There are multiple methods for optimizing your CTAs. From focusing on design to perfecting placement, even minute tweaks hold the potential to take your conversion rates from average to exceptional.
But, when trying to craft killer CTAs, there’s one thing to keep in mind. The best method for elevating conversions is to write engaging copy that positions your solutions as the ideal answers to your prospects’ pain points.
After all, consumers want and expect brands to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of their unique needs. And doing so doesn’t just maximize their chances of buying. It also improves their brand loyalty — one of the most effective ways to boost customer lifetime value (CLV) and ensure a healthy cash flow that can support your brand’s growth.
So, without further ado, here’s a quick guide on crafting killer CTAs by focusing on engaging copy to boost conversions.
Getting the Basics Right
Creating compelling CTAs doesn’t have to be a complicated process. In fact, the majority of your success will depend on your ability to adhere to a few ground rules.
Ensure your copy is simple, unambiguous, short, and specific. Be prepared to approach the copywriting process by prioritizing the consumers’ point of view. Always use actionable language. And, of course, support your copy with your design choices.
The “Get Evernote for Free” button below is a marvelous example of a CTA that does all of these things right. It’s clear and simple, and it stands out perfectly against the backdrop, ensuring that it attracts and retains web visitors’ attention long enough to compel them to click.
Align CTAs With Obvious Consumer Benefits
Once you’ve covered the basics of CTA button copywriting (and design), it’s time to move on to more advanced strategies for elevating conversion rates.
One of the best places to start in this regard is to align your calls to action with obvious (and sought-after) consumer benefits.
Ultimately, the reason your target audience visited your website was to resolve a pain point. Although that may require them to perform a transaction, it’s safe to say that your future customers have a few purchase factors they want you to fulfill first.
With this in mind, it’s a great idea to align your calls to action with your target audience’s wants. For example, check out how Destination Certification does this.
Knowing its audience appreciates affordability and privacy, this brand invites web visitors to “start free class now.” This is an excellent method of engaging potential customers with the promise of something free. The CTA also emphasizes value for money, which is the number one priority for 91% of consumers according to research from Edelman.
Enrich CTA Copy with Social Proof
While we’re on the subject of consumers’ priorities while shopping, it’s important to remember the issue of brand trust.
People aren’t ready to spend their hard-earned money on just anything — especially with today’s volatile financial outlook. Instead, they demand that the businesses they buy from are credible, competent, and fully customer-oriented.
To confirm that they’re making the best possible choice, they’ll regularly seek out various forms of social proof. And even though you can elevate conversion rates by surrounding your calls to action with trust-building elements, why not incorporate social proof directly into your copy?
For example, check out how TheFutureParty does it. By inviting web visitors to “join 200,00+ daily readers,” the brand clearly establishes its trustworthiness and authority and significantly increases the chances of a potential subscriber actually clicking the CTA button.
Reduce Perceived Conversion Risk
Convincing your target audience to convert doesn’t always boil down to what you promise to deliver.
Yes, offering value and spelling out conversion benefits does lead to improved engagement rates and purchase intention. But it’s not always enough to get them to fully commit.
If you look at the Baymard Institute’s consumer behavior research, you’ll discover that 70% of people who intend to convert on a website end up not going through with the process.
More often than not, this comes down to their perceived conversion risks. These can include an unwillingness to commit to a purchase before trying out a solution, an unwillingness to provide a brand with their credit card info, or even being unsure whether a product or service is the right fit for their needs.
Fortunately, you can craft CTAs that encourage sales despite these common conversion obstacles.
For instance, knowing that its prospects demand competitive pricing and exceptional CX, RapidDirect invites prospects to “get instant prototyping quote.” It doesn’t commit them to a purchase but presents them with all the info they need to make an informed buying decision they’ll be happy with.
Create Multiple CTA Buttons Based on Your Buyers’ Desired Outcomes
Here’s the tricky part about crafting compelling calls to action: not all your web visitors will populate the same stage of the buyer’s journey. And, unfortunately, presenting your audience with a sales-oriented CTA at the wrong time can seriously harm their purchase intent.
