Increase Marketing Conversion Rates by Choosing the Right CTA

A call-to-action (CTA) is a bite of text, often encapsulated in a digital button, that prompts a consumer to take a step forward with a brand, whether that's buying a product or signing up for a newsletter. You’ve likely heard the term “action item” be tossed around your workplace. A CTA is like an action item for a customer, one sure to improve marketing conversion rates.

Read now. That’s my simple call-to-action for you. If I had a golden offer, that CTA would be more compelling. Read now to win an iPhone. The types of CTAs you leverage are entirely dependent on your audience and branding. You could keep it classic or get creative, whatever best aligns with your business.

Basic call-to-action list

Sometimes all you need is a word or two to drive behavior. Here are some universal CTAs that aren’t brand specific:

• Buy Now
• Shop Now
• Subscribe
• Swipe Up
• Learn More
• Learn How
• Sign Up Now
• Order Now
• Add to Cart

You'll notice each CTA is phrased as a command. This isn't groundbreaking, it's intuitive. You wouldn't say, "order now if you feel like it." What's more noteworthy is the use of "now." "Now" promotes urgency and immediacy.

You don't want a customer to shelve your product for later because often later never comes, the opportunity to improve marketing conversion rates lost.

Getting creative to increase conversion rates

Spice up your CTAs by building off your foundation of basics.

How creative you want to get is up to your discretion. If your product is fun, you can assume your target audience is too, meaning an outside-of-the-box CTA would likely appeal to them.

I took a look at Tipsy Elves' website, expecting to find some playfulness in their CTAs, given their company name and product. I was not disappointed. When you first enter, you're redirected to a "spin to win" discount wheel.

In this case, the CTA stays simple, but the use of the wheel elevates its effect. I spun 20% off and enjoyed the extra piece of interactivity.

Now let's look at the use of wording to get creative. We did a blog on Oat Haus' conversational branding; they serve as a prime example of injecting personality into a call-to-action.

"Join the Haus party" and "let's party!" are not typical CTAs, but they work like a charm. More than reflecting the branding of Oat Haus, they foster a sense of community among customers. You get 10% off and a place in the inner circle.

Both of these examples push perks. Who hasn't been tempted by the promise of a discount? (Something to keep in mind.)

Holiday twist to improve marketing conversion rates

Holidays are breeding grounds for shopping sprees. Adding holiday zest to your CTAs can catch a customer's eye or remind them they have gifts to buy (and that you can supply them).

Natural Life is preparing for the holiday season by decking their CTA with boughs of holly, so to speak. "Shop now" is embedded in a banner that blends Christmas with their colorful branding.

Rather than simply calling it a holiday sale, specifying stocking stuffers is smart because when one thinks stocking stuffer, they think small. If it's small and on sale, why not buy a few? At least, that's how they'd win me over. Specificity is your friend.

Exclusivity and urgency

The thought of being among an exclusive group is titillating. There are few things more satisfying than reserving a spot "in the know." To demonstrate how this works with CTAs, let's bring Oat Haus back into the picture for a minute.

A couple of weeks ago, Oat Haus released a new flavor. It was selling out fast, so every day they linked to buy jars on their Instagram using a CTA similar to "buy while supplies last." The incentive was to be one of the last people to be able to get their hands on the first batch of the new flavor.

That sense of urgency is introduced again, the power behind limited-time offers. The modern acronym for it would be FOMO. Customers will make a purchase so they don't miss out.

Unique selling points

The inclusion of a unique selling point (USP) of your product can further enhance your CTAs. What is a characteristic of your product that makes it better than its competitors? What makes it stand out? 

Is your product sustainable? Handmade? Locally sourced? Use that to your advantage.

You sell customizable ceramics? Instead of "buy now," say, "buy your personalized mug now" or "personalize your mug now." How much more enticing are the latter two?

Whether you keep it classic or go a creative route, a compelling call-to-action is a critical piece of driving desired customer behavior to increase marketing conversion rates and ensure overall success.

Create Instagram-style digital stories for your brand with STORYSOFT. Learn more.