.
- High Visibility: Since the call to action should be the most noticeable thing on any web page, the size of the font should be large enough, so it can be noticeable and can also command the needed attention.
- Explaining a Clear Benefit: A clear benefit, once stated that users will get from completing the transaction, works by having them click on it.
- Text which is actionable: A call to action, as the name implies, is made to compel users to take the needed action. An effective CTA should be using words and terms that are actionable, like discover, buy now, learn more, subscribe and vice versa.
- The length should be brief: A very good CTA is often a short phrase. Most are not longer than five or seven words, and should be that way.
- It should convey a sense of urgency: Users can be easily distracted on the internet by a number of things. For instance, if there is a sense of urgency (i.e. a limited time offer) then it should compel users to take the needed action immediately.
How can A/B testing be used to test various calls to action?
Each audience responds in a different manner to various calls to action.
The overall success of any call to action can be measured using a conversion rate formula. It calculates it by dividing the number of clicks with the number of impressions as the denominator.
For testing effectiveness of various CTAs on any site or landing page, an A/B testing platform can help. Optimizely is one such platform which can help remove speculation and give marketers information backed by data. This can help them optimize for CTAs with the highest conversion rates.
