Button, button: creating call-to-action buttons that work!

Having a social media campaign is a huge step forward for any business – but social media marketing doesn’t stop at just maintaining a website, your Facebook page, and your Twitter account. To develop loyal followers who can eventually be converted to customers, you need to go one step further and entice your viewers to become involved by using a call-to-action.

Even if you don’t know it by name, you’d recognize a call-to-action (often abbreviated CTA) even if you were blindfolded. It’s your kid following up a surprisingly practical list of reasons for owning a dog with a less practical plea to get the puppy. It’s getting “The Look” as you drop your date off at her door. There’s a reason for you to go through with something – you just have to agree to do it.

On a website, a traditional call-to-action might be a reminder at the bottom of the page for customers to call your company today. But in today’s market, you are more likely to ask the potential customer to click on the call-to-action button to connect via social media. A few factors can help you make your call-to-action buttons more successful.

What is the purpose of your call-to-action button?

Your call-to-action buttons should be geared toward a specific purpose – not just be on your web page or blog simply because you think they should be there. If your goal is to increase likes or followers on Facebook, include a button linking to your Facebook account. If you want to encourage visitors to download an informational pamphlet, the pamphlet could be the focus of your main CTA button.
Determining the purpose(s) of your CTA buttons can help you prioritize which ones you want to display. One or two buttons are typically sufficient; having more than that can confuse customers and distract attention and energy from your main goals. If you are unsure about which actions have the highest priorities, list out the result of each (revenue generated, technical complication). Then decide which buttons deserve the prominent space on your page.

Make your buttons informative

People tend to skim, not carefully read. They may be unlikely to read the entire web page to find out why they should click on the call-to-action and what the results will be. A more successful approach is to develop a button that includes text stating exactly what the button does or why visitors should click on it. Here are some generic examples:

• “Click here to like us on Facebook.”
• “Limited time offer - get your free download now!”
• “Take our survey and enter to win a prize.”
• “Click here to follow us on Twitter and reveal the rest of this article!”

The call-to-action can be more effective if you create a sense of urgency by placing a time limit on an offer or offering to reveal interesting information once the viewer clicks the button.

Consider other details of your call-to-action buttons

Your call-to-action buttons need to be visible but not overwhelming, easy to use, and represent your business as credibility and trustworthy.

• Be sure that the color of the call-to-action button contrasts with the background color of your website so that it is easy to see.
• Make the call-to-action button big enough to see, but not so big that it appears to be a paid advertisement from a third party.
• Consider a floating button or set of buttons so that the reader can click on the call-to-action button from any point on the web page without needing to scroll up or down to find it.
• Include your privacy policy near the buttons to increase user trust.

You can increase conversions by making your call-to-action buttons easy to use and encouraging for readers. Track your button conversions and see whether you can make them more effective for your business. (We bet you can now!)