Marketing managers, savvy small business owners and anyone serious about improving your conversion rate, let’s have a chat. Have you spent a great deal of money on ad campaigns or social media and seen a consistently low ROI? Most likely, it’s your call-to-actions that are letting you down and your website and the reason why your ad campaigns aren’t getting the traction you expected.

 

 

To Begin With, Let’s Explore The Most Common CTA Mistakes

 

1. Overloading a page with CTAs

Bombarding users with multiple CTAs on a single page, and especially a singular section can lead to the phenomenon known as choice overload or decision paralysis.
To help make it straightforward for your users, it’s essential to prioritize and guide users through only 1-2 singular focused actions at a time.

2. Forgetting to optimise for mobile

With a significant portion of web traffic coming from mobile devices nowadays (60% of traffic in 2022), not optimizing CTAs for mobile users can be a fatal oversight. If a button is too small or positioned out of sight, mobile users may miss it entirely and exit instead of progressing through your intended sales journey.

 

3. Using passive language

Passive CTAs don’t inspire action. If your CTA feels more like a mild suggestion or a flat side note, than a motivating nudge, you might be missing out on potential conversions.

 

4. Ambiguous messaging

Many make the mistake of using vague or generic terms in their CTAs. Remember, if users aren’t clear on what they’re getting or why they should click, they probably won’t. Clarity is key for call-to-actions and not the place for technical jargon or confusing product names.

 

 

7 How-to Tips For Creating CTAs That Actually Convert

 

1. Use action-oriented text

Push past the passive, mundane messaging! Instead of overused, lifeless words like “submit” or “enter”, why not reinvigorate your CTAs with verbs that spark enthusiasm? Feel the difference between “Submit” and “Grab Your Guide!”Examples of action-oriented CTAs

• “Discover A New Way To Learn”
• “Unleash Your Potential!”
• “Dive Into Savings!”
• “Unlock Exclusive Deals!”
• “Seize Your Next Adventure”

 

2. Highlight with clear visual hierarchy

Your CTA button is the star of the show – ensure it shines! By making your button text large and easily legible, you are helping signal its importance and draw the attention of your web visitors to it. If your website has dramatic headlines, paragraph copy, imagery and also micro-effects and transitions, this will help minimise the confusion on whether you want users to engage with it.

 

3. Don’t forget the beauty of white space

The importance of padding and maintaining white space is not just for minimalist, designer websites. White space serves a very functional purpose around your buttons to give breathing room for the eyes, build contrast and make them easy to locate. This is especially important for the user behaviours of today, and how many are on the go and will likely skim through your content.

 

4. Keep it short and sweet

CTAs are not the place for verbose narratives, keep it concise! Lengthy CTAs often get overshadowed by surrounding content. Instead of a lengthy phrase like “Get your own copy of our extensive guide now. Try “Grab Yours!” instead of “Get Your Own Copy Of Our Extensive Guide To Level Up.”

 

5. Try using the first person

A study by Unbounce unveiled an intriguing fact: Shifting the button text from “Start your free trial” to “Start my free trial” dramatically improved clicks by 90%. What’s the reason for this? It’s personal and helps your audience visualise themselves taking charge, and taking the subconscious first step.

Examples of CTAS written in the first person

• “Start My Free Trial”
• “Get My Instant Download”
• “Reserve My Spot Now”
• “Unlock My Exclusive Offers”
• “Build My Dream Today”

 

6. Engage with a conversational tone of voice

Remember, there’s a real human on the other end. They’re not data points or algorithms. So, speak as if you’re right there with them. See the difference between “Our Specialists” and “Chat With Our Specialists”. One is written like a keyword, and one is more friendly, genuine, and approachable.

 

7. Harness the power of urgencyWe humans have a profound fear of missing out. It’s in our nature. By adding a touch of urgency like “Grab Yours Now!” or “Only 5 Left!”, you’re tapping into that innate desire to act swiftly and not be left behind

Examples of CTAS that act on FOMO

• “Grab Yours Before It’s Gone”
• “Limited Time Offer: Claim Now!”
• “Only a Few Left: Secure Yours Today!”
• “Sale Ends Tonight, Don’t Miss Out!”
• “Enrol Before The Deadline Tonight”

 

 

Before You Start Optimizing Your CTAs

In the dynamic realm of digital, conversion optimization should not be a one-time endeavour but a continuous process of refinement. Consistent website updates ensures that your platform remains agile, catering to changing user preferences, behaviours and expectations.

Regularly reviewing analytics not only reveals which CTAs are your star performers but also highlight areas ripe for enhancement. The combination of regular testing, optimization, and analytical review is the trifecta for ensuring that your CTAs aren’t just a passing thought, but are compelling and effective in moving your visitors to act.

 

 

Looking For Next Level Conversion?

As we’ve explored various strategies to boost your website conversions, remember that seeing tangible results takes time and consistent effort. Effective implementation not only requires future planning, but will also benefit if you look back on your data beforehand. This way, your decisions will not be derived from guesswork, but instead be targeted to areas that genuinely need refinement.

Having the right tools can make this complex process both seamless and effective. That’s where our SAaS tool, ConversionCow can really make a difference in improving your conversion rate.

Designed specifically for businesses serious about improving their conversion rate, this plug-and-play solution integrates easily into your existing website, no developer experience needed. With its user-friendly interface, you can easily set up A/B tests to determine what strategies work best for your audience.

It’s not just a quick fix, but a tool designed for your long-term growth. You can continually tweak your strategies based on real-time data, making it an invaluable asset for any small business committed to improving their online conversions and overall digital strategy.

Ready to start optimising your website with ConversionCow? Sign up for a free trial, and see how easy it is to make measurable improvements to your website conversions.