Website Call to Action in Web Design 2023

Overview

Many of us know the importance of “the why” in business. In fact, Simon Sinek wrote about it in his world famous book, Start with Why. Without your why, you can forget why you’re in business and why you serve your customers. Closely related are calls to actions (CTA). Think of this: a local, beautifully built candle store without cohesive way to access the product – the candles! A website without CTAs are the same way! I am going to further explain the importance of a CTA on your website, how to use them, where to put them and how a professional web designer can help.

What is a CTA?

A call to action in web design is typically a button or link that elicits action from a potential or current customer. A call to action could come in many shapes and sizes. Do you have an e-commerce store and want customers to shop now? Are you offering a limited time deal and what customers to get the discount? How about a mailing list or contact form that encourages deeper engagement into your content? Those are the some of the ways to use CTAs. Without them, you have a website that might look nice but doesn’t work for your business.

How does you use them?

Above we talked what a CTA is and gave some examples. It is important to use them properly. First, you should think about your services and products and decide what you want your ideal customers to do while on your website. I recently built a website for a local barber shop and learned that the owner did not want customers calling — instead he wanted them to book an appointment. There it is – our CTA – Book Now. Keep your CTAs short, with a strong command as noted above. Next, the styling is important. If your button or link isn’t visible or easily seen by the eyes, then what’s the point? Finally, to avoid confusion, I find it best to keep your CTAs consistent on your website. If you want customers to Book Now, then try to keep that consistent across your website.

Where do you put them?

CTAs can be placed anywhere but to remain effective it’s important to be strategic. In general, it’s recommended to have a CTA on your landing page “above the fold”. Meaning, if I land on your website on my device, I should see a CTA right away without scrolling. There are of course exceptions to this; however, this is a good rule of thumb to encourage action right away. Outside of that, CTAs should be placed as appropriate. If I mention my services as a barber, then I’ll likely want a CTA at the end of that section in the event the customer decides to work with me. Finally, creative presentation of a CTA could be delayed depending on timing or scroll percentage. For e-commerce I might want a time delay pop-up or top header bar to promote a sale – 50% off or free shipping – with a button to my shop. The possibilities are endless, but a professional web designer and developer can help make those ideas come to life from a visual and technical standpoint.

So What?

CTAs are crucial to every website. A well written and planned CTA could be the difference between a sale and an abandoned website visit. A professional web designer can help you understand what CTA(s) should be included on your site to boost engagement and achieve the desired business results to want. Here at Radford Results Web Design, we know how critical CTAs are and are able help you craft the best ones for your business. Contact us below or get a quote!

—