CTAs can take several different forms, including underlined text, icons, and images, though buttons are generally the most common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your CTA is the fundamental step that turns visitors into customers; it\u2019s the gatekeeper to the success of your brand. As such, they demand their own design rules. With minor changes having the potential to make a huge impact on conversions, it\u2019s essential that your CTA is well-designed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are ten best practices for designing wildly effective CTAs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The color of your CTA button is one of the most important design choices you\u2019ll make. It needs to be visually striking so it stands out from other elements on the page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a lot of debate over which color performs best for CTAs. The fact is no single color is a magic converting wand\u2014it depends on several things, including your audience and the color scheme of your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Visual hierarchy, however, does matter, so the color you choose should stand out from everything else on the page. For this reason, contrasting colors are the way to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Choose a vibrant color that contrasts with the rest of your site, yet fits in with the overall design.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you work best on a nice, clear desk with lots of space around you or surrounded by mess and clutter? For most people, a clean desk equates to a clear mind and the ability to maintain focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The same applies to your CTA. Including a healthy chunk of negative space around it creates essential breathing room, separating it from other elements on your interface. The fewer distractions you include around the all-important button, the greater your chances of making a conversion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Forget dull, boring copy, like \u201center for more info,\u201d and whatever you do, don\u2019t expect people to \u201csubmit.\u201d If you want to encourage your readers to take a specific action, use compelling, action-oriented language, like \u201cdownload,\u201d \u201ctry,\u201d \u201cjoin,\u201d or \u201cstart,\u201d so people are clear about what they need to do next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your text should be brief\u2014ideally between two and seven words\u2014but it should communicate exactly what the visitor will receive when they follow the action. This is not the place to experiment with clever or confusing words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Research<\/a> has shown that the more personal the message, the more successful it will be. Simply changing \u201cCreate your account\u201d to \u201cCreate my account,\u201d or \u201cStart your free 30-day trial\u201d to \u201cStart my free 30-day trial\u201d can improve your click-through rates significantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to compelling your readers into a certain action, your text should convey the benefits they\u2019ll receive when they click through. If your on’t make it clear what exactly they’re getting, they have little reason to follow your instructions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can see a great example of this on Copyblogger<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Copyblogger incorporated the word \u201cfree\u201d in its text, which is a great persuasive word. Words like \u201cbonus\u201d or \u201cinstantly\u201d will have a similar effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Emotion is a great driver when making a purchase. One emotion that\u2019s great for lead generation is curiosity, and a great way to pique somebody\u2019s curiosity is by stoking a feeling of urgency or scarcity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By making a time-limited offer and combining it with a benefit, such as a free ebook or a discount if you sign up within a specific timeframe, you\u2019ll motivate people to claim the offer while its available. FOMO (fear of missing out) can be a powerful motivator to taking action. Even using the word \u201cnow\u201d can convey a subtle sense of urgency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The placement of your CTA is a hot topic. Traditionally, above the fold was seen as the ideal spot, so it\u2019s unmissable when people land on the page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But this isn\u2019t always the case. If you\u2019re in a shop and the salesman jumps in with his \u201cbuy now\u201d spiel before describing the benefits of the product\u2014before you’ve even fully walked in the door\u2014you\u2019re likely to back away from the purchase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Neil Patel discovered<\/a> that people generally wanted to know more about an offer before signing up \u2013 his research saw a 17% decrease in conversions when the CTA was placed above the fold. This is especially true if your product is complex and people need to know more before making the commitment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the end of the day, if your offer is compelling enough, people will find the CTA; don\u2019t force it on them before they might be ready. If you have a long-form sales page, sprinkling a few CTAs down the page is good practice, as it gives people the opportunity to make the conversion as soon as they\u2019re ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t reinvent the wheel when it comes to the design of your CTA button. The button should look like a button, so people know it\u2019s clickable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The button should be a good size\u2014large enough so that it stands out at a glance, but not so big that it dominates the rest of the content. The shape of the button can affect its success, with rounded corners being easier on the eyes, and you can play around with special effects such as shading, 3D effects, subtle gradients, and arrows, or include PayPal or card logos for added peace of mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finding the right balance between being big and bold without being overbearing is the key to an effective CTA. Essentially, the more noticeable the button, the more likely that people will click through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Offering too many options can lead to decision paralysis for your visitors, which could result in them clicking away from your site. Where possible, it\u2019s best to stick with one option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you do need to include additional CTAs, always give more visual weight to the most important option. To do this, give the less-important option a lower contrast color or even make it transparent, as Starbucks did here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes, including two options can help people feel as though they have more control over the process, which makes them more likely to convert. You can include a second option that simply reinforces the first, for example, \u201cYes please, send me the free ebook\u201d and \u201cNo thanks, maybe later.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n You may have seen examples online of secondary buttons being used to shame visitors into making a certain decision. In these cases, the secondary button to “Yes please, send me the free ebook” might say “No thanks, I don’t like learning.” While this might entice some<\/em> people into taking action, you\u2019re likely to ostracize the very audience you’re trying to attract, so use this technique with caution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Adding supplementary text around the CTA button can help convince hesitant prospects to take the plunge. This is particularly useful if your CTA is encouraging people to sign up for a free trial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Convincing messages can include guarantees such as \u201cno risk,\u201d \u201cno commitment,\u201d \u201cno credit card required,\u201d or \u201cmoney-back guarantee.\u201d You could also include testimonials from satisfied customers or privacy promises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Netflix addresses the customer\u2019s ability to \u201cCancel at any time\u201d before its \u201cJoin free for a month\u201d CTA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve created your CTA and implemented these helpful tips, your job is not over! You need to check that your CTA is having the desired effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Carry out A\/B testing to see how changes in color, message, offer, design, and placement affect your conversion rates. Play around until you\u2019ve found the right combination\u2014sometimes tiny, easy-to-make changes can make a huge difference. And don\u2019t forget to periodically check in to see that the CTA continues to be effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/06\/2018-06-11_10-steps-to-design-wildly-effective-CTA-7633-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe Importance of Your CTA<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Choose your colors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"freshbooks](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/06\/image1.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n2. Give it room to breathe<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
3. Use action-oriented text<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
4. Add a value proposition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"copyblogger](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/06\/image3.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n5. Create a sense of urgency<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
6. Consider your placement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Hands](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/06\/2018-06-11_10-steps-to-design-wildly-effective-CTA-7616-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n7. Special effects<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
8. Reduce options<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"starbucks](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/06\/image2.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n9. Support with convincing messages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"netflix](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2018\/06\/image4.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n10. Test, test, test<\/h2>\n\n\n\n