A Call To Action (CTA) is an element in your content that encourages the reader to do something, such as subscribe to a newsletter or click a link to a product page. If presented properly, it can be the gateway to increased user engagement, sales conversions, and more.
This article will explain why you need a CTA, and why itβs important you get it right. Weβll then reveal the three steps you can take to create a compelling CTA that gets clicked. Whatβs more,Β weβll then show you how to style an amazing CTA using the Divi Call To Action module.
Letβs get started!
What a Call to Action is (and Why Itβs Important)
A CTA is, in the most literal terms, a request for someone to do something. Whether itβs a button on a sales page, a link in an email, or a prompt on a printed flyer, it is an instance where youΒ encourage the readerΒ to take action:
In the current climate, where a huge percentage of marketing efforts are conducted via online channels, CTAs are everywhere. They can also cover a vastΒ range of actions, including making a purchase, subscribing to a newsletter, or simply clicking through to a page with more information.
With so many sitesΒ persuading people to take so many differentΒ actions, itβs importantΒ your CTA stands out and convinces people to click. The consequences of a bland and uninteresting CTA isnβt simply felt once. The accumulative effect of a poor example can be disastrous for your bottom line.
How to Define Your Target Audience
Before you beginΒ persuading your audience, itβs important to be clear onΒ who youβre talking to. Making sure youβve nailed down your target audience is a key stepΒ before tacking any marketing element, particularly your CTA. Ideally, youβll want to create a fairly comprehensive description ofΒ your target, including demographics and psychographics. By doing this, youβll have someone specificΒ in mind that youβre speaking to when creatingΒ your CTA.
TheΒ example below is clearly targeting women who want to lose weight, and offers a weight loss plan in exchange for an email address. Even theΒ second clickable button at the bottom plays directly to the target audience by offering βNo thanks, I donβt want to lose weightβ as the only alternative:
How you define your target audience will depend heavily on what your website is for, and what your CTA is persuading people to do. However, hereβs some general advice to get started with:
- Your existing customers.Β Take a look at the demographics and psychographics of your existing visitors, and find out why they are using your product or service.
- Your competitorsβ customers.Β If possible, investigate who your competitors are targeting and how they are doing it.
- The benefits of your product or service.Β Analyze the benefits that you can provide through your product or service, and identify who it might be useful to.
This is an important topic for any aspect of business, and thankfully,Β there are many great resourcesΒ available to help you identify the target audience youβre trying to persuade.
How to Create a Compelling Call to Action That Gets Clicked (in 3 Steps)
Now weβre clear on why you need a compelling CTA β and who youβre targeting β letβsΒ look at the three steps that will take you from marketing also-ran to CTA gold medallist.
Step #1: Write Compelling Copy
In an ideal world, anyone who views your CTA will be instantly compelled to click it. In order to get as high a click-through rate as possible, itβs imperative your preceding text and button copy do their utmost to persuade the reader.
TheΒ exampleΒ below appearsΒ as a blogΒ exit pop-up. It is targeted specifically to the ideal reader of the post and speaks directly to them. It uses lots of actionable language such as the wordsΒ βlearnβ and βwatchβ. The simple addition of an exclamation mark at the end of the CTA alsoΒ adds a sense of urgency to the button copy. Finally, the alternative action at the bottom takes a joking, sarcastic approach. After all, who doesnβt want more traffic?
Here are some pointers for helping to give the reader the nudge they need:
- Speak to your target audience. Make sure you offer information your target audience cares about, and you use language that resonates with them.
- Use actionable language. ThisΒ can help to kick people into gear and compel them to click.
- Be specific and keep it simple. A complicated CTA could leave the reader confused and less likely to click. Keep it simple, and be specific and explicit so the reader knows exactly why they are clicking.
- Create a sense of urgency. Using words like βtodayβ and βnowβ canΒ help toΒ urge an undecided readerΒ to click immediately.
- Consider a playful approach. You donβt have to stick to the standard βClick below to subscribeβ text or βBuyβΒ button copy. You can make it quirky, playful,Β or funny, depending on your targetΒ audience.
Ultimately, your text and button copy should give the reader enough information to know if they want to click, as well as a little nudge to compel them to do so.
Step #2: Make Your CTA Stand Out
Of course, no matter how persuasive your copy is, itβs all for naughtΒ if nobody reads it. To create a clickable CTA, you have to make sure the reader firstly sees it, then identifies it as something that requires action on their part.
