There is a point to all of the buttons on the websites you visit and they actually serve a very helpful purpose. 

They are what the marketing world refers to as calls to action or CTAs. When deployed properly, CTAs work to move visitors through the important pages of a website. They are a form of navigation and a prompt for visitors to take a desired action.

CTAs are used on websites because they encourage controlled action, which encourages consumption, which then increases conversion rates.

They also make the visitors experience with a website that much better. Your favourite website experiences are probably when you land on a site and you feel like the content and photos are speaking to you. When a business takes the time to understand their target customers, they know what information their visitors want and need and they make that information easier to find with strategic CTAs.

What are the types of buttons on the websites I visit?

CTAs come in many forms they can be an image button or a line of text, they can be multiple or they can be singular. CTAs can also be used for many different purposes. The most popular uses include:

• Lead Generation - on Hughes & Co. we use lead generation CTAs like "FREE CONSULT."
• Form Submissions - these are eye catching, can't miss submission buttons at the bottom of a form.
• Service/Product Information - these buttons make it easy for your visitors to discover your services, work or products.
• Read More - you see these CTAs all the time click here to read more.
• Social Sharing - simple social icons that encourage visitors to share your great content or follow you on social media.
• Lead Nurturing - not all leads are ready to book a consult - these buttons entice visitors to download premium content, get free quotes or take free trials.

To learn more about how you can effectively use each of the above CTAs, click the link to check out our article on The 6 types of CTAs to try on your website.

What makes a CTA effective?

CTAs have to be effective in order to drive clicks from visitors. That is why marketers design CTAs that are eye catching. They may achieve this through images or bold colours that contrast with a websites branding. An effective CTA also relies on copy. CTAs that use actionable verbs and have a clear value proposition are the best click drivers.

Buttons are a large part of any digital marketing strategy and their effectiveness can be monitored through marketing analytical software like HubSpot. When you can clearly see the effectiveness of a CTA, you can make informed decisions on what content and strategies are and aren't working. Want to learn more secrets to building a website on inbound principles? Book a consult.