A call to action is the point where useful content turns into a next step. It might invite a reader to download a resource, join an email list, register for an event, read another article, buy a product, request information, leave a comment or simply continue learning.
That makes calls to action especially important for bloggers who want their websites to support a business without turning every article into a sales pitch.
Building Better Blogs already has an in-depth article about maximizing a call-to-action button. This article takes a different approach: instead of focusing primarily on the button itself, it looks at the decision behind the CTA-what you should ask readers to do, where that request belongs and how to tell whether it is actually helping.
Start With the Reader's Next Logical Step
Before worrying about button color, size or wording, decide what makes sense for the person who just consumed the content.
If someone reads a beginner SEO article, their next step might be another foundational SEO resource or a simple checklist. If they read a detailed product review, they may be ready to see the product. If they finish a Blogathon announcement, registration or participation information makes sense. If they read an article that solves one part of a larger problem, an email resource that helps with the rest may be a natural fit.
A CTA works best when it feels like the continuation of the content rather than an interruption.
One Page Does Not Need to Ask for Everything
A common mistake is giving readers too many competing instructions: subscribe, follow five social accounts, buy something, read three more articles, leave a comment, download a printable and join a group-all before they have decided whether they trust the site.
You can have more than one link on a page, but it helps to choose a primary action. Ask yourself what one outcome would make this particular article more valuable to both the reader and your business.
Secondary links can support that goal without competing with it.
Match the CTA to Reader Intent
Not every visitor arrives at the same stage.
- Learning: Offer another useful article, glossary, checklist or beginner resource.
- Comparing: Help the reader evaluate choices with a review, comparison, case study or FAQ.
- Ready to act: Make the purchase, registration, booking or signup path obvious.
- Interested but not ready: Give them a useful reason to join your email list so the relationship does not end with one visit.
This is one reason a universal "Subscribe now!" button pasted onto every article is rarely the full strategy. The better question is what this reader is most likely to need next.
Use Specific CTA Language
The original guest post preserved below correctly emphasized the importance of the message on the button. That principle still matters.
Generic labels such as "Submit" or "Click Here" tell the reader very little. Whenever possible, let the CTA describe what happens next.
Examples include:
- Download the Checklist
- Read the Beginner's Guide
- Join the Blogathon
- See the Course Details
- Get the Weekly Blogging Tips
- Compare the Options
Clarity usually matters more than cleverness.
Make the Action Easy to See
Mo Raja's original Blogathon challenge focused on design, message, placement and size. Those remain useful categories, although some of the old article's design claims should not be treated as universal rules today.
A good CTA should be visually distinguishable from surrounding content, easy to use on a phone, readable, and close enough to the relevant content that the reader understands why it is there.
There is no single button size, color or placement that is automatically best for every site. Your theme, audience, page layout and type of action all matter. Instead of relying on a supposed universal formula, make the action obvious and then look at your own results.
Do Not Make the Reader Hunt
If an article is specifically intended to lead to a product, registration, download or service, readers should not have to scroll back through the page trying to find the link after deciding they want it.
For longer content, it can make sense to repeat the same primary CTA at logical decision points. That is different from filling every screen with buttons. The goal is convenience, not pressure.
Use Calls to Action Beyond Sales
Calls to action are often discussed as conversion tools, but a conversion does not always mean money changing hands.
A useful CTA can move a reader deeper into your site, encourage them to save a resource, bring them into your email audience, invite participation in a community event or point them toward the next skill they need to learn.
For a sustainable blogging business, those smaller steps matter. Someone who reads three useful articles and joins your email list may ultimately be more valuable than a visitor pushed toward an offer before they are ready.
Measure the Action That Matters
Once you decide what a page is supposed to accomplish, you can evaluate whether the CTA is doing its job.
Depending on the goal, useful measurements might include:
- clicks on the primary CTA;
- email signups;
- downloads;
- registrations;
- product-page visits;
- purchases or leads;
- movement to another important article.
Do not change a button merely because a marketing article says a certain color converts better. Change something because you have a reason to test it, and compare the result with what happened before.
