Is your site converting? A strong call-to-action (CTA) grabs your visitors attention and guides them toward the desired action, like signing up for a service. To make the most out of your content and increase CTA conversions, your call-to-actions should be compelling, clear, and carefully placed.
In this guide, we’ll explore proven techniques to optimize your CTAs. We’ll talk about effective messaging and design strategies, as well as psychological triggers that drive urgency and engagement.
If your click-through-rate (CTR) from search is low and on page CTAs aren’t encouraging users to take action, it’s time to refine your approach. Whether you’re writing a blog post or designing a landing page, a strong CTA is the key to turning visitors into customers. Let’s explore how to make them work for you.
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One of the ways companies draw traffic to their site is by starting a blog. Starting a blog for the first time inspires a swarm of thoughts and questions. Overall, there’s a question every blogger faces when writing to bring in customers and clients.
How do I get the readers to do what I want them to do by the end of the article?
I know for me, it was a burning question.
I remember writing those first posts so long ago, staring at a blank screen. Sure, I had marketing experience—I had skillz, right? I mean, I’d been in marketing for at least ten years before I started blogging.
Yet somehow, blogging felt so… personal. Marketing copy? No problem. But blogging? That was a whole other story. I struggled to find the right combination of words to persuade my target audience to take action. I didn’t want to feel “salesy.”
It was like going back to day one in Marketing 101. How could I create marketing campaigns around blogs without making the reader feel sold? How do I sell without making them feel manipulated?
Let me cut through the confusion so you don’t make the same mistakes I did.
What is a call to action?
A call-to-action (CTA) is what you want your reader to do after reading your content. They should be clear and ask for specific actions. What do you want them to do? It can be signing up to a mailing list, buying a product, clicking to another article, sharing the post on social media, or any other do this action.
A CTA conversion is when they actually do what you want them to do. They could click on your newsletter after reading your landing page, for example. If the purpose of the page was to get them to sign up to the newsletter, success! If not, your conversions need help.
Taking website visitors from search, to your service or product page, to your money form takes a lot of trust. It also takes a lot of yesses, both big and small:
- Does this search result fit what I’m looking for? Yes
- Does this page look like it might cover what I’m looking for? Yes
- Do I scroll down the page, click that link, watch that video, fill out that form…?
A powerful CTA uses emotion to motivate action. The right combination of words and structure can transform passive readers into engaged customers. A successful piece of content should naturally lead visitors to take action. The best way to do this is by following a simple formula:
- Introductory Story – Engage the reader emotionally.
- Outline the Problem – Use supporting information and data to highlight the issue.
- Conclusion/Solution – Offer a resolution with a compelling CTA.
If you’re already using an outline for your content, this is a small shift in approach. If not, consider implementing this structure to create more engaging, action-driven content. Either way, it all begins with a story.
Engage with a story.
Telling a story helps engage the reader emotionally, with many benefits. Not only will it keep them reading, it also builds desire for change. Using this desire, you can inspire an action that will help them make that change for themselves. Depending on what action you want them to take, you might use one of three main storytelling strategies:
- A story about your product or service
- Customer experiences with your brand
- Anecdotes about reader’s experiences
Knowing how to write powerful call to actions is only half of the battle. The other half is how to make them good.
Choose empathy over manipulation.
Nobody wants to sound like an oily used car salesman (even the oily used car salesman). Your visitors will see right through gimmicks and manipulation. That route destroys trust in your blog and brand, and that’s the opposite of what you want.
Instead, focus less on adverbs and more on knowledge. Build trust along with the emotional power by using genuine empathy instead of desperation. Know that what you call upon them to do is going to be helpful for them, and explain why.
Be the potential customer.
Sometimes you have to step back and read your content, whether it’s a landing page or a blog post or a simple CTA, from the customer’s perspective. Ask yourself if you feel compelled to the action you’re calling your visitors to do.
Do you feel tricked or manipulated into the action? The successful post should leave you feeling informed. Remember not to withhold information. Nobody likes the “I know something you don’t” tactic.
Take care of them after the call.
A lot of focus goes into generating powerful CTAs, and rightly so. However, don’t make the mistake of stopping there. If you do, you could lose repeat customers as a result.
When the customer follows through on your call to action, they often want reassurance they made the right decision. Anticipating this, you can reward their action by over-delivering. Ask yourself what you would want in their position, and then give it. Doing this will build trust in your brand, and encourage visitors to return with confidence.
After completing an action, customers want reassurance they made the right decision. Reinforce their confidence by delivering extra value and clear next steps. They’re probably nervous, and hoping they didn’t make a mistake.
Ideally, you don’t want to leave your newly-minted customer in that mental state. How are you going to help them feel confidence in your organization?
