In 2022, the world of business is unrecognizable. While the move online has long been anticipated, the rapidity of this evolution was nonetheless startling. In the space of a few short years, commerce has morphed from a largely offline entity to one that exists almost entirely on the internet.
Any sort of backstep seems unlikely. With Oberlo revealing that over two billion people purchased goods and services online in 2020, eCommerce has become an indispensable part of the global retail framework. Businesses that don’t have an online presence go against the grain, with all but the most niche struggling to ensure continued custom.
However, the online world isn’t easy to be part of. Competition is fierce, and convincing customers to purchase can be challenging to say the least. The onus is on businesses to cajole, convince, and persuade, and calls to action are an imperative part of this.
In this article, we look at how businesses can successfully incorporate them into their web-based content.
What are calls to action?
Most of us are familiar with what a call to action is, but if you’re not sure what the term means, let us explain. A “call to action” or “CTA” is a marketing term referring to any sort of prompt that aims to elicit a response or encourage a particular action.
CTAs are usually embodied by words or phrases, although the design elements surrounding them often play a part in encouraging consumers to act too. The headline of this Tech Critter article is a good example, urging viewers to improve their Warzone technique by reading the tips contained within.
So, how do you create calls to action that work?
Keep it simple
Calls to action can take many forms, but they have one goal in common: they encourage the reader to act. For this reason, they should be explicit, making it clear what the business is asking them to do.
The Betway blackjack website shows a clear example of this. The company is an online casino with offerings including slots, casino games, and eSports. At the top of the page, you’ll spot two calls to action: “register” and “login”. Both encourage the casual browser to convert and become a customer and leave the reader in no doubt as to what the business would like them to do. You’ll see a similar approach at play in this Tech Critter article on ultrawide monitors for gaming, where users are urged to subscribe via email by inputting their address and then pressing the call-to-action button beside it.
In both instances, the sites make the way they want readers to act clear, leaving no room for confusion. This means viewers are more likely to follow these instructions and see what happens.
Use color to make call-to-action buttons stand out
One of the golden rules of creating call-to-action buttons is that they need to be eye-catching. You want the reader to do as you request, but this isn’t going to happen if they miss what you’re asking. That’s why web design is an essential element in creating effective CTAs.
According to OptionMonster, color can have a profound effect. However, there’s no perfect choice, because different color call-to-action buttons will be more or less effective depending on the audience and context. Ergo, you might want to try A/B testing to see which design proves most effective.
Alternatively, you can put into practice what we do know. For example:
- CTAs should stand out against your background;
- Colors should be on brand and consistent;
- Action and non-action items should be in different colors;
- Red is the color most associated with urgency and a need for action.
Incorporate pop-ups to make CTAs pop
Last but not least, take advantage of pop-ups. As we said earlier, CTAs only work if they’re seen. What better way to achieve that than by making them unmissable? Click onto SHEIN’s website to see what we mean.
Within seconds, a pop-up will have appeared on your screen, encouraging you to sign up for discounts and start shopping. This call to action is impossible to ignore. However, you do have to be careful when using this approach, as some consumers find pop-ups irritating.
For this reason, don’t use them to push anything unlikely to lead to conversions or improve the user experience. So, while you might use them to share promotions, they’re not as good for calls-to-action that benefit your business over the customer, such as getting them to fill in surveys.
There are lots of factors that can influence a company’s eCommerce success, from having the right tech (yes, we do have a Tech Critter article on the subject!) to knowing how to use CTAs. Brush up your knowledge today to stay abreast of the trends, and you too can benefit from the move online.
