What Is A Call-to-Action?
When discussing conversion rate optimization or just about any other kind of marketing, you are going to hear the term “call to action,” sometimes abbreviated to CTA. These are short snippets of text that directs your page visitor to take an action that gets them closer to the final action you want them to take, or alternatively, encourages the page visitor to actually take that final action (in the case of online retailers, making a purchase). While this might seem like an insignificant part of page and content design, it is integral to conversion rate optimization and a staple of all marketing campaigns. Understanding what they are and how they work is the best way improve the efficacy of your webpage.
Almost any webpage you have ever visited will have some kind of call to action. For example, think about your favorite news website. Each article will probably have a prompt like “Share This.” The action the website wants you to take is to share the content to your social media pages. It makes this easy (by providing the button) and literally tells you to do it. Without the button and the prompt, fewer people are likely to share the content. With the button and the prompt, those that might not have considered sharing, will. Let’s look at some examples related specifically to online retailers and discuss how and why they work.
Examples of Call-To-Actions for eCommerce Stores
“Browse Products”
In order for your site visitor to find something that they want to purchase, they first need to be able to browse your products, right? That’s where this call to action comes in. Like most retailers, you do not have all of your products lined up on the landing page of your website. They are likely on a separate page, which your visitors will access using this button. The presence of a button or one like this encourages the visitor to click.
“Add to Cart”
Another call to action that you have likely seen all over the internet. This call to action, usually very visible on a product page, encourages the site visitor to add the item to his or her cart. This button may also actually take the visitor to the cart, and therefore deeper down the sales funnel.
“Signup to Newsletter”
This CTA encourages the site visitor to provide their email address so you can keep them updated about products and sales. Having a specific button and area for this signup means more people will actually complete this action.