Try the Updated Blogathon CTA Challenge
The original version of this article was a Biannual Blogathon Bash Mini Challenge, so it makes sense to keep that practical spirit alive.
Choose one important article, landing page or resource on your site and answer these questions:
- What is the page trying to help the reader accomplish?
- What is the reader's most logical next step?
- Is there one clear primary CTA?
- Does its wording explain what happens after the click?
- Can a mobile reader see and use it easily?
- Is the CTA located near the point where someone is likely to make the decision?
- Do you have a way to tell whether people are taking that action?
Then make one meaningful improvement. You do not need to redesign your entire website. Small, intentional changes are exactly what a Blogathon is for.
The Goal Is Guidance, Not Pressure
A call to action should help a reader answer, "What do I do next?"
When the answer is relevant, clear and easy to follow, the CTA supports both the reader and the business behind the blog. That is far more useful than chasing a supposedly perfect button.
From the Blogathon Archive: Mo Raja's Original Guest Mini Challenge
The guest contribution below by Mo Raja is preserved from an earlier Biannual Blogathon Bash. The original prize/event language, design assumptions and some technical marketing advice reflect the period in which it was written. We are preserving Mo's original contribution and authorship as part of the Blogathon's history while the updated article above provides current guidance.
This is a Guest Post Mini Challenge for the Biannual Blogathon Bash event. Anyone is welcome to read this post and try the challenge but only blogathon participants are eligible to win prizes for completing it. It's not too late to join!
You can read more about the guest author at the end.
Maximising Your Call-To-Action Button
Website owners and bloggers have to use call to action buttons frequently. If you are wondering what a call to action button is, it is simply a link or a button on a site that webmasters want web visitors to click. As the name suggests, it is aimed at convincing web visitors take certain action i.e. buy products or services being sold in a site.
Call to action buttons simply offer customer's guidance. They are what websites are centred around. They are simply links to buy something, sign up for something or enter contact details. Call to action buttons can be used in very many other ways. The above ways are however the most common. From the above information, it is obvious that call to action button must be designed perfectly for them to serve their intended purpose. Below are some of the top features of a great call to action button.
Design
The design of a call to action button also matters a lot. Contrary to popular believe, people click more on plain call to action buttons as opposed to colourful buttons. This is a proven fact in many studies carried out on call button design. Your focus should therefore be getting the size and placement right as opposed on spending a lot of time on fancy designs that don't influence action contrary to popular believe. Keep your call to action button plain and simple and you will be surprised how much attention the button attracts.
Message
It is important to note that the message on a call to action button matters a lot. You should therefore focus on a message or word that grabs attention instantly. The best call to action buttons have action words which arouse curiosity or demand action. You should however avoid being too demanding or pushy with words. Stay relevant to the style of your site and used appropriate words only. You should also be specific.
Placement
This is a very important consideration for a call to action button. The button should stand clear of other content preferably an area with adequate white space. This is the only way to ensure that the button is noticeable. Placement is important because it considers where web users are likely to look at. A perfect call to action button should be placed near content to ensure that users see the button.
Size
A great call to action button has to have a perfect size. For guidance regarding the appropriate size of a call to action button, you should check the size of other features i.e. banner ads. A call to action button shouldn't be bigger than a banner ad. This is important in terms of portraying the intended visual impression. A big call to action button can scare customers away. Again a small button can go unnoticed. Balancing the size of the button is very important. The button should measure average i.e. less than a banner ad.
In summary there are many other good features of call to action buttons. The above features are however adequate enough to get you started on the right path.
Your Mini-Challenge
Survey any Call to Action buttons you may have and see what you can do to improve them. Make changes now if you can or if not (maybe because you are waiting for a designer for example) then just add it to your to do list or make plans to get it done. Comment on this post to tell me what you did or will do.
About the Author: This post was submitted by Mo Raja. He currently works in online marketing at a mobile phone specialist insurance company Protect Your Bubble. Mo occasionally writes blog posts on technology, gadgets, mobile phones and online media. This post however is solely the opinion of Mo and not endorsed by any other individual or organisation.
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