Kate Parish is a chief marketing officer at Onilab. She has almost a decade of experience in the company and is still enthusiastic about every aspect of digital marketing. Kate sees the marketing mission in ensuring sustainable business growth. For this purpose, she helps companies and readers create efficient campaigns, solve common problems, and enhance crucial website metrics, such as conversions, bounce rates, and others.
What if I say, “Subscribe to our email newsletter at the end of the article?” Probably, you’ll skip it and forget when reaching the subscription button. Why? Because a compelling call to action is not only about using action words. CTAs should appear at the right place and contain the right words to lead to conversion.
A CTA is a suggestion to people to perform a certain action: subscribe, download an ebook, schedule a call, etc. Website owners place them in various parts of the page, depending on the goals, such as:
How should you arrange CTAs to encourage the audience to do what’s expected? This post will enumerate some helpful tips for successful call-to-action writing and show real-world examples from various spheres.
Image credit: Freepik
CTAs usually appear precisely at the end of the message. It’s the last opportunity to reach out to consumers and point them in the right direction on their purchase journey. Where can you see them? On buttons, ads, banners, pop-ups, slide-ins, or at the end of videos. In any case, you have limited space for them. That’s why the CTA should be short, concise, and punchy.
Use a command verb at the beginning of the CTA copy. Compare the following variants and think of what will be more effective:
The first option is the clear winner because it tells the audience what to do. Remember that a strong call to action eliminates as much thought as possible. Choose the needed verb to match your situation and purpose, such as:
Another crucial component of call-to-action writing is power words. These are words that appeal to emotions and trigger the desire to click. While action verbs tell readers what to do and what will happen after clicking a link, power words subtly nudge people to the desired page. They rely on people’s emotions as a motivation to proceed, such as:
A strong CTA is the one people feel, not just comprehend. For example, “Secure your spot for the concert of a lifetime now,” will elicit a different response from viewers than, “Get your tickets for the concert now!” due to phrases like “lifetime” and “secure”. Another way to evoke enthusiasm is to leverage punctuation like an ellipsis or an exclamation mark.
As most purchases are emotional rather than rational, another motivator can be a fear of missing out (FOMO). It’s one of the most widely-used tactics in e-commerce, where sellers show the number of remaining goods or the time left until the discount expires. So you can do it in the CTA.
The more people think, the less likely they will buy, remember? A sense of urgency/scarcity encourages people to act without much consideration. You can also find FOMO in social proof. If someone uses this product or service, others will be interested in joining the crowd. You can employ this idea in the CTA. Find a problem that your audience is experiencing. Emphasize it, show people they are not alone, and provide a solution.
There is hardly anything more persuasive than a benefit. It works as simply as suggesting some perks for clicking the button. In other words, what are consumers going to gain from it? Will it enable people to perform their jobs more effectively, get in shape, or save money? You can add a tangible benefit like a discount or promotion. To show readers the value of clicking, start the CTA with words like “save” or “redeem” like “Save 15% by calling today!”
Or you can combine a USP and CTA in a single statement to persuade potential customers to take action. By highlighting what makes your product or service unique and motivating the user to take a specific action in line with that USP, you can increase the chances of converting them into leads or customers. Here’s an example of a USP/CTA mash-up:
“Get the best deals on luxury vacations - Book now and save 50%!”
Here you mention the action you expect users to perform (“book now”) and bring up a reason to do it (“save 50%”).
Personalization is one of the easiest ways to elicit emotions. It shows users that you value them and take a genuine interest in guiding them through the purchase journey smoothly. That’s why personalized CTAs can be so effective. According to Hubspot, tailored CTAs outperform standard CTAs by 202%.
Suppose a new website visitor, John, adds some products to the cart but leaves without buying them. You can show an exit-intent pop-up before he closes the tab with a personalized advertising call to action, such as: “John, get 10% off your first purchase! Plus, free shipping on orders over $50. Shop now and start saving!”
But if it was your existing customer, Rebecca, you could show her another pop-up, such as: “Welcome back, Rebecca! As a valued customer, we’d like to offer you 15% off your next purchase. Take advantage of this exclusive offer by making your purchase right away!”
Consider your audience when crafting your message, and address them specifically. You can segment people by age, gender, profession, level of proficiency in using your software, and other traits to offer the most relevant products and services.
Apart from writing a tailored message in your CTA, personalization can also be achieved by using new tools for sales documents creation. If you go with an interactive sales deck or proposal, you can add an impactful CTA by embedding your own calendar in the message, so that your potential customer can book their next meeting simply by reading your proposal.
