Five best practices of call-to-action button design

Sometimes, people find us on the net and then become customers. On the other hand, some people find us and then leave after viewing few pages. While we cannot rule out some set of people leaving without taking any actions, the rate has to be minimal. Some of these runaway visitors might have wanted to continue their journey but just didn't know how to go by it. This is where call-to-action buttons come in.

What are Call-To-Action buttons?

They are also known as CTA. They are the buttons on your website that direct the visitor to take the next step. It can help you collect valuable information about your prospective customer. These buttons can vary in size and style depending on the website's style and your intentions. Examples of call-to-action buttons include:

• Download buttons
• Add to cart buttons
• Sign up buttons
• Free trial buttons

The primary goal of these buttons is to create high conversion buttons which will boost your business success. These buttons are essential to run an online business. There are various ways to make your CTA buttons so effective and get customers. So without further ado let's take you through some of the best practices to achieve this.

Choose the right type of words

The kind of words you use for your call-to-action buttons matters a lot. Your chosen words can have a massive effect on your conversion. They are termed call-to-action buttons, and this means that they must be action oriented. It should also be benefit oriented in the sense that you have to make the reader feel that there is an advantage in taking that action. The more descriptive you are about that action, the better it gets. The words should be simple and straight forward.

Compare "Try it for Free" with "Free Trial." Of course, "Free Trial" stands out. Some words you should avoid as they are not that much effective are: download, submit, request, and buy. Most of these words are simple, but they do have a commanding tone. The reader might also feel he has nothing to lose in not taking that action. Some examples of the words you can use include: Register Now, Stay Connected, Join the Fun, Add to Cart. This way the reader sees it as getting something in return and can make your CTA more inviting for prospective customers.

Use easy and understandable copy

Always ensure that your visitors understand the next step you want them to take. You can achieve this by using a call-to-action copy. There are often a group of words to entice the visitor to take action just before the buttons comes up. These words are referred to as copy. So make sure the text concisely says what will happen when they press the button. And preferably use the keyword of the copy to make your CTA button. For example, if you want people to download your premium guide at the end of an article that says "How to get more followers on social media," don't just use the word "Download Our Guide." Make it something that relates to the copy like "Boost Your Followers with Our Guide."

Use contrasting size and colour

Your call-to-action buttons has to stand out on your page. It should not just be like every other thing on the page. How do you expect people to click the button when they don't even know that it is there? The style in which you use to design your CTA buttons matters a lot. Below are some of the things to take into consideration.

• Image: it is a good idea to use images in designing your CTA, but you have to be careful about the utilization of these images. Make sure your image features something that you offer or someone enjoying the offer. You shouldn't use an image that is not relevant to the action. And also all images should be high quality.
• Size: while a big CTA button will stand out, you shouldn't go overboard with it. You don't want to risk exposing your CTA buttons to banner blindness. Since more traffic now comes from mobile phones and tablets, the mobile performance of your site should be a priority. So make sure the size you use is big enough to see and click on mobile phones but not too big.
• Contrast: one easy way to make your action button effective is to have a contrasting color button that will stand out from the surrounding content. Color helps to draw people's attention. Green and orange buttons perform the best, but it all depends on the background. So pick an opposite color to the common ones on your website but don't choose an awkward color.

Choose a smart location

Another important factor is to have your call-to-action buttons at the right place. It would be bad that the button is not in the right place when the client is ready to take action. These buttons don't have to always be at a particular location as it should be placed based on what it's meant for.

If the button is for an offer, you might consider putting it at the end of the article that describes the offer. The main idea is to take your visitor's current position into account and ask yourself at what point would they be interested in that action. You don't want to offer a prospective customer something they are not yet ready for. If you feel they would be interested at that point, then go for it. But if not, then try a different location.

Choose a snazzy button shape

Button shapes are also essential in building a perfect CTA buttons as they have a way of attracting people. You have to consider whether a square edge button or a rounded button shape will be more ideal. You can never tell which one would work better as both styles can be used in different settings. You will have to test different shapes and pick the one that best suits your business.

You can optimize your conversion with these practices and have an effective CTA. Your call-to-action buttons can go a long way in helping your business, and with these steps, you will have no fear of losing prospective customers.