The call to action (CTA) on your website either drives conversions or chases visitors away. However, with a bit of attention to detail and studying what other brands do well with their CTAs, you can make this aspect of your site more successful.
A call to action is almost always verb-based. In one study, out of 969 landing pages, researchers found that 93.67 percent of CTAs used verbs such as start, read or learn. However, using a verb is only a very small part of creating a CTA that converts.
Here are 23 CTA examples that will improve your website. Implement a few of the techniques or all of them.
1. WordStream
One of the best CTA pop-ups on this list is WordStream’s invitation call to action. The pop-up rotates through different offers meant to hit users on more than one pain point. For example, it offers a free guide about capturing and converting more leads. However, it also provides a look at some of the best online marketing campaigns and uses the words Save My Seat to gather emails and registrations from site visitors.
Offering more than one type of benefit grabs even more conversions. If someone isn’t interested in a guide, then there is a different offer that might entice them into signing up.
2. Trunk Club
Trunk Club does an interesting job of both filtering buyers to the right section of its site and adding dueling CTAs. If you click on Get Started, you are then asked to choose men’s or women’s clothing. If you click on men’s or women’s, you are then asked to select a Get Started button. The different CTAs lead to the same journey, but they cover the various needs of the consumer.
3. MacAllister Machinery
MacAllister Machinery utilizes their CTA to create a special offer for site visitors. They explain the offer for zero down and 0% interest and then use the CTA to invite the user to “View Offer.” To go along with their CTA, they use an image of a piece of equipment one might purchase on installments. The green of the CTA pops against the darker background.
MacAllister even comments within the frame that the offer is for a limited time. This places a ticking clock on the discount and urges people to take action now. Changing your offers from time to time keeps your site interesting and grabs new leads who may wait for just the right discount.
4. Lyft
Lyft knows its audience well, and it understands that anyone going to its website instead of downloading the app is likely looking for information on driving for Lyft. When you land on the main page, the CTA targets those looking for work. Although there is also a tab where you can have the company send you a link to download the app for calling on rides, the main focus of the website is driving for Lyft.
5. Rothy’s
Rothy’s does something a bit unique with its call to action. When you land on the website, a round box appears. A circle pop-up is attention-grabbing because most others are square or rectangular. The text is informal and friendly as the site greets you with a “Hello!” The CTA then invites you to share your email address to stay updated on new footwear styles.
6. Home Chef
Home Chef seems to know the magic ingredient that entices site visitors to sign up for its meal service. Right at the top of the page, it offers a call to action that provides a discount if you sign up for the service today. Note it shows the actual value of the discount — $20. Providing a dollar value shows the consumer exactly how much the offer is worth. The CTA simply reads Redeem Offer.
7. BKIND
BKIND focuses on the personal touch for its CTA by inviting site visitors to become “part of the family.” If you join their list, you get 10 percent off your first purchase.
One study of over 330,000 calls to action showed that a personalized invitation performs 202 percent better than basic CTAs. Adding a personal touch, as BKIND did, shows visitors you understand their needs and want to make a connection.
8. Bulletproof
Bulletproof uses high contrast to highlight the CTA button on its pages. Note how the button is a bright orange-red and grabs the user’s attention from the minute they land on the page. The text on the button is in white, which pops against the background and offers 15 percent off.
9. Black Rifle Coffee Co.
Black Rifle Coffee Co. places its CTA about midway down the page, but it takes up the width of the screen with its newsletter signup invitation. The CTA button itself has the single word Subscribe, which is quite common for CTAs. However, the words proceeding the action verb invite the user to join the list and get special offers and updates. There is a Get $5 offer in the lower left corner to entice people to sign up.
10. SnackNation
SnackNation offers a free sample so you can try out its product before signing up for its service. While free offers may not work for every business model, they are a great way of introducing users to your product and enticing new conversions.
The site also has a second-tier offer if you hover over the close button in your browser window. Customers can get a special bonus of a $25 Amazon gift card if they check out a sample box of their snacks.
11. Twenty20
Twenty20 hones in on the target audience and their needs. Since consumers care about authenticity, it explains how real-world stock photos help you remain authentic, and then it offers a chance to sign up for free to either buy or sell stock photos. The CTA also lists some of the big companies utilizing Twenty20, such as Lyft and Macy’s.
12. Panda Express
Panda Express does an excellent job of figuring out why visitors might head to its site — to either order food or view the menu. It offers CTAs for both scenarios. It highlights one of its new dishes and provides an Order Now button. You’ll then choose your nearest store and place an order for pickup.
13. DoorDash
DoorDash utilizes directional cues to show the user where to go next in the buyer journey and pointing the way to its call to action. Note how the CTA text reads “I’m ready to eat” and then the arrow points toward the image of food to the right of the text. The arrow is also clickable and takes the user to the feature to find restaurants near them.
14. GiftRocket
GiftRocket proves the old saying that an image is worth a thousand words. Enticing your site visitors to take action starts with the photos you choose. GiftRocket chooses a selection of pictures of common gift items, such as MP3 players, books, and fitness and sports equipment. It then uses a straightforward CTA button that reads “Send a Gift Rocket.” Note how the color of the rocket in the image and the color of the CTA button match, drawing the eye to the two elements and driving the user to click on the button.
