A call to action (CTA) is a prompt on a website that asks users to perform an action like signing
up for a newsletter, downloading a demo, or buying a product.

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A CTA can appear as a clickable button or as hyperlinked text, and is often seen in a pop-up
form or directly on the page. When potential customers click on it, they are one step closer to
conversion: if you were to click on the call to action button below, you'd be one step closer to
signing up for Conversion Guard.

Common call to action examples

You’ve probably seen and clicked on CTA buttons like the following:
• Sign up today
• Get your free ebook
• Try a 14-day free trial!
• Download template now
• Get 20% off your first order
• Learn more
• Schedule a free consultation
• Register for the free webinar
• Add to cart
• Add to wishlist
• Buy now
• Checkout
• Follow us on Instagram
• Share on Twitter/LinkedIn/Facebook

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CTAs can also appear as hyperlinked text in action phrases, such as:

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• Want to know more? Read our post on XYZ!

• Have you ever done XYZ? Tell us about it in the comments.

Why are CTAs important?

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An effective call to action is a key ingredient in your webpage and your sales funnel as a whole.

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• People are more likely to do something when you prompt them to do it. By making the step
easy and obvious, you increase the odds that they’ll continue through your sales
funnel and eventually convert.

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• A CTA can also encourage users to interact more with your website. For example, a CTA
at the end of a blog post can provide links for people to read more about the subject, or it
can ask them to share their own thoughts in the comments section. By encouraging users to
stay on the website, you invite them to become more familiar with your brand—which builds
trust and opens the door for future conversions.

What a successful CTA looks like

If you research CTAs, you’ll find some strong opinions and best practices about which colors or
shapes works best to convert... but those discussions miss the larger point.

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Of course, you want to choose a color that stands out so people are more likely to see it, but
don’t waste too much time obsessing over it. The mark of a successful CTA is not whether it's
green or orange, but whether it actually helps users achieve their goals.

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What drives users to your website?

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Every time someone visits your website, they’re looking to accomplish something or solve a
problem—these are the drivers that brought them to your website, and if you can offer them a
solution, you are more likely to earn their conversion.

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If you’re trying to get newsletter signups, for example, explain the value your newsletter
provides. What will they gain by giving you their email address, and how will it improve their
lives?

Or if you're an ecommerce site and you're trying to increase conversion or click-through rates,
you could use your unique selling proposition (USP) to build up to your call to action: what
makes your business stand out from the competition? Why should prospective customers
choose your company?

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Rather than endlessly tweaking the size, shape, position, or button color, use action words to
make your case in simple, straightforward language. If you do it right, the ‘Try it free’ button will
become irresistible no matter what color it is.

Conversion Guard Tip: nothing stops you from having multiple CTAs on the same page for users who need
more information to make up their minds—so if you go the multiple CTA way, make sure your
top-choice one stands out through color and shape.

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How to write a CTA

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all formula for writing the perfect CTA for your business—in fact,
there are plenty of different formulas you can try—but every impactful CTA is written in a way
that grabs your audience’s attention, creates a sense of urgency, and compels them to take the
desired action.

An example formula for writing a CTA is:

problem + solution + action

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Talk to a conversion guard team member to determine what your current CTA are.

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