Show your CTAs some TLC with these conversion optimization tips.
A lot goes into created a good CTA, as you can see. From actions words to visuals and where your CTAs are placed, it all matters. So what do you do? How do you raise your conversion rate for a healthier bottom line?
Pay attention to your header.
Studies have shown that people make up their mind about a site within milliseconds. Your website’s header is the first thing visitors see when they land on your page.
Look at your above-the-fold content. That’s what they’re basing their impression on. Are you happy about that? What does yours say about you when your site first loads, before you scroll?
Getting most out of your site’s header, while still keeping it fairly simplified, is difficult. However, you should think of some simple solutions that will make your site stand out and that will make your CTA button visible and engaging to the visitor. It’s the reason for your first “yes” once they get to your site. Will they scroll? It’s a yes or no question.
Things that you should consider doing when optimizing your header:
- Try to come up with a powerful and catching caption, one that will resonate with your target audience and will prevent them from instantly bouncing. Keep in mind that shorter captions are almost always more powerful.
- Pinpoint an incentive given to all those who subscribe to your service, and make sure they can actually benefit from it. For instance, if you are offering a free trial for all newcomers, make sure to highlight that in the call to action.
- Making your CTA button visually stand out is almost always a good idea! Although making it artificially bigger may prove counterproductive when it comes to conversion (visitors might feel pressured to subscribe), you should definitely play around with the background color of the CTA button, for example.
Write persuasive, action-oriented CTA labels.
We are all witnesses of generic labels throughout the Internet today. Things like Sign Up, Submit or Click Here are a big no-no if you want more conversions straight away.
Knowing your target niche is a huge advantage here. Sometimes Click Here just won’t cut it for the majority of them. You need to know what will cut it.
So, what can you consider doing regarding your CTA labels in order to boost conversions?
If you are offering a trial or a similar benefit to your customer, why don’t you go ahead and highlight that same benefit on your action button? For instance, instead of a mere Sign Up, you can change the text to Sign Up Now For a Month of Free Trial! It may look a bit robust but it could be the change that does the trick.
Or you can try getting straight to the point by labeling your CTA button with Get Started Right Now! This type of call to action will certainly work if you have a powerful heading in place.
When choosing a label for your CTA button, try not to go for generic ones. Instead, actually call your prospective customers to action instead.
Speak to the needs of your audience.
A pain point is a certain problem that customers experience. Of course, this is where research wins the day. A customer pain point is as unique as each customer.
Keep in mind too that not every prospect is aware of his or her challenges. This is where your marketing material and CTA can help customers realize they have problems, and that your products and services can provide a solution.
- Identify customer pain points and address them directly in your CTA. They may not even know there’s an answer to their problem. What problem does your product or service solve?
- Use language that connects with your audience. Your CTA should align with their needs and expectations.
- Ensure your offer is relevant to their industry or personal situation. If it doesn’t resonate, they won’t take action.
Make it easy to take action.
A complicated sign-up process, like a form that takes 15 minutes to fill out, discourages conversions. People want a quick, seamless experience.
- Keep it simple: If your CTA requires too many steps, visitors will abandon the process.
- Remove unnecessary barriers: Avoid excessive form fields or complex navigation.
- Make sure your money CTA is visible throughout your site for easy access.
Create a sense of urgency
You’ve properly introduced your product or service and outlined its benefits. You’ve established your brand and told them what you want them do to. You did all the things, and you may still have work to do.
One way to write your call-to-action gives your prospect a hint there is something to lose if they don’t take action. Consumers may need a nudge to convince them they need to take action to obtain your product or service right at the moment.
- Use time-sensitive language: “Limited Time Offer” or “Sale Ends Tuesday” triggers immediate action.
- Use FOMO (Fear of Missing Out): “Only 3 spots left!” encourages a quick decision.
Bonus: Design your CTA for maximum impact.
The design of your CTA matters just as much as the text. A well-designed CTA button grabs attention and encourages action.
- Use contrasting colors that make your CTA button stand out.
- Incorporate action-oriented words like “Buy Now,” “Get 70% Off,” or “Plan Your Dream Vacation.”
- Pair your CTA with engaging images to reinforce your message.
Wrapping it up
You might be creating content for profit, but that doesn’t mean you have to trick people into taking action. If visitors feel misled, they won’t return and worse, they might damage your brand’s reputation.
As a general rule:
- Be transparent—give as much information as possible.
- Deliver real value at every step of the customer journey.
- Build trust through authentic and compelling messaging.
If you’re struggling to get your CTAs to perform the way you want, reach out to Level343. We specialize in improving CTA conversions and driving real business results. Contact us today, and let’s take your website conversions to the next level!