15. Sparkling Ice
When you land Sparkling Ice’s homepage, a pop-up box offers you a chance to become a part of its inside club, where you’ll get news and special offers. You’ll need to share your name, email and zip code. It also wants to know what your favorite flavor is.
16. Children’s Museum of Memphis
The Children’s Museum of Memphis uses bright colors that show the fun and youthfulness of the museum. It adds a call to action button in a bright red to invite users to Plan a Visit. Note the headline, which is short and to the point, and the CTA wording, which is a mere three words. Keeping your action commands short allows readers to absorb the info quickly and take decisive action.
17. EurAupair
EurAupair does several things right to recruit nannies for their intercultural child care program. First, their CTA button pops with color while outlined in white. They then use an arrow to point to the button and draw even more attention. Finally, they explain how to apply for free in the text to the left.
Everything on the page draws attention to the CTA. Since the button is placed near the top of the page, it’s the first thing you look at. The image to the right of the button shows an au pair with the child in her charge on her back, and the site even includes a couple of videos touting the reasons for hosting an au pair.
18. Anker
Anker crafted a pretty unique and interesting with the CTA on their page. Since they sell electronic accessories such as chargers and folding keyboards, they put a twist on this idea with the words “Charge Now” to draw users in and get them to click on the CTA. They place the button next to an image of chargers and power banks.
Creating a highly personalized experience that ties back to what you do or sell makes your site unique and draws attention to your CTA. This is a call that users are likely to remember even if they bounce away from your site for a bit. Think about what elements make your business unique and how you might find a play on words for your CTAs.
19. Bloom Counseling + Wellness Center
Bloom Counseling + Wellness Center has a more subtle CTA that fits in nicely with the overall concept of a soothing journey toward wellness. The CTA button, which reads “Learn More,” matches the colors at the top of the page. Another CTA invites site visitors to phone them and schedule an appointment. The rest of the colors on the page are muted so that even the soft green tones of the CTA button stand out.
You can employ this technique in your own designs by using simple colors such as black and white and choosing one accent color. When the other colors on the page aren’t drastic, even a softer color tends to pop and grab user attention.
20. Day Designer
Day Designer does something a bit different with their CTA. It is more of a clickable informational header box than a button. They place this box on top of an image of different planners and invite people to “Plan for the Academic Year Ahead.” When the user clicks on it, they arrive on a page listing all the academic year flagship planners. You can search by look, features and planner type.
This approach works well for an e-commerce site. It requires knowing what buyers might look for and coming up with a category of choices that match those needs. Think about upcoming holidays or big events that tie into your product or service, and add a CTA to your landing page that ties in.
21. Honext
Honext offers a unique product made of sustainable materials. Their call to action is unique as well and reflects how different this business model is. The wording of their CTA captures the user’s imagination with, “See the Material” and an arrow pointing the way. They seem to understand that anyone looking for recyclable material is going to want to know more about the process and how it helps the environment. This goes back to knowing your audience and their needs.
Because they have a clear buyer persona in mind, they know those visiting their site want eco-friendly solutions. They present how their products achieve their target audience’s desire to protect the earth for future generations.
22. David’s Cookies
David’s Cookies proves that you shouldn’t be afraid to use color. The fun, hip mix of blue, red and orange draws the user’s eye to the CTA “Shop Now” button. The color is reflected in the navigation bar and in the name logo at the top of the page. Notice how the logo is in a sans-serif font, giving the site a modern edge, and the CTA also lacks serifs.
The color orange is unconventional alongside the red and blue on the page. The typeface in orange changes to a serif font to reflect that they’re going against the grain. The user looks first at the CTA and then takes in the headlines.
23. Delassus Group
Delassus Group grows tomatoes, grapes, avocados, citrus and flowers. They do something rather brilliant with their CTAs. First, they create a hero header that scrolls through the foods they offer. They take the CTA button and place the words “Discover” on it. If the user hovers over the button, it becomes animated and slides to the side. Each page has a differently colored CTA that contrasts with the other colors on the page.
While each of the CTAs looks similar to the others, it is personalized for each page. Click on the link for avocados and you learn about where the family grows them and when the crops are ready. Choose the grapes CTA and you learn about their vineyards in Taroudant and Marrakech and what varieties they grow there. Individualizing CTAs gives them a chance to reach a wide mix of buyer types.
Choosing the Right CTA for Your Site
Figuring out which type of CTA works best requires knowing your target audience and the optimal methods of reaching them. The samples above serve as a building block for brainstorming what works best on your site. However, you must still conduct split testing and figure out what your audience responds to best.
About The Author
Eleanor Hecks is the Editor-in-Chief of Designerly Magazine, an online publication dedicated to providing in-depth content from the design and marketing industries. When she's not designing or writing code, you can find her exploring the outdoors with her husband and dog in their RV, burning calories at a local Zumba class, or curled up with a good book with her cats Gem and Cali.
You can find more of Eleanor's work at www.eleanorhecks.com.
Love these call to actions! Looking forward to the next one
I love these improvements especially for our customers shopping for jewelry and gifts