Optimize Your CTA: higher “click right here” options

There is nothing more boring and unmotivating for a user than seeing a big “Click here” or “Learn more” link.

As a user, he is already researching the product or service he wants to buy. Of course, they will click on the links to learn more.

More than “click here” or “learn more”

So how do we motivate users to take the actions we want?

It starts with:

• Understanding user goals and user behavior.
• Building trust.
• Creating accessible, clearly labeled instructions that spark interest.

It sounds so easy in theory, but in reality, why do our websites only convert on average at 2.8% in the US?

Apparently something is missing from our websites. If 97.2% of us don’t convert on a website, we’re probably confusing our users to some degree about what we want them to do.

Let’s dive into how we can achieve this.

While you’re here, go there now

The trick to optimizing calls to action is to present the action at the exact moment when your website visitor is most interested in taking the next step.

If a user receives a call to action before any information, do you think they will click it?

It must exist compelling content before the link, as well as a detailed description Landing page.

If the landing page is not what the user expected, every time you offer a new opportunity to leave the page, your user may not trust that you can help them solve the problem.

The call to action is clearly marked in the example below.

Even better, it’s clear that designers understand their customers’ fears about money, ease of use, customer trust, and the use of color.

First Date Links

When your website visitor is ready to take action, they need to be convinced that the link invitation is worthwhile, credible and constructive.

When you present a new product range, nothing should prevent the visitor from immediately seeing what it is all about.

We may start with cunning, especially if we want something. This is what I call “first date hookups.”

The screenshot above is taken from an e-commerce site. What you see here is the entire top half of the home page.

There is no text. There are no product images.

First-time visitors should know in advance what the company sells.

This site requires first-time visitors to scroll down, wait for huge images to load, and scan minimal text to better understand the brand and its products.

The fun part of this “first date hookups” case is knowing that this particular brand is offering this special promotion or something like that every day.

There’s no incentive for regular customers to “Shop Now,” and first-time visitors have no idea where the “Shop Now” button is taking them.

They’ve been presented with this link, which is likely to overwhelm them with choice and decision paralysis – and they’ll most likely leave the site.

Try adding special promotions to your marketing strategy for your loyal customers or even first-timers.

By creating special promotions segmented by customer type, you show you understand what they’re looking for.

Trust, credibility, and the openness of your story enhance calls to action on websites and in real life as well.

Links Scarecrow

If you’ve seen the original “Wizard of Oz” movie, you’ll understand why I call these calls to action “Scarecrow Links.”

These are calls to action that offer many choices, usually with vague labels and often to the same goal.

In the movie, when Dorothy is traveling the Yellow Brick Road to find Oz, she runs into the Scarecrow and asks him for directions.

Dorothea: Which direction are we going now?
Scarecrow: Excuse me. This way is a very nice way… [pointing]
Dorothea: Who said that?
[Toto barks at the Scarecrow]
Dorothea: Don’t be stupid, Toto. Scarecrows don’t talk!
Scarecrow: It’s nice there too! [pointing in another direction]
Dorothea: This is funny. Wasn’t he pointing the other way?
Scarecrow: Of course, people go both ways [pointing in both directions]. That’s the problem. I can’t decide. I have no brain. Just straw.

Sometimes calls to action are placed in web page content at a time when we really don’t want a choice. We just want to be directed to that cool thing you just showed us.

In the example below, the top CTA is the best option because the goal is clearly defined and the desired user task.

If a company wants customers to know more about jeans with twists, they can forward this information to Landing page which presents sorting options when they click to buy all jeans with rounded hems.

A smaller detail link would make more sense to explain what the detail is about.

Is there a size chart? Appreciation?

What does this link do for us that “More About” doesn’t?

What does the user really want to do here after being shown images of rolled up jeans?

Link optimization is more than a sticker

This next example is a mix of a button, a text sentence, and a text sentence with a clickable icon overlaying a large header image.

If you were to observe someone using your site during a live session, you would most likely observe them moving their mouse over a button, text, and text with an icon to see which one would go somewhere they wanted to go.

For this example, the “Learn more” button label does not provide information about what we will learn.

This is the most visible CTA and the eyes of the person in the image are facing the button, which is a design trick because studies show that we look to see what the face is looking at.

How can we optimize the CTA for this page?

First, remove the “Learn More” button. We will upgrade it.

The text below the image in fine print is unrelated. It asks a question, but the user has to search where to get the answer.

It also raises a question that may not be as important or interesting as the one that follows it. I would remove the whole “You want to know us better” sentence.

The more compelling story is why.

The button can be larger and placed according to the view of the model. The button label is an invitation to “See why we do what we do” and connect that to their story.

Not only does this narrow down the selection to one link for one lead, but it makes it easier for screen readers to publish the link and direct visitors listening to the page.

Links with labels such as “More About,” “Read More,” “Shop Now,” “Submit,” “Click Here,” “Download,” and “Continue” are common.

However, they are less likely to click on these links than on a more specific, inviting link.

Don’t be afraid to experiment to optimize your calls to action by calling to action. Don’t be afraid to tell the user what you want them to do by clicking on that link.

If anything, lead them to theirs purchase decision.

Sometimes we might get a little too excited about our link text.

Every call to action is a risk

Remember that the call to action should be placed at the moment when you have prompted the reader to leave the train of thought.

Every call to action is a risk. At a minimum, your link must:

• Have a clear label with an exact goal.
• Make it easy to see and read.
• Be convincing to the person.
• It presents itself at the exact moment when it is most useful.
• Don’t have competition (other links) nearby.
• Navigate to the desired task that will benefit your user.

As humans, our attention spans are already so short.

Every time the call to action takes them forward, they may have forgotten where they were just now.

It is important that you support the tasks with good organization information architecture and navigation which gives signals for a sense of place.

Calls to action are sometimes annoying interruptions.

What additional incredibly fascinating information is hidden behind the “More About” that is so compelling that you interrupted their thought process?

It better be worth it.

Conclusion

We have a small window of time to capture the user’s attention.

Using generic language like “Click here” or “Learn more about this” will no longer help. When creating a call to action for a user, try to reiterate exactly what you want them to do.

Don’t insert CTA links for the sake of having them or taking up space.

Think about your link strategy from the user’s perspective: Is there more than one link option? Are both necessary? Are they clear enough for the user to take action?

In addition, your content the lead to this call to action must be enticing enough to make them want to take action.

More resources:

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Featured Image: Motortion Films/Shutterstock

Picture in publication no. 4 created by the author, June 2022