According to scientific research, this is especially true during the early stages of the sales cycle. While researching potential solutions to their pain points, consumers usually react negatively to sales pressure — especially when considering high-cost purchases.
With this in mind, it’s important to optimize high-traffic webpages in a way that appeals to prospects populating different stages of the buyer’s journey.
One way to do this with engaging CTA copy is to create multiple buttons, with each one aligning with a different desired outcome.
For example, check out how Amerisleep does it. Knowing that a portion of its web visitors are still exploring the best mattress option for their needs, the brand presents them with a comprehensive overview of different bed sizes. Then, it invites buyers to browse different product categories, which ensures that the outcome of the user action aligns with what they want and need.
Treat Search Bars as CTAs
While most calls to action aim to encourage your target audience to buy products, create an account, or sign up for a newsletter, the reality is that these actions don’t necessarily align with the best way to generate new leads.
In fact, most people are very proactive and result-oriented when it comes to their buying journeys. For instance, if you look at ecommerce user behavior statistics, you’ll find that 69% of people go straight for the search bar when landing on a site.
That’s why you need to invest in your website’s UX design to ensure it has a visible and functional search function. It’s also crucial that you understand the role of the search bar in the sales funnel and use copywriting to maximize user engagement.
By treating the search bar as a CTA — which Unita does below — you can effectively invite your audience to create a browsing journey that fits their unique needs.
On the one hand, this is a great method of providing your web visitors with the level of UX personalization they expect from your brand. On the other hand, it’s a great way to gently nurture conversions — especially when selling complex solutions or targeting awareness-stage consumers.
Play Around With FOMO
Some purchases are rational decisions consumers make after in-depth product research and evaluation. Others, however, are fully driven by impulse behavior.
After all, 84% of all shoppers make impulse purchases. Research also suggests that 40% of all ecommerce revenue can be attributed to in-the-moment purchase decision-making.
So, knowing that awakening your prospects’ fear of missing out could help engage web visitors and drive sales, why not explore creative methods of incorporating this sales technique into your CTA button copy?
The exit intent pop-up on the BlendJet website, for instance, is a marvelous example of how you can engage (and even re-engage) web visitors and nudge them closer to the lower stages of the sales funnel with a FOMO call to action.
Or, you could take things even further. Magic Spoon uses CTA copy to emphasize that its offer is limited. That’s an excellent method of getting people to make an in-the-moment purchase decision.
Keep True to Your Brand’s Voice
Lastly, if you want to boost conversion rates by creating engaging calls to action, don’t be afraid to inject some (on-brand) personality into your CTA copy.
After all, one of the main reasons people buy from specific brands is that they enjoy those brands’ personalities.
For example, if you check out the Velocity Global homepage, you’ll see that the brand perfectly aligns its CTA copy with how it wants consumers to perceive its brand. By inviting prospects to “consult an expert”, this business effectively positions itself as an industry authority. Furthermore, it uses the copy to communicate its competence to remove customer pain points, thus maximizing the chances of a web visit resulting in a conversion.
You could also take a more lighthearted approach if it aligns with your brand personality. Snickers does it quite well on its homepage, inviting shoppers to “pick” a specific product as their favorite or “fuel up” with one of the brand’s protein bars.
Final Thoughts
When composing calls to action to use on your website (or anywhere else in your online presence, for that matter), you must focus on engaging your target audience.
There are many ways to do this. You can focus on your prospects’ pain points and offer solutions. You can use action-packed language or offer special deals to encourage conversions. Or, you can try to use CTA buttons in a way that will elevate your potential customers’ browsing experience and naturally move them toward the bottom stages of the sales funnel.
But, no matter which of these tactics you choose, always prioritize an alignment with your target audience’s preferences. So, don’t just copy CTA copy that seems appealing and effective at boosting sales.
Instead, study your ideal customers’ priorities and behaviors and try to create CTA copy that will successfully engage and resonate with them. That way, you’ll maximize your site’s conversion potential without risking alienating your audience with a misplaced sales tactic.