Numbers catch the readers’ attention because they stand out on the page with text. So it’s another way to persuade people to click. Numbers also provide information that audiences want, like phone numbers, pricing, or advantages. For example, “Learn a new language in just 30 days with our intensive course.” It’s easy to spot the numbers, so viewers will immediately grasp the possible advantages of responding to your CTA.
You can also include a price in the ad copy and CTA. Why should you do it? On the one hand, you may scare away users from clicking the button and reading more about the product. On the other, if people deliberately respond to the ad knowing about your pricing, it shows their interest in the offer. It reduces the chances of bouncing from the landing page, increasing the return on ad spend.
Calls to action are tricky since you won’t know how effective they are until you put them to the test in real life. An idea that seems terrific on paper may not work well in practice. Thus, you need to understand why the CTA performs poorly and what doesn’t appeal to viewers. But how do you determine the need to change something? Through A/B testing.
A CTA is one of the most accessible and suitable page elements for the A/B test. A small change in word choice can have a significant impact. A/B testing lets you find the best option not only in terms of wording but also in placement, colors, size, etc.
Now that we know the best practices for organizing CTAs, let’s examine how different companies do it. We’ll analyze call-to-action examples of online stores, SaaS companies, and nonprofit organizations.
Screenshot taken on the official Converse website
The first example under consideration is from Converse, a renowned lifestyle brand. The company uses several tips mentioned above:
Screenshot taken on Ulster Weavers
In this example from Ulster Weavers, we see the emphasis on FOMO. The bag is at a lower price, but only one item is available, so the retailer leaves us less time to think but to click the “Add to Cart” or “Buy it now” button.
Screenshot taken on the official Kusmi Tea website
Kusmi Tea decided to play with words and use the CTA “Enjoy now” instead of a basic “Click here” or “Shop now”. Don’t be afraid to get creative, as Kusmi Tea does in this screenshot. You can also notice that there is a lot of space around the button. This trick and the contrasting black color on the orange background make the CTA more visible.
Screenshot taken on the official Salesforce website
Here we can see several CTAs. Salesforce directs the viewer’s attention to them in the following ways:
Screenshot taken on the official Time Doctor website
When adding creativity to your CTA, be careful with misleading users. For example, the screenshot from Time Doctor illustrates two CTAs on the exit-intent pop-up:
Unfortunately, they lack information about what will happen after choosing each. While you may guess the second button will close the pop-up, the first one may be confusing. Will I schedule a call, download the app, or get to the checkout page? No idea.
Screenshot taken on the official Exabytes website
This screenshot from Exabytes demonstrates a personalized approach. The CTA contains a personal pronoun, “My”, creating a sense of ownership and exclusivity in the customer’s mind.
Screenshot taken from the newsletter from the official Elevation Church website
It’s an email from Elevation Church. We can see that the organization displayed creativity in its “READY. SET. SHOP” advertising call to action. What may be the reason for that? It can be a powerful way to reach younger generations and differentiate an email from other generic promotions.
Screenshot taken on the official African Wildlife Foundation website
Another nonprofit with impactful calls to action is African Wildlife Foundation. They are one of the first things you notice on the page. CTAs are concise and inspire supporters to learn more about the organization or donate immediately.
Calls to action are indispensable elements of web forms, ad campaigns, emails, and social media content. What are the tips for designing them? We’ve looked at the top seven strategies, including:
These tips will help you amplify your conversion rates and find the key to your audience.
Businesses in the e-commerce industry are continuously looking for methods of boosting their revenue. The Average Order Value (AOV), the average amount a customer spends on a single purchase from an online store, is one crucial metric that can assist in achieving this.
Each e-commerce company strives for a high AOV since it shows that customers spend more on each purchase, boosting revenue and profitability. This post will examine a few tried-and-true tactics that e-commerce companies may employ to increase AOV and, as a result, reduce cart abandonment, improve customer experience, and accelerate bottom-line growth.
We've already mentioned the formula for Average Order Value: AOV = Revenue / Number of orders. However, to get more precise data, you can also calculate the AOV for each traffic channel, including organic traffic, referrals, ads, etc.
Installing accurate reporting web analytics software is crucial. Use Google Analytics to determine the typical order value for each traffic channel. Visit your Google Analytics profile. You'll need the figures from the Transactions and Revenue tabs and look at the low and high values to determine the causes of these changes.
If you strive to raise the average order value for the company, the most important thing is to earn trust. You can do this in different ways, some of them are:
Let's look closely at some particular activities that can be done to improve the average order value.
One of the tips for raising the AOV is putting up packages and bundles that drive customers to spend more. In this situation, the right thing to do is group related things that make sense to buy together. For example, if the person purchases contact lenses, they will likely need a solution for them as well.
Evaluate your product sales data to determine which goods are frequently bought in pairs. Make these goods available in product bundles that come with a discount. Use your website and other platforms to promote the bundles extensively.
AOV may be improved by using cross-selling and upselling tactics. Upselling is the practice of persuading consumers to upgrade or purchase more expensive versions of the product they're interested in.
With product bundles, cross-selling entails making product recommendations that complement the items a consumer is already purchasing. A pair of shoes or a scarf, for instance, may be suggested items while someone is shopping for a coat.
Examine your product catalog to find items that may be cross- or up-sold. Add checkout notifications for upselling and cross-selling. Analyze the data to find the best recommendations for increasing AOV.
Be very careful with the products' pricing. It might be hard to boost AOV if they are too low, and if prices are too high, consumers can be discouraged from purchasing. The price must be competitive within the market sector and allow the company to profit. Do a competitive study of pricing in the industry. Maintain profit margins while adjusting product prices to comply with industry norms. To raise AOV, consider providing superior items at a higher price range.
Product discounts can generate more purchases and raise the average order value on your e-commerce store. Deals can be presented as a gift card, or you may provide first-time buyer discounts. This is one of the most straightforward techniques to raise the average order value and help enhance conversion rates across the site. Since customers will get a better deal, they are more likely to add other products to their shopping cart.
The free delivery option makes customers willing to purchase more items. You may provide a shipping option once an order reaches a specific value. If you're shipping small things, this tactic could reduce shipping costs and encourage users to make larger purchases from the website.
Free delivery is one of many options available. You may ensure the customers that the deliveries will be made safely. Another option is to offer free returns or allow clients to select from various delivery variants.
To thank your loyal consumers, implement customer loyalty programs. Design a program that offers the clients value-adding incentives like gifts for spending a specific amount or discounts for making a particular number of purchases or returning customers.
These initiatives boost not only sales but also brand engagement, resulting in increased levels of customer satisfaction and steadfast brand loyalty. Due to reduced related marketing and advertising expenditures, loyal clients are more likely to leave more money at your store, which is excellent for AOV.
Use time-limited deals to raise the average order value for your online store. Many shoppers simply can't resist a bargain, especially if it has a feeling of urgency. In this regard, you may create a limited edition of some products or launch a countdown with a discount.
If consumers see that others have bought similar goods from your store and stayed satisfied with the purchase, they are more inclined to do the same. So it makes sense that social proof is a valuable strategy for boosting your AOV and encouraging greater buy orders.
As a result, showing social proof from the customers may help build trust with potential consumers. Also, if potential and present consumers realize that you are a reputable company many people adore, they are more inclined to make larger purchases.
User-generated content is one of the finest methods to demonstrate social proof. You might also post reviews on the homepage and social media accounts to let people see what your clients think about the store.
Customers prefer to try products out before purchasing them, especially if the product is expensive. Knowing that a product works well and corresponds to your expectations is comforting. Giving out free samples of more expensive or premium items is a highly efficient way to increase AOV and conversions for such products.
If you sell a digital product, promoting a trial period is also a working strategy for entry-level products. As a product's advantages are demonstrated, any remaining doubts are eliminated, which motivates clients to spend more money.
A company has a better chance of decreasing the abandoned carts rate and converting customers if representatives are constantly available to answer customer questions. Clients are less likely to abandon shopping carts full of items when the company can answer their questions promptly.
For instance, a consumer who wants additional details about the shipping prices would demand a prompt response before purchasing. You have a greater chance of converting such consumers if you answer immediately, raising the company's sales and, thus, AOV.
You should test each AOV-boosting strategy to ensure it works as effectively as possible. This may be accomplished through A/B testing. Split testing is a reliable technique for comparing several website components to get the best variables combined for positive outcomes. Making the wrong decision might result in your online store losing conversions at a staggering pace. With that in mind, make it a practice to test key components to make sure you're putting your attention where it belongs.
To increase sales and profitability, an e-commerce company should raise its average order value (AOV). Businesses may successfully enhance AOV and boost sales by putting the tactics outlined above into practice, including upselling and cross-selling, offering free delivery, making individualized product suggestions, and others. Turning to analytics to customize these techniques to each customer's buying habits and interests is crucial.
Establish a baseline for the company before implementing any sales strategies, and then monitor changes in client behavior. By doing so, you may drive the success of your marketing initiatives, keep an eye out for any patterns or abnormalities, and adjust the tactics to better serve your target audience. In a similar vein, make sure to keep an eye on client feedback. You may keep improving customer experience by paying attention to what consumers say and how their comments change over time.
Kate Parish is a guest contributor to Marin Software.
