Today we want to discuss something that often goes overlooked, especially by small businesses: including an effective Call to Action button on your business website.
Simply put, having a call to action on your website is a crucial element of marketing your small business. Even if word of mouth remains the most effective approach to marketing for small businesses, a call to action in your web presence will go a long way toward bringing in new customers.
People respond to a clear and accessible call to action. It really is that simple. Instead of making people go through the steps of emailing you directly or filling out a ‘Contact Us’ page, a call to action button allows you to hone in on why a visitor is really on your website.
There is a great deal of information on what an effective call to action looks like, as well as what a well-designed call to action button should include. To cover the basics, we address the three following questions:
- What is a call to action button?
- Why is a call to action button so important?
- What should a call to action button look like?
What is a Call to Action Button?
In marketing, a call to action is a specific instruction to the target audience in an effort to provoke an immediate positive response. Translation: a call to action asks visitors to become customers.
“There’s no such thing as a successful marketing campaign unless there is a successful CTA. Conversions, revenue, business and profit – they all depend on the mighty call to action.”
~ Jeremy Smith, MarketingLand
A successful call to action looks different for every business and every industry. For a catering company, it could be as simple as downloading a sample menu. For online sales, the call to action can be to create an online account. The beauty of a call to action is that you can tailor it to your small business.
Why is a Call to Action Button Important?
Without a call to action, visitors to your business or to your website have no reason to follow up with the information that you present them. You can give potential customers all of the benefits of your business, but unless you ask them to take action then they are much more likely to just walk away.
A call to action button on your business website acts as a digital means of ‘closing’ the deal.
Ultimately, a call to action button is an important element of any small business website because it improves conversion rates. This brings in more customers or clients to your business.
What Should a Call to Action Button Look Like?
There are many different examples of what an effective call to action looks like. The copy included in your business’ call to action depends entirely on what you are trying to get your target audience to do. However, all effective call to action buttons have at least the following elements in common:
- CTAs are simple and concise – one phrase to include on the button.
- CTAs include action words – ‘get’, ‘download’, ‘sign up’, ‘open’, ‘try’, etc.
- CTAs use urgent words – ‘now’, ‘limited’, ‘today’, etc.
- CTAs speak in the first person – “Start my free trial” instead of “Start your free trial”
- CTAs are hard to miss – the most effective buttons are the center of attention, using bright colors and bold themes to draw a visitor’s attention