The CTA belowΒ is another example of an exit pop-up requesting the visitor to sign up to a webinar. The bright orange color of theΒ clickable button contrasts with the rest of the pop-up. This causes the button to stand out, making it very clear where the reader is supposed to click. The inclusion of a profile pictureΒ in this CTA also helps to grab attention, and adds a personal touch:
Here are some tips for making sure your CTA gets noticed:
- Make sure itβs in the right location:Β Your CTA must be placed soΒ that the reader is guided towards it and doesnβt miss it.
- Use contrasting colors: Using a contrasting or bright color for your clickableΒ button or text is a simple way to make sure it grabs the viewerβs attention.
- Stick to one CTA only: Having multiple CTAs on one page can be confusing. However, donβt be afraid to repeat the sameΒ one more than once.
- Make it look like a real button: Making the clickable sectionΒ look like a real button can ensure the reader knows exactlyΒ where to click.
Now youβve written the perfect copy and created a CTA that stands out, itβs time to see how it stands up to testing.
Step #3: Test and Refine Your CTA
Youβve created an incredible CTA, but the work isnβt over just yet. Testing various design components can ensure you get the most bang for your buck. Even if you think you have crafted the perfect design and copy, thereβs probably still room for improvement.Β To determine if you should make changes (and which changes you should make), you shouldΒ test different versions of your CTA.
A/B split testing is ideal for this type of scenario.Β If youβre a Divi user, you can use our own Divi LeadsΒ β an A/B testing and conversion optimization tool built into the Divi Builder:
This tool enables you to set any module (including the Call To Action module), row, or section as the individual goal for your test. We also have a full tutorial to help you determine the statistical significance of your tests.
If youβre not using Divi, there are other services you can utilize to conduct your A/B split testing. However, regardless of the solution you choose, make sure youβreΒ not harming your Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
How to Create a Call to Action in Divi
The Divi Call To Action module has everything you need to create a compelling and highly clickable CTA. It offers a vast range of customization options, so you can tailor the background, copy, and button to make sure your design is bothΒ unique and persuasive:
When youβve decided on the placement for your Call To Action module, click on Insert Module(s) in your desired location:
In the resulting pop-up, select Call To Action:
Youβll be taken to theΒ General Settings tab, where you can add your text and make some basic appearance adjustments:
In the Advanced Design Settings tab, youβll find lots more options for adjusting the text, button, and background:
Divi offers you almost everything youβll need to begin creating captivating, magnetic, and compelling CTAβs. NowΒ all thatβs left is to start generatingΒ conversions!
Conclusion
A well crafted CTA will grab your viewersβ attention and compel them click for more. However, designing one that engages and persuades is not as simple as it might sound.
That being said, it is possible for you to create aΒ high-performing CTA, particularly with DiviβsΒ Call To Action module and built-inΒ Divi LeadsΒ tool. In this article, weβve outlined the three key steps you need to take to optimize your CTA. Letβs recap them quickly:
- Write compelling copy.
- Make your CTA stand out.
- Test and refine your CTA.
Do you have any questions about creating a highly clickable CTA? Let us know in the comments section below, and donβt forget to subscribe so you can follow the conversation!
Article thumbnail image by Oleksandr Yuhlchek / shutterstock.com.
Great article John! It would probably be useful for readers if you could include how Bloom or another email capture plugin would help, since Divi’s CTA module doesn’t have that. A lot of your examples did have an email capture location.
Thanks for another great article! As a marketer, I definitely approve it.
No problem, Jacob. Bloom wasn’t a focus for this piece, but we’ll bear it in mind for future articles!
Is there a tut where it shows how to to one with a submission field in Divi?
Like the two first samples above?
For those who want to use Bloom as a CTA but does not want to capture email addresses. Visit this link that was referenced by an ET blog post last year.
https://agirlandhermac.design/using-bloom-image-text-pop/
Thanks for the link!
Hi,
Do you know if there is any plugin that helps create fancy CTA buttons? I’ve seen beautiful buttons in other websites and I don’t know how to create them.
Some researches say that buttons have higher CTA than just text-links.
Thanks.
I meant CTR, not CTA, in my last sentence.
Andre, you may want to start at the WordPress.org Plugin Directory (https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/cta-button).
Good luck. π
I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m really looking forward to trying out the built in split testing. This is a really awesome feature that eliminates the need of tools like Optimizely, etc.
Make sure you let us know how you get on, James. Drop us an email with your feedback!
Awesome tips John! A creative CTA will surely capture more attention. Thanks for sharing these cool examples.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Emmerey!