A call to action (CTA) is a crucial element in online marketing that aims to prompt website visitors to take a specific action. These actions can vary and do not necessarily have to be content-related. CTAs are concise prompts that directly address the user and motivate them to take a desired action.
Examples of possible actions through CTAs:
- Downloading an e-book
- Signing up for an email newsletter
- Participating in a webinar
- Watching informational videos and courses
- Leaving a comment
- Generating a coupon code
- Purchasing a product
- Booking a service
The CTA proves to be extremely versatile as it can be used in various areas of online marketing. Interestingly, the term “CTA” had been used even before the internet era, for instance, in direct mailings and advertising brochures.
Structure of a call to action
A CTA can be designed in various ways:
- A regular, prompting link text like “buy now”
- A prompting button with text, for example, “register now”
- A small box with a headline, description text, and a button
- Additionally, the box may contain an embedded input form where the user leaves their email address or phone number, for instance.
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Why is a Call to Action So Important?
Psychologically, the explicit request for a person to perform a specific action leads to them actually carrying it out. In the world of online marketing, it is not sufficient to merely provide informative text. CTAs are crucial to offer visitors more information or even persuade them to make a purchase.
How to Create an Effective Call to Action?
Creating an effective CTA requires some important considerations:
- The CTA button or text should be as precise and simple as possible, requesting only a single action.
- It is crucial to clearly communicate to the user what action is expected next.
- Less is more: CTAs should be simple and straightforward to avoid confusion.
- A CTA can be placed in various locations, for example, before, during, or after a blog post, in emails or their signatures, videos, podcasts, and e-books.
The Importance of the Call to Action on Every Page
Every commercial website should have a clear objective: to prompt visitors to take actions. The call to action serves to move the reader to a response, be it contacting, clicking on links, subscribing to a newsletter, or placing an order.
