CTA’s – Your Website’s Silent Salesperson
Imagine going to a store and finding an item you like but not being able to find any check-out counter to make the purchase. Sounds silly, right?
Well, this same experience happens on countless websites every day. Visitors arrive, read through information, maybe even check out a couple pages, but ultimately end up closing the tab or going to a different website as there were no clear next steps. The difference between a website that converts and one that doesn’t often comes down to a simple, yet powerful component: the Call-to-Action (CTA).
CTAs are the silent salesperson of your website, guiding visitors toward meaningful actions – whether that’s booking a consultation, requesting a quote, or signing up for a service. Without them, even the most well-designed website can fail to generate leads.
In this article, we’ll explore why CTAs matter, the mistakes that could be costing you leads, and how to create CTAs that drive real business results.
What Is a Call-to-Action and Why Does It Matter?
A Call-to-Action (CTA) is any element on your website that encourages a visitor to take a specific next step. This could be a button, a form, or a link prompting them to book a call, schedule a service, or download a resource.
For service-based businesses, CTAs are a critical part of the web design process because they turn website visitors into potential clients. A strong CTA eliminates confusion by telling visitors exactly what to do next. Want a website visitor to book a free consultation? Add a section & button that encourages them to do so!
The Difference a CTA Can Make
CTAs are game changers for turning traffic into leads. Most (if not all) businesses primary goal on their website isn’t just to get more traffic, it’s to generate leads or achieve some other goal. Traffic that doesn’t lead anywhere does your business no good.
A CTA is your way to have website visitors reach out for a quote, or book a free consultation. They are essentially your way to transition a user from website visitor, to a lead, to a client!
The Cost of Weak or Missing CTAs
Without clear CTAs, your website visitors are left to navigate your site with no direction. This leads to higher bounce rates, lower engagement, and fewer inquiries.
A weak or missing CTA can result in:
- Visitors leaving without taking action
- A high number of website visits but low conversions
- Lost potential revenue due to missed opportunities
A website without effective CTAs is like a salesperson who never asks for the sale. If you’re not guiding visitors toward the next step, they likely won’t take it.
How to Create CTAs That Convert
1. Be Clear and Direct
A CTA should be specific and leave no room for confusion. Compare these two examples:
- “Click Here” – This is vague and doesn’t indicate what happens next.
- “Book Your Free Consultation Today” – This is clear, action-driven, provides value, and tells the user exactly what they can expect.
Strong CTAs use action-oriented language and copywriting that encourages immediate response, such as:
- Schedule a Consultation
- Get a Free Quote
- Claim Your Offer
- Start Your Free Trial
2. Strategic Placement: Where to Put CTAs for Maximum Impact
There are various ways and options to incorporate CTA’s throughout your website. To be successful, it is imperative the CTA’s on your website are easily found as well as fits throughout the natural flow of your website (and aren’t randomly forced in). Some examples of where you can use CTA’s throughout your website include:
- At the top of the homepage, before visitors start scrolling
- After explaining a service-option, when users understand the value in booking
- As a sticky header that remains visible while scrolling
- As a call-to-action section that shows before the footer of each page
To increase the effectiveness of CTAs on your website and improve conversions, it’s best to use a combination of the types of CTAs listed above spread out through your website pages to ensure users are always motivated to take action at relevant parts of their user journey.
3. Create a Sense of Urgency
Adding urgency can encourage visitors to take action immediately rather than postponing their decision. Examples of urgency-based CTAs include:
- “Limited Spots Available—Book Today”
- “Offer Ends Soon—Claim Your Free Estimate Now”
- “Only a Few Appointments Left This Month”
It’s important to use urgency authentically. If everything is labeled as “limited-time” all the time, visitors will begin to ignore it and it will give a scam-like feel.
4. Make Your CTAs Visually Stand Out
The design of your CTA is just as important as the wording. It should be visually distinct from the rest of your content to immediately grab attention and make it clear that it is a link/button that should be clicked
Best practices for CTA design include:
- Using a high-contrast button colour that stands out from the page background
- Keeping the CTA large enough to be easily readable, especially on mobile devices
- Adding white space around the CTA so it is not too crowded
- Adding hover effects so that when a user hovers over the element, it indicates that it should be clicked on
For example, a plain gray “Learn More” link surrounded in a large paragraph of text is likely to be ignored/skipped, while a bright blue “Book Your Free Consultation” button with lots of space around it on the other hand, will draw attention and increase effectiveness. Hiring a professional web designer is a great way to ensure that the CTAs on your website stand out and increase conversions.
Common CTA Mistakes to Avoid
Even with the best intentions, many businesses make CTA-related mistakes that hurt conversions. Some of the most common pitfalls include:
- Too Many CTAs on One Page – If every section is shouting “Click Here,” visitors get overwhelmed and CTAs lose their effectiveness. You don’t want to come off as too “pushy” or “salesy”. Use CTAs where it is appropriate and meaningful to ensure their effectiveness.
- Weak Language – “Submit” is a common CTA, but it’s uninspiring. A stronger alternative would be “Request Your Free Quote Now.”
- Failing to Follow Through – Once a visitor clicks a CTA, what happens next? Make sure there is a seamless process in place, wherever the CTA leads to shouldn’t be confusing.
Conclusion: Turning Clicks Into Clients
A well-crafted CTA is one of the most powerful tools on your website. It helps take your website from purely providing information, into getting real leads and clients.
To recap, a strong CTA should:
- Use clear and compelling language
- Show visitors exactly what they should do
- Be placed strategically for maximum visibility
- Stand out visually and be easy to click
- Be personalized to engage different types of visitors
If your website’s CTAs are not generating the results you need, you are missing out on potential clients!
Looking to build a website with strong CTA’s that will help transform website visitors into clients? Mendel Sites is a web design & development company that focuses on building websites that drives sales. Schedule a free discovery call today!