Write the Perfect Call to Action: How to Get Readers to Do Exactly What You Want

Landing Pages, Optimization

This post is part of SNAP’s free 5-email Landing Page Optimization Series. Sign up here.

What is a call to action?

The call to action, or CTA, is where you tell your readers to DO what you want them to do.

Without a CTA, your landing page might as well be a private journal entry. (AKA it’s nice to write, but it won’t change anyone’s life.

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Via GoodLandingPages.com. So meta!

They can also be presented as links, like this:

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Via Copy Hackers.

When crafting the copy around your call to action, make sure it fills three main criteria:

  1.  It’s SPECIFIC.
  2.  It’s ACTION-ORIENTED.
  3.  It’s URGENT.

Two out of three ain’t bad, but aim for three out of three to see the highest conversions.

An excellent example of a CTA that’s action-oriented (“Gimme”), specific (“My Cheat Sheet,” “Click Here and Tell Us Where to Send It”), and urgent (“!”) is this button from Funnel Nerd:

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Via Funnel Nerd.

Consider phrasing your CTA in first person

By wording your button in first person–for example, “Yes! I Want to Feel More Confident at Networking Events”–you join the conversation that’s already happening in your user’s head.

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This reduces the “friction” that’s keeping him from clicking, signing up, buying, or whatever your end conversion goal may be.

Include “click trigger” copy to assuage fears and doubts

Imagine your prospect is about to click that CTA. But there’s one last thing holding them up. What is it?

You have the opportunity to gently address any last resistance in the small “click trigger” copy below your CTA.

You can also use this space to give prospects a peek at what’s coming next, lowering their fear of the unknown.

For example, you might assure prospects that their credit card won’t be charged or their email won’t be spammed:

Something like…

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Via Network Marketing Strategies.

The bullet-point wrapup

  • Your CTA should be urgent, action-oriented, and specific
  • Try using first-person (“I”) to make your user read CTA copy in their own voice
  • Include click-trigger copy to assuage fear

There’s a lot more to be said about calls to action, but we’d rather show you.

Ready to work with SNAP? Click on through to get your credits and start sending traffic to your irresistibly high-converting landing page.