The goal of any marketing campaign, including yours, is to get the targeted user to take action and do something. The digital act changes depending on the company. But even if it says Buy Now, Sign Up, or Contact Us, the end goal is the same, to convince the user to click through and take a journey through the conversion funnel.

Call to action optimisation is important as a ROI maximising initiative but the best practices for CTAs vary by industry and even by company. The guidelines below are meant to form the basis for how you should create the best possible CTAs by focusing on convincing copy and creative aesthetics.

Looks can be decisive

-CTA aesthetics rely heavily on contrast. Your button needs to differentiate itself from the rest of the page by size and colour.

-Size matters, but size is also relative. The goal is to find the happy medium where the button is large enough that it stands out but small enough that it isn’t distracting.

-Speaking of size, larger buttons should have less obtrusive colours whereas smaller buttons should be brighter.

-Don’t threaten your customers with sharp edges. Rounded corners and sides draw the users inward to the value proposition that you are presenting.

-Different colours elicit different emotional responses. Red can symbolise passion, orange is associated with enthusiasm and blue with trust. Match the colour with your message.

Copywriting for conversions

-Establishing urgency needs to be a priority. Communicate why the user needs to take action now as opposed to later, or never.

-Create a clear value proposition to entice your audience. Don’t attempt to confuse them with multiple suggestions or complicated wording.

-Match the message of your CTA with that of your landing page. Doing so gives users a sense of predictability and control.

-CTAs can only inspire action if the copy persuading a user is based around actionable verbs. Discover, unearth and find are all good words to begin your value proposition.

-Make the copy ‘you-focused.’ The ‘you’ we’re talking about here is, of course, your customers. Highlight what benefits they will receive by clicking through.

These ten tips for CTA optimisation are a starting point. To find what works the best for your brand it is imperative to conduct the necessary market research beforehand. The CTA is what gently nudges a user into the conversion funnel. The CTA is what gently nudges a user into the conversion funnel. Pairing effective and persuasive copy with design elements that stand out is the key to driving new business leads.