The magic behind web pages: what is the Call to Action?

How many times have we succumbed to the temptation to subscribe to that interesting newsletter? And how many times have we visited a site or a blog following a reading of an intriguing post? Or have you decided to download the application suggested by an advertisement? Regardless of our interest, there is a secret that explains how websites and social pages push us to take actions that we would never have considered until five minutes before.

Thinking back to the announcements that convinced us, we note that all were characterized by a phrase that stood out more than the others, a sort of magic formula. In the world of web marketing this is called Call to Action.

The call to action (CTA) is the icing on the cake that pushes us to say yes and press the button. In short, a CTA is an invitation to take action: in a few words it captures our attention and pushes us to “click”. CTAs are almost always short and effective sentences, which trigger a sense of urgency in the person reading them: “buy now”, “sign up now”, “buy now”. They work well when they are preceded by a direct and effective message that responds precisely to the need of the reader, so as to make it compelling.

Each site has its own primary Call To Action: from the classic “Register” to increasingly complex forms of user involvement (subscription to subscriptions, downloads, up to the payment of donations or the purchase of products and services). However, there are other actions that fall within the definition of secondary Call To Action, such as an invitation to read an article or, more simply, to follow a brand or company on social media or to share content on their Twitter or Facebook profiles: a action that requires less effort from the user, but is not without value.

But how can you write a successful CTA?

To write effective CTAs, the text of the message must be persuasive but above all short and concise, suitable for the objectives to be achieved, which in general, for those who work with web marketing, are linked to online sales. Therefore, avoid using phrases that are too banal and obvious. Of course, the ones you will have seen most frequently are the classic ones: “Click here”, “Buy here”, “Download here”. These CTAs have always been used, especially in advertising banners for the display network. These banners are not suitable for more complex or longer CTAs.

Remember that to be successful a CTA must be:

• Specific, refer to your industry or the product / service you want to provide;
• Contain the benefit, highlight the solution you want to provide. It is certainly captivating and reassuring for people to have a “taste” of what they will get after clicking.

The Call To Action world is waiting to be discovered: from the words used, to the ideal colors and shapes and the best position in which to insert them to attract the customer’s attention. It sounds complicated, but don’t be discouraged: our Web Marketing experts will be ready